Zandvlei Trust

The proposed Steenberg Road extension through Zandvlei.

What has happened to date.

1. 22nd April 2006 – Received from de Villiers Brownlie Associates via email 21/04/2006, a notice that the proposors, the City of Cape Town (applicants) intend submitting a Draft Scoping Report, to the City of Cape Town for internal review purposes in May 2006.

Once the Draft Scoping Report is complete it will be released for public review and comment in June 2006. The I&AP's will be advised.

2. 16th November 2005 – Received from de Villiers Brownlie Associates via email 15/11/2005, an update to the proposal after a number of email correspondences referring to the unauthorised drilling operation on the 9/11/2005. See more below.

3. 9th November 2005 – A geotechnical survey sub contractor test drilled 3 holes in the wetland adjacent to Lake Road, Froggmore Estate.
It transpired that there was no authority for this procedure. Also not present an Environmental Officer to oversee the process. This is a fundemental requirement of an EIA, especially in a senstitive area such as a wetland.
To compound this problem, on an inspection the next day by City officials and an I&AP, an oil / diesel soaked rag was found left behind in the wetland, next to one of the drill sites.

4. 19th April 2005 – Below is the notification received via email, from Louis de Villiers on 18/04/2005.

Proposed Extension to Steenberg Road 
Your registration as an interested and affected party for this project refers.This serves to advise that progress with the project has been somewhat slower than originally anticipated and that, as a consequence, we are unlikely to be in a position to present anything further to you until the end of June 2005.
Please be assured that your registration as an interested and affected party will ensure that you are kept informed about the project. You will be advised when any further information about the project is available and /or when there are further opportunities for you to participate in, or comment on, the project.

Louis de Villiers
deVilliers Brownlie Associates
Tel/Fax +27 21 6744263

5.  28th January 2005 – Formal notice of the "Scoping Process" issued by de Villiers Brownlie Associates acting as facilitators for the City of Cape Town was published in the local press.

What is proposed by the City and Capricorn Business Park.

Local politicians, The City of Cape Town and local business peoples (Rabie, ConLife and the Capricorn Business Park) have proposed to extend Steenberg Road from the west to Prince George Drive, through the Greater Zandvlei Nature Reserve. This is possibly another unsolicited bid.

Some preliminary information and issues.

The board of directors of the above business association have together with local politicians proposed this idea to increase the investment at Capricorn Park and the south eastern Peninsula area. The City has submitted an EIA application for the proposal in Jan 2005 process. They are hoping to use the R300 Toll EIA information for the specific area which is presently available.
The City of Cape Town Planning officials insist that this proposed route is sustainable, as per the City's IMEP (Intergrated Metropolitan Environmental Policy) which was signed by the Mayor in October 2003.

The Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve is presently a small 24 hectare Nature Reserve on the northern shores of the Zandvlei Estuary. A very important estuary on the South Western Cape coast line, it has been recommended  by Duncan Hay in 2004, a leading scientist on estuaries, as one of five estuaries of 250, along the South African coastline to be studied by a national body. This mainly, as a good working relationship between City of Cape Town, local environmental and recreational users has been developed over a number of years. These groups – the Sand River Catchment Forum and ZAC (Zandvlei Action Committee), form a very important body of people – City of Cape Town officals and local environmental and recreational bodies interested in Zandvlei and its Catchment.

The Cape Bird Club was requested by the Anglo American developers of the Marina da Gama to assist in monitoring the developments of birds around Zandvlei in 1974.
Many members collected valuable data on bird and animal movement, identification and behaviour. A number of plant species was identified and the eradication of the invassive exotic vegetation was recommended. The Cape Bird Club was instrumental in establishing the "Wildwood Bird Sanctuary" in 1977 with the Cape Town City Council. It started assisting the City with the removal of the exotic vegetation and continues to do so today with volunteer help.

Wildwood Bird Sanctuary eventually became – The Zandvlei Nature Reserve and is part of The Greater Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve, a 240 hectare area, approved by the Mayoral Committee in December 2004.

As of the 02/02/2005 this alignment is still part of a National Toll Road proposal (R300 / N21 – southern section 1), which has not had an offical decision proclaimed by the National Minister of Environment and this proposal has been launched concurrently. Very interesting indeed.

There are many other issues which will be raised here in the next months.

What to do.

Please raise any concerns you may have about the proposed extension road. The notice requires all interested and affected parties to register and comment by 28th February 2005.

To do this before the 28/02/2005, please contact:

Louis de Villiers,

tel/fax (021) 674 4263
email  dbass@icon.co.za