Page 1 CITY of CAPE TOWN QUARTERLY REPORT – 1
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SPATIAL PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT Koos Retief Biodiversity Area Manager: Blaauwberg T: 021 444 0315 E: [email protected] B L A A U W B E R G N A T U R E R E S E R V E QUARTERLY REPORT: JANUARY – MARCH 2020 CONTENTS Pg. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................... 2 2 HIGHLIGHTS & CHALLENGES ............................. 3 3 CONSERVATION PLANNING .............................. 5 4 FLORA .................................................................... 6 5 FAUNA ................................................................... 9 6 SOIL ........................................................................ 12 7 WATER ................................................................... 12 8 FIRE ......................................................................... 13 9 PEOPLE, TOURISM & EDUCATION ..................... 14 10 STAFF ...................................................................... 18 11 LAW ENFORCEMENT ........................................... 19 12 INFRASTRUCTURE & EQUIPMENT ........................ 20 APPENDIX A: MAPS OF THE NATURE RESERVE 23 APPENDIX B: VARIOUS MEDIA ........................... 26 Figure 1. Map of Blaauwberg Nature Reserve. CITY OF CAPE TOWN QUARTERLY REPORT – 1 OCTOBER TO 31 DECEMBER 2018 1 Blaauwberg Nature Reserve | Blaauwberg-natuurreservaat | ULondolozo lweNdalo lase-Blaauwberg 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Blaauwberg Nature Reserve, formerly referred to as the Blaauwberg Conservation Area (BCA), was conceptualised in the 1980s. In 1996, conservation area status in terms of the National Monuments Act (Act 28 of 1969) was conferred on public-owned portions of land, as well as a section of private land comprising the site of the Battle of Blaauwberg. A proposed boundary for the Nature Reserve was also gazetted. In 2000, the Blaauwberg Conservation Area Development and Management Plan (see Figure 2 below) with recommendations were approved by the then Cape Metropolitan Council and Blaauwberg Municipality. One of the key programmes in the plan was the Land Consolidation Programme, which has resulted in three of the five identified private landholdings having been incorporated into the BCA in 2002, 2005 and 2010, respectively. The Land Consolidation is now continuing under the Protected Area Expansion Programme. It was only in late 2003 when on-site Reserve Management was established. The placement of a Reserve Manager in the Nature Reserve by the City of Cape Town coincided with, and was made possible by, the receipt of Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) funding via the Cape Action for the People and Environment (C.A.P.E) programme. In 2006, the Western Cape Member of the Executive Council for Environmental Affairs and Development Planning granted approval for the establishment of the Blaauwberg Conservation Area Local Nature Reserve in P.N. 345/2006 dated 27 October 2006. The provincially-owned portions of the Nature Reserve were proclaimed as Blaauwberg Provincial Nature Reserve by means of P.N. 06/2007 dated 2 March 2007. Many of the City’s nature reserves were not properly proclaimed or were proclaimed under old and outdated legislation. Following a Public Participation Process (PPP), Council resolved in June 2011 that the City’s Environmental Management Department could proceed with the process to proclaim the City’s 14 nature reserves, including Blaauwberg, in terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003 (Act 57 of 2003). The Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape, Mr Anton Bredell, under section 23(1)(a)(i) of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, (Act 57 of 2003), declared Blaauwberg Nature Reserve in the Provincial Gazette 7837 on Friday, 20 October 2017. The City of Cape Town manages both its own, and the provincially-owned land, as a single entity called Blaauwberg Nature Reserve. The Vision for the Blaauwberg Nature Reserve is to “conserve, protect and enhance the unique diversity of natural, historical and cultural resources of this area for the sustainable enjoyment and development of present and future generations through education.” The Mission of the Blaauwberg Nature Reserve is to, “through judicious land acquisition and the development of economically viable conservation and education-related facilities and activities, secure the protection of the entire area and ensure its long- term sustainability based on sound ecological and cultural values.” Figure 2. Blaauwberg Conservation Area Concept Plan, 2000. CITY OF CAPE TOWN QUARTERLY REPORT – 1 JANUARY TO 31 MARCH 2020 2 Blaauwberg Nature Reserve | Blaauwberg-natuurreservaat | ULondolozo lweNdalo