Roodefontein plants 'important'

2003-11-20 18:39

George - Cape Nature Conservation (CNC) believed much of the controversy-ridden Roodefontein estate was of considerable importance to conservation, George regional court heard on Thursday.

CNC "strongly" recommended alternative development proposals.

This was evidence in the trial of former Western Cape premier Peter Marais and his environment MEC David Malatsi, who are accused of taking thousands of rands in bribes to smooth the way for provincial approval of the R500m project.

The court has heard Italian multimillionaire Count Riccardo Agusta wanted to develop a golf estate, a residential area with about 400 dwelling units, an equestrian centre, a luxury hotel and a private nature reserve on the site.

An environmental consultant working for him testified that the project would have improved the ecology of the area by rehabilitating fynbos, eliminating alien vegetation and creating the reserve.

However a letter handed into court as an exhibit on Thursday, from CNC's regional ecologist Dr Anne Lise Schutte-Vlok, said the fact that a property was infested with alien vegetation in certain areas could not be used as an excuse to develop it.

Letter was sent to case officer

"Landowners now have a legal duty to eradicate invasive alien vegetation from their land," she said.

"They do not have to develop such a high number of (residential) units and a golf course, to be able to get rid of the alien vegetation."

The letter, to the case officer dealing with the Roodefontein development in the province's environment and development planning department, Dr Steve du Toit, was written in November 2001, after Schutte-Vlok saw the environmental impact assessment compiled by HilLand Associates, the consultants hired by the developers.

Schutte-Vlok said a private nature reserve was a voluntary agreement between landowners and CNC, and either party could pull out of the agreement at any time.

The south-facing fynbos on Roodefontein was of "considerable importance", as it contained rare and uncommon plant communities.

She also noted there were plans to irrigate the golf course with sewage effluent from the Plettenberg Bay municipality.

"As fynbos vegetation is adapted to nutrient-poor soils, the use of enriched sewage water would have a substantial detrimental impact on this vegetation type. (CNC) strongly objects to this proposal."

She said it was clear a large proportion of the property was of considerable importance to conservation.

"We therefore strongly recommend alternative development proposals be assessed that would be more in line with the environmental sensitivity of the site."

- SAPA