The Cape Bird Club

MINUTES OF THE CAPE BIRD CLUB CONSERVATION COMMITTEE

Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 19 September 2011 at Dave’s house.

Present: Dave Whitelaw, Felicity Ellmore, Gavin Lawson, Frank Wygold.

Apologies: Nneheleng Koali, Doug Harebottle, Suretha Dorse, Cliff Dorse.

1. Strandfontein - NCC presented to the exec of Birdlife SA - went well. Not sure what the cost will be.

• There is a Strandfontein management meeting tomorrow - Cliff, Dave, Asief, Victoria.
• There is a working group from City council looking at increasing the tourism potential of False Bay Ecology Park.
• Doug spoke to Cecile, they will set up a meeting next week.
• Memorandum of understanding – Dave hasn’t heard from Birdlife or the City.

2. Paarden Eiland - Frank has heard nothing from the Public Works dept.

• There was anoth meeting of the sub committee of Zoarvlei about putting salt in the vlei to get rid of Typha. No decisions have been made.
• Frank has decided to give up the Field Study Centre. He is not sure what he is going to do. He is not getting help from people like Bernadette for issues like the Scout Hall. Frank has warned them.
• Dave will phone Bernadette.
• Dave Curren has an application from the City to develop the area between the hospital and the Portugese Club for housing.
• Koos wants to remove the weirs to scour the vlei.

3. Raapenberg - Dave will find the Management Plan and then contact James Cooper.

4. Edith Stephens - Doug did a ringing workshop for kids there a few weeks ago.

5. Wind Farms - CEO of Sasol said the only viable option is solar.

• The government have decided not to pay a flat rate for Energy - will auction it.

6. Penguins - The Building Plan submission for the proposed boardwalk at Burghers’ Walk was a priority and upon completion of that process, the concept around the workshop will be further explored. The Conservation Committee will be informed of any further progress.

7. Driftsands - Nothing to report.

8. Atlasing - There is a new project in the South Western Cape to get at least 4 lists for each pentad. There are lots of pentads with only one list around Dave’s house at Pearly Beach - we should have our next meeting there and do some atlasing.

9. Water bottling Plant - Someone wants to have a water bottling plant just outside the boundary of cape Point National Park - in the buffer zone. It will affect a wetland. Various NGO’s protested but Wessa withdrew their protest. Mary Lou Roux wants Dave to come with her to see the CEO of Wessa - want them to write a letter to say the reason they withdrew their protest had nothing to do with the environmental