lase-Blaauwberg 2 HIGHLIGHTS & CHALLENGES 2.1 HIGHLIGHT: An article about ecological burning of fynbos and renosterveld to preserve biodiversity was published on page 21 of the CONTACT magazine of February/March 2020 (the City of Cape Town’s staff newsletter). The Blaauwberg Nature Reserve’s Blaauwberg Hill contains some of the last remaining Swartland Shale Renosterveld (a Critically Endangered vegetation type) which has mostly been lost elsewhere due to agricultural practices that removed natural vegetation. Prior to modern farming, renosterveld plant species diversity was partly maintained through regular burning by semi-nomadic Khoi herders that burned the veld to regenerate grazing. Members of the Nature Reserve staff, who have been involved in planning, preparing, and executing the burning work were photographed at the top of the Blaauwberg Hill (see Figure 3 below). Figure 3. Article in the CONTACT magazine. CITY OF CAPE TOWN QUARTERLY REPORT – 1 JANUARY TO 31 MARCH 2020 3 Blaauwberg Nature Reserve | Blaauwberg-natuurreservaat | ULondolozo lweNdalo lase-Blaauwberg 2.2 CHALLENGE: The Blaauwberg Nature Reserve’s public visitor facilities, including the Eerstesteen Resort and the Montispectus accommodation unit, was closed to the public from 18/03/2020. The President of the Republic of South Africa declared a national disaster on 15/03/2020 due to the spread of the COVID-19 (novel Coronavirus of 2019) into South Africa. The following Monday 16/03/2020 the Biodiversity Area Manager, Koos Retief, held a staff meeting to inform all employees at the Nature Reserve about the announced social distancing measures to limit the spread of the disease. Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato, announced in a media release on 17/03/2020 that public facilities, including nature reserves, would close in order to assist in stopping the rapid spread of the pandemic through public spaces in the city. On 18/03/2020 the Nature Reserve staff posted notices and closed the access point at Eerstesteen Resrot. All planned meetings, activities and events in the Nature Reserves, including any accommodation reservations at Montispectus, were also cancelled. The closure impacted one beach wedding, one accommodation reservation, the Friends of BCA hacking group’s weekly field work, one battlefield interpretive walk, five educational hikes, one Foundation Backbone environmental education programme one Nature@heart environmental education programme, as well as the City Nature Challenge. On 23/03/2020 the President announced a mandatory nation-wide lockdown from 27/03/202 to 16/04/2020. The lockdown instructed people to remain at their place of residence for 21 days, except to travel to purchase necessary goods (food and medication), to collect social grants, or to perform essential services. Several restrictions were announced to control the movement of persons. Staff involved in performing essential services had to be issued with travel authorisation from the employer, and all organisations involved in essential service provision had to register on a national database. This was followed by an announcement that beaches are also no-go areas during the lockdown. Nature Reserve staff arranged with the Roads Department to place New Jersey barriers to barricade the beach access parking areas at Derdesteen, Kreeftebaai, Kelpbaai, Haakgat and Holbaai on 26/03/2020 (see Figure 4 below). In another media release it was announced however that City will continue with essential environmental and beach management during the lockdown. According to the regulations published in terms of the National Disaster Management Act various essential services have been identified, some of which are required in the Blaauwberg Nature Reserve, including but not limited to, security, fire management, wildlife management, animal care, and veterinary services. Biodiversity Area Manager (Koos Retief) was issued with a travel authorisation in case travelling was required, but he was instructed to take a work laptop home to work remotely. Senior Field Ranger (Gavin Olivier) who lives in Council accommodation, was issued with a 4x4 vehicle as well as with travel authorisation in order to provide essential services on the ground. All other Nature Reserve staff, including EPWP workers were instructed to stay home during the lockdown period. Security service providers at Blaauwberg Nature Reserve, including G-force Security, Quemic Africa, and G4Security, also had to register as essential service providers. G-force Security provides a 24-hour point guard service at the Eerstesteen Resort entrance which had to continue during the lockdown. Quemic Africa provides a 24-hour 4x4 mobile integrity team as well as a foot-patrol ranger service that also had to continue during the lockdown. G4Security collects