An excerpt from the minutes of the ZPAAC working meeting held on 17 January 2018. In due course this will be regrouped per topic and worked into a detailed, timelined subsidiary plan to the management plan. Please add your thoughts and comments below!
The reasoning is that we need significant amounts of funding, which can only realistically be obtained through private-public partnership and that requires significant economic incentive. This requires a strategy that likely includes commercial development.
The input from the meeting participants are noted below. Going forward, DG noted that many of the desired things are already legally required and built into the management plans. BV noted that this is encouraging for investment. The risk of irresponsible development is limited because of extensive legislation and a vibrant local community. Enforcement of basic rules like fishing equipment and public order policing is challenging.
DG suggested after the meeting that the management plan is vague, and that more detailed subsidiary plans are needed with timelines and defined objectives. These include specific topics, like invasive flora, development, sediment management schedules, littertrap and litter management etc. DG, BV and the new reserve manager will meet and formulate these with input from the ZPAAC.
Obtaining funding for these plans to supplement city budgets is a full time exercise, GL noted we need a full time fundraiser. GL developed a job description for this. To pay the salary for this person, BV suggests entering the Dream Zandvlei into global competitions, for example. GL shared the #cocreate design festival as example, after the meeting. It would be great to get a landscape architect volunteer on board for the visualisation.
Preamble: Andy: sewer line: if moved make a dramatic change, but doesn’t bring it back to natural, because it’s so constrained. But it is likely the best we can do.
Can we put the sewer pipe below the low spring tide? Drop 2m? May cause small leaks, would require an additional pump station. The most expensive part is the power line to the pump station. The sewage from Clovelly, St. James, Muizenberg, Lakeside goes through this pipe.
Cherry:
Rebuild estuary roadbridge – traffic, restore canals,
More natural estuary mouth – seem to fit well with the estuary roadbridge
Build the Steenberg extension at the bottom of the M5. If this road is landscaped properly, it would still be an environmental asset. – bridge over railway line there. Allow to develop the northern part of the reserve better, currently underutilized.
Environmental reserve, platformed tented camp. – Can get to this nature reserve by train!
Perhaps café, open on weekends.
The old campsite revamped, including a very special amenity centre, special sort of restaurant (like Harbour house)
Source to Sea pathways – connecting the catchment (good already in Constantia valley, Tokai), have started in Muizenberg and Lakeside, need to connect them in Westlake, and consider issues of safety. It’s a short distance to connect to Kirstenbosch
Water quality,
An enhanced aesthetic value to Cape Town
A financial audit of what the estuary is worth from a fishing perspective.
Educationally worth optimized.
Marketing programme for students and learners, learn, understand, take ownership of this area.
Set of behavioural rules – a code of conduct for how people should behave in this environment.
Better signage
Pam:
Investment, investors
A mini waterfront, having a market, restuarants, not too upmarket
Nothing noisy
Lathif:
Look at what is already happening, working with that rather than designing something new
Investors look at maximizing profit at the exclusion of the people who live here, so need to manage that, keep the people and council involved.
David Roux
The banks around the sea cadet base, the eastern side of the yacht club, something permanent. The sand bag idea worked well.
Better utilization of areas – e.g. next to caravan park, e.g. light environmental centre, camping centres
Move on the bowling green
Anthony
Source to Sea is very important, creating connectivity out of the vlei, drawing people in.
Security concerns follow this,
Also False Bay source to sea efforts. But we need to open up the community. The more people using it, the safer it will become, and yes we need to upgrade the security.
Improving awareness. Not just this community, but everywhere, catchment management, catchment and upwards. Strong community involvement.
Improved amenities, making use of space that isn’t used properly Look at what GreenPoint park has achieved.
Sufficient budget from council for management. Not only from a staffing perspective.
Office facilities, education centre (co-working spaces) that budget need to be allocated
Naturalisation of the litter traps
Don’t: harden the edges of the vlei. A hybrid system is important.
Connectivity to the mountain, from a natural flow of flora and fauna.
Dalton
The management plan – 2011. The proclamation has now formally been proclaimed. These ideas are only ideas until they are encapsulated into the plan.
“Zandvlei usage is a valuable component of the CT network. Appropriately used for education … “
These ideas are not short on thought or on plans – these are in place! Institutionally we are one of the better managed in the Western Cape.
