Passing the Baton West Coast Landowner Surv rvey WCBCI Milestone Event 28 th November 2014
We have a dream… • Leaving the City of Cape Town, as you pass the Blaauwberg Nature Reserve, you are welcomed through branded signage onto the West Coast Way (R27) • You are about to enter the largest integrated protected area on the doorstep of a metropole – a mega game reserve, a tourist mecca • You are struck by: • The perimeter fence straddling both sides of the R27 protecting visible numbers of diverse game species • Evidence of culverts under the R27 facilitating game movement & hiking & biking trails • Beautiful conferencing & resort facilities at Ganzekraal and Silverstroom • Wide variety of accommodation options ito location & target market • Signage to public coastal access points • Increased tourism product density • Signage that you’ve entered an Important Birding Area • Route markers to both products & all towns in the region • Growth in tourism, service & residential infrastructure in towns such as Yzerfontein, Mamre, Atlantis & Darling • Opportunities for unique experiences such as visits to Dassen Island & ship wreck diving • The numerous options for West Coast cuisine, wine & olive tasting • The low levels of poverty & unemployment in the Corridor owing to large numbers of Green Jobs 2
Dream Origins • Some West Coast Corridor Landowners have shared this dream for an extended protected area since the formation of the WCNP & declaration of the Langebaan Lagoon as a RAMSAR site • 2004/5 Cape nature-led initiative • Establishment of the DCCP • 2011 CWCBR, SANParks & DBSA landowner workshop • 2013 successful Green Fund application by SANParks to: pursue the idea of an extended PA; implement DEA’s Buffer Zone Policy; & demonstrate conservation’s contribution to rural economic development 3
Dream Location WCBC defined as geographic area from WCNP to BCA in the south & eastwards to Darling Heuwels 4
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Why the Dream West Coast Biodiversity Corridor • Located in the Cape Floristic region – last intact extensive lowland habitat • Birding paradise – 2 IBAs • Significant Climate Change Adaptation Corridor • Part of SA’s Protected Areas Expansion Strategy • Core of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve • Hosts critical ecological services e.g Aquifers, wetlands • Hosts the Langebaan Lagoon (RAMSAR Site) and a Marine Protected Area • Includes WCNP & its Buffer Zone • Significant paleontological & heritage assets Vegetation Type Eco Status (CN 2014) Saldanha Flats Strandveld Endangered Hopefield Sand Fynbos Vulnerable Langebaan Dune Strandveld Least Concern Atlantis Sand fynbos Critically Endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos Critically Endangered Cape Flats Dune Srandveld Endangered
Catching a Wake Up Saldanha IDZ Expanding Metropole 7
Competing Dreams • Koeberg expansion in the south • Doubling of the R27 highway • Earth gas pipe landing site • Major infrastructure investment – rail and sea • Wind energy investments • E.g. Mamre – Laaste Stuiwer • Rheboksfontein Wind Farm ( east side of R 27) – 43 turbines planned for Rheboksfontein, Doornfontein, Platteklip, Nieuwe Plaats, Groot Berg, Slang Kop 8
Believing in the Dream: the WCBCI • WCBCI focused on demonstrating that conservation can be a lead sector for rural economic development • Vision developed at a stakeholder workshop in August 2013 was: for the WCBC to be a vibrant region where appreciation of its rich biodiversity, cultural heritage and partnerships deliver sustainable jobs, skills and opportunities • Key projects identified included • Investigation into an expanded and integrated PA • Spatial planning alignment with municipalities 9
Testing Support for the Dream • Need strongly identified to engage landowners individually • November 2013 WCBC PSC approved the conducting of a Landowner Survey to assess: • Level of buy-in for the idea of investigating an extended & integrated PA in the Corridor • Biodiversity & heritage value & level of formal protection • Economic and social profile & future plans • Survey roll-out include the training of 6 SANParks & CWCBR interns and 2 WCNP environmental monitors to participate in conducting the Survey • Training undertaken April 14 – 15 & May 5 th • Piloted survey with 3 landowners • Survey roll-out in week of 12 th – 16 th May 2014 • Additional complementary research undertaken: • Mapping Exercise; Legal Review & Historical/Paleontological Heritage Review • Private & public landowner feedback sessions held on the 30 th June 2014 & 4 th August 2014 to test credibility of the findings & receive additional inputs • Draft report circulated to all landowners for comment prior to finalisation 10
