The Schulphoek land grab:
Posting under construction . . . to be continued
The Schulphoek land grab: Under construction . . . to be continued
Sunday, January 23, 2011
HERMANUS MUNICIPALITY PUMPS SEWAGE INTO LAGOON
Hermanus municipality courts massive damages from affected businesses
Overstrand municipality admits faulty switch caused sewage to be pumped into lagoon, from the scout camp pump station (on a number of occations)
The abalone farms in the Hermanus Harbour saw detrimental effects suspected to be associated with toxic sediment flushed out of the Klein River
Saturday, January 22, 2011
TOWN PLANNING CORRUPTION 2
Friday, January 21, 2011
Hermanus Yacht Club in the s . . . Sewage
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
HERMANUS TOWN PLANNING CORRUPTION 4
* Overstrand Ward 11
SOURCE OF HERMANUS LAGOON POLLUTION
DETERMINING THE SOLUTION (Part 1)
(Further posting below on Klein River Estuary pollution)
If you need to know where the sewage (e coli) contamination comes from (besides the two malfunctioning sewage plants) take a close look at these pictures and the map and ask yourself the question 'Do these properties have septic tanks or conservancy tanks?' If the answer is, conservancy tanks, then ask the question, when were they last pumped?'
Howerver, if the answer is, septic tanks, then you will know where the contamination is coming from and who the culprits are.
It should be further noted that the buildings on the photographs below are below the 5m MSL set back line presently being determined by Environmental Affairs.
THEREFORE IT SHOULD BE MANDATORY THAT THESE DEVELOPMENTS (holiday homes) REPLACE EXISTING SEPTIC TANKS WITH CSIR STANDARD CONSERVANCY TANKS AND STRICKLY ADHERE TO A PUMPING PROGRAMME
Friday, January 14, 2011
Hermanus Lagoon Pollution
HERMANUS BLUE FLAG BEACH THREATENED
Grotto beach has Blue Flag status, for how long, you may well ask. Even the abalone farms in the Hermanus Harbour saw detrimental effects suspected to be associated with toxic sediment flushed out of the Klein River estuary during the last breach. What will be the status of this beach be when the estuary breaches?
HISTORIC ARNISTON JUDGEMENT AGAINST A MUNICIPALITY AND DEVELOPER
LEGAL LESSONS TO BE LEARNT WHEN DEFENDING HERITAGE VALUE IN THE OVERBERG. PITY WE DIDNT KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS BEFORE THE QUARTERS HOTEL (HARBOUR VIEW) WENT UP
"The Arniston case is an excellent precedent which needs to be reinforced by similar action by other communities”
Background: 2009. Verreweide Eiendomsontwikkeling (Edms) Bpk was the registered owner of Erf 599 Waenhuiskrans and sought to develop the property with a view to establishing a business centre comprising inter alia, shops, holiday apartments and basement parking in the center of historic WAERNHUISKRANS - ARNISTON
Now the case can be summarized as follows; The matter was between Waenhuiskrans Arniston Ratepayers Association ( First Applicant ), Waenhuiskrans Action Group ( Second Applicant ) and Verreweide Eiendomsontwikkeling (EDMS BPK) ( First Respondent ) , Cape Agulhas Municipality ( Second Respondent ) , The Registrar of Deeds ( Third Respondent ); and Judgment in the Case No. 1929/ 2008. by Acting Judge De Swardt A.J. on 19 November 2009.
Concluded: The decision by Cape Agulhas Municipality to extend the re-zoning of the site following the lapse of the zoning in terms of section 16(2)(a) of LUPO was set aside in terms of this judgment, and the judgment has clearly earned a measure of credibility having withstood appeals to the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.
The case can be found here:
http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZAWCHC/2009/181.pdf
STOP INAPPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENTS
The rights of Communities, in particular the MFMA and PAJA ; and the belief that it is possible for Communities and Residents Associations to stop inappropriate developments promoted by Municipalities and greedy Developers is very true and is happening all around us.
HERMANUS LAGOON POLLUTION LEVELS 'OFF THE CHARTS'
Pollution levels in the Klein River estuary at Hermanus are so high that they are 'off the chart' of what the laboratories are able to measure, states a Cape Times report
WHERE ARE THE 'NO SWIMMING' SIGNS AROUND THE ESTUARY WARNING ABOUT POLLUTION?
Fish have been washing up dead in the estuary since the start of December and are still dying. The water quality of the Bot River and Onrus River estuaries is also well above the maximum allowed for E coli pollution.
Rob Fryer, manager of the Overstrand Conservation Foundation, said yesterday: “The Klein River estuary is extremely sick and deteriorating. Testing by the Overberg District Municipal health department shows 100 percent of water samples tested over December and January were in excess of the standards.
“The laboratories can test only up to 2 419 counts of E coli per 100ml, and all the samples were at this level, which probably means they are above 2 419,” Fryer said.
The Department of Water Affairs states that the maximum level for safe recreational use of rivers and estuaries is that 80 percent of the water samples must be less than 100 counts of E coli in a 100ml of water, and that 95 percent of the samples must be less than 2 000 counts a 100ml.
Fryer said if a single sample had shown pollution levels of 2 419, he would not be concerned, but for 100 percent of samples taken over two months to be at the maximum the laboratories could measure showed the severity of the problem.
Fryer said people were still swimming and boating in the dirty estuary.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
HERMANUS LAGOON (Klein River Estuary) Pollution
THE POLLUTION MONITOR
Pictures taken December 2008
Problem in a nutshell
The Municipality needs to confirm the 5m above msl contour setback line and enforce compliance
&
PUT UP NO SWIMMING SIGNS
TOWN PLANNING CORRUPTION 1
* Overstrand Ward 11
Historic Klein River Flood December 1998
WHO APPROVED THESE BUILDING PLANS?
DID THEY KNOW THAT THE SET BACK LINE WAS 100 METERS (OR 50 METERS OR 32 METERS) ABOVE THE 100 YEAR FLOOD LINE?
NOT BELOW THE FLOOD LINE
"ASK THE TOWN PLANNER IN THE OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY FOR SOME ANSWERS"
SOME ANSWERS (although convoluted)
DEBATING WHERE THE SET BACK LINE SHOULD BE
NEMA depicts an estuary as a „water body‟, in which case set back is 32m. It is important that NEMA and the ICM Bill are aligned (and likewise the EIA regulations).
Henk Olivier of Overstrand Municipality’s planning department noted that DWAF does not allow development below the 50 yr floodline but nevertheless also requires that you show the 100 yr floodline in applications but this is not always of practical use.
Currently DEA&DP are using the 1:50 yr floodline, as is DWAF. MCM is also considering whether this is an acceptable setback line. Part of the problem is that in an estuarine environment the appropriate level for development is localized so that in one part of the estuary it may be the 1:50 year floodline, whereas in another, it may be better represented by a contour line e.g. 2m above the high water mark, depending on the steepness of the bank.
So the setback policy for estuaries is still a work in progress on a national and provincial level, because the National Water Act covering rivers says the 1:100 year floodline, and anything relating to the high water mark in the Integrated Coastal Management Act does not apply to estuaries that are closed to the sea. The estuary experts propose the 5m contour as a setback line above the 3m msl.
In a nutshell
The Municipality needs to confirm the 5m above msl contour setback line and enforce compliance
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