Code of conduct – we have a recreational water use by-law Section 23
Economic study was done in early 2000 – in terms of property values, link economic benefits to natural systems
Suggest: A natural function estuary cycle bearing in mind we are in an impacted cycle. Fix the water levels etc. It will always be a ‘novel ecosytem’
Manage the impact – big one is water quality, solid waste and chemicals. Not that badly affected by water quantity.
The system needs to be better integrated in the surrounding environment, e.g. the caravan park has no connection to the external environment.
Zandvlei is very well studied.
All the work has been done! It is ripe for investment.
Andy
Operating as close to a naturally functioning estuary as possible. We need to do remedial dredging
Relocate sewer pipe
Allow water to fluctuate more
Maintain passage to allow fish
Water depth at about 1.5m at spring tide
The money and budget to achieve these
DON’T WANT:
The destruction of Zandvlei as a fishing nursery
Motorised craft
Urban or industrial development along the normal edge of the vlei
Litter
Nutrients, polluted entering from the North
Imbalanced weeds
Gavin
Similar to Cherry’s
Royal Bridge road needs to be triple its present span
The promenade walkway needs to come down – this is the part that constricts the mouth
Open up the mouth to four times it’s current width, allow it to self-regulate
Is in the plan, but Phase 2 onwards need to be implemented
Need a full-time fundraiser
Elegant, big windows restaurant that has great benefit from the sunset.
Peter
All my points covered
Having one representative in the city to deal with
Yvette
Children to engage with nature, sport
Adequate management
Sensitively and appropriate
Non-motorised boating
Eco-centre
Awareness – showcase eco stuff
The by-laws are there, but difficult to enforce them – need manpower and money – Dalton: the new by-law gives users the ability to manage their own by-laws
Lathif
Water reticulation of the ends of the waterways (Boksburg has a mobile unit to reticulate this water)
(Ask Tamsin about law of taking water from vlei to sell)
Fishing – endangered – Chapter 3. Better enforcement. More security officers, more staff.
More notice board. Better signage. (That doesn’t get stolen in two hours)
We need full time law enforcement – lobby local council! In Zandvlei and in Zeekoevlei. It is an important recreational space and need law enforcement (only the beaches seem to have them)
Walkway between Uitsig waterway and the <> – Sandriver, that boom gate is not working to prevent undesirable traffic (only for emergency)
Agriwaste – diffuse pollution, pollutants in the ground – integrated nutrient management,
Angus
Not have Green algae!
Different weed harvester design? Dalton: tenderized model may have faster turnaround. Privately owned, leased to the city. If the machine is too specialized it may be useless in the near future.
Bernelle
World class water (sports) tourism destination
Vibrant fish
Vibrant birds
Nutrient managed
Softened banks, rehabilitated riverbeds
Softened catchment – WSD
Clear waters
Ferry fun stuff between caravan park and sports club
Zip line
Promenade
Dynamic mouth management – vibrant estuarine habitat
Promenade, night time walks, LED lighting (not light pollution), perhaps powered through wetland/microbial fuel cells (MFCs)
Dredged vlei, sediment used for award winning architecture and landscape architecture
Lots of otters!
A new “Otter trail” including sections of the Hoerikwaggo
Safe hiking
Vibrant community – also including the “homeless” to live the life they are comfortable with
Multifunctional, productive spaces
More animals, e.g. eland
Science! High tech integrated but also educational, it’s tech, but it’s not about the tech, it’s about the people.
Inclusive, resilient
Food gardens, allotment plots? => wider than Zandvlei, incorporate open areas everywhere, extend the green corridor, integrate with the cycle routes, down to Cape Point, up to various places, the V&A, the PHA
Link with the catchment – articulate and visualize the relationship with the catchment
Access and support for multiple activities – horses, dogs cycles, yacht, canoe, fish, integrated, responsible hiking.
Less lawns!
Win awards, world famous
Inclusive also to light industry – showcase the circular economy
Better circulation in Marina da Gama – connect with Capricorn business park, as per the original development plan
“liveable neighbourhoods”
Public-private research, engaged research
Park Island higher profile
Permanent orienteering course(s)
Build community between and within neighbourhoods – e.g. Muizenberg, Lakeside, Westlake and beyond.
Don’t want litter, motorboats