Survey Team 11
Surveyed Farms • The properties that were included in the Survey included: • Koeberg, Blaauwberg Nature Reserve, Groot Springfontein, Silverstroom Strand, Buffelsrivier, Bok Baai, Mamre CPA, Ganzekraal Resort, Ganzekraal Farm, Coastal State Land, Rondeberg Flats (West), Ronderberg Towers (East), Laaste Stuiwer, Grotto Bay, Jakkalsfontein, Rheboksfontein, Doornfontein, Tygerfontein, Koffiefontein, !Khwa Ttu, Yzerfontein Farm (south), Uitkoms, Weskus Padstal, Portion 5 of 552, El Be Farm, Jacobuskraal Smallholdings, De La Rey, Yzerfontein Farm (north), Kerriefontein, Suurfontein, Blombos, Salt Pan, Rooipan, Sixteen Mile Beach, Dassen Island, Buffelsfontein, Groote Post, Pampoenvlei, Burgherspost and Cloof. • Interviews conducted with DoPW, DEA, DRD&LR, PDHS, Cape Nature, SANParks 12
Some Key Survey Findings • State-land • Consolidation of State-owned land in Southern portion of Corridor – pending transfer to Cape nature • High levels of private landowner concerns re current weak management of state- owned land • Perceived as increasing threats of alien invasive species, poaching, land invasions, fire, crime, vandalism of heritage assets • Mamre community (CPA) major landowner • Weak management of coastal public property • Lack of public coastal access • Potential of Dassen Island & Ganzekraal Resort as regional tourism assets unrealised • Some public nature reserves are formally declared, others in process 13
Some Key Survey Findings • Private-sector-landowners • Different interests & development rights • Private Nature Reserves not all legally compliant • Whilst most of the land on the east of the R27 is zoned agriculture much is used de facto for conservation owing to climatic & soil conditions • Main current activities taking place are: birding, livestock, restaurants, accommodation, hiking, game viewing, crop farming, game farming • Priority concerns are: fire, poaching, alien invasion, service delivery (e.g. waste management), crime, return on investment, delays in development approvals 14
Perceived Economic Benefits of the Dream • Integrated development planning • Game introduction & animal • Tourism node identification migration • Eco tourism infrastructure investment • Culverts under R 27 • New product development • Game fencing • Tourism product linkages and joint • Allocation of hunting rights marketing • Extended birding paradise • Opening up of southern WCNP gate • Fast-tracking development rights • Improved Corridor management & • Increased sustainability of the services Corridor • Fire protection • Formal protection of biodiversity & • Invasive species management heritage • Heritage restoration & mgt • Increased job opportunities • Poaching control • Integrated waste management • Conservation management, invasive species management & beneficiation, fire • Security management, hospitality, domestic work, • Road & property maintenance security, coast-care, & maintenance • Shared worker transport • Tax Incentives 15
Support for an Integrated, Extended PA 82% of Landowners Express an Interest in pursuing the idea 16
Emerging Recommendations 17
Recommendations 1. Sufficient landowner interest to further investigate & negotiate the dream 2. GEF 5 is the vehicle to take forward the recommendations 3. Landowners be approached individually & in spatial clusters 4. Support fast-tracking of requested state-land portions in the DCCP to Cape Nature 5. Urgently resolve issues of custodianship & management of Ganzekraal Resort 6. Resolve legal compliance issues of private nature reserves 7. WCBC to be a pilot of DEA’s public coastal access project 8. Controlled opening up of Dassen Island to Tourism 18
Recommendations 9. Relevant planning authorities to align spatial plans 10. Identify & develop economic catalysts 11. Engage all spheres of government re recommendations 12. Landowners & product owners to collaborate re marketing of region’s biodiversity & heritage 13. Complete a full legal review of status of land portions; identify appropriate protected areas & management models & identify legal rights & obligations of all parties 14. Consider development & utilisation of WCBC as a replicable model within Buffer Zone and Pas throughout SA 19
THANK YOU 20
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