The Cape Bird Club

MINUTES OF THE CAPE BIRD CLUB CONSERVATION COMMITTEE

Minutes of the meeting held on Mon  27 July 2009 at Dave's house.

Present: Dave Whitelaw, Gavin Lawson, Felicity Ellmore, Cliff Dorse, Suretha Dorse, Isabella Haydon, Frank Wygold.

Apologies: Doug Harebottle, 

1. Strandfontein – Graeme Cummings has some ideas for monitoring nutrient levels

  • Hyacinth is still a problem
  • The fishermen are using the platforms that were built for them
  • Victoria still hasn’t sent information to Gavin for the CBC website or put anything on Capebirdnet. Cliff will talk to Asief and Victoria about it. Victoria and the student have been joining the monthly bird counts.

2. Paarden Eiland – The Director general of Public Works came to see Frank. They still want him out. The DA are prepared to give Frank alternative accommodation – either in the Southern suburbs or in Belville – neither of which are suitable. Frank wants to be in other accommodation when his lease expires in 2011 but he needs to be in that area. Bernadette Le Roux is trying to help. Dave Curren wants Frank to take over the Bayview Soccer Club lease but Frank hasn’t heard any more from him. Frank should go back to Dave.

  • There have been people fixing the bridges and spraying the paths. They also cleared the canal of vegetation and a channel along most of the rest of the vlei. They dumped the stuff on the path. They were using a caterpillar dragline and probably damaged a sewage pipe as the vlei suddenly emptied – maybe into a sewage pipe.
  • The area has no conservation status yet. It is one of the areas that Cape nature is reviewing. Has ended up as a Voluntary Conservation Area – Friends of Paarden Eiland need to sign a document with Cape Nature. The City needs to zone it Public Open Space so it can’t be changed without a public participation process.

3. Raapenberg -  TRUP has been very quiet. Isabella couldn’t make the last meeting.

  • They are widening the M5 next to Raapenberg and taking some of the wetland. They were meant to only use land from the other side. Maya wants to set up a meeting with BKS. Cliff gave comments to Maya earlier about mitigation after taking away land for the road. Cliff will send the comments to Isabella to take with her to the meeting.
  • The area that remains after the work is finished should be given some status to protect it.

 4. Edith Stephens – Stacy was meant to come to the meeting but she hasn’t.

  • Getting the Cape Flats Bird Club kids to Boulders during the weekend is a problem as they have to be out by 10am.
  • The reserve is now in the South under Dalton.
  • Dave will contact Stacy again. We need to get things happening again.

5. Flamikvlei – The scoping report was rejected. The developer is going to amend the report and resubmit. Need to contact Lisa Petersen (the case officer) and find out why it was rejected.

  • De Plaat – nothing to report.

6. Bantamsklip – There is a document about the geology of the area being produced.

7. House Crow – Hopefully it will be sorted out by Dec – Louis is sure it will. Other options – Cliff staff have made a walk in trap and they will be trying it out soon.

8. Dassenberg – being reviewed.

9. Windfarms – Dave has said we want to be registered as an I&AP when the process starts.

10. Boulders Penguins – they are spreading into the residential areas. Suretha and a colleague are putting in a proposal for a boardwalk in this area to keep people away from the penguins.

  • Dave has been in touch with Rob Crawford. They might increase the two year exclusion zone around St Croix and the other island. The penguins seem to be benefitting.

NEXT MEETING – 7 Sept 2009 at Dave’s house.

                                                                                                                                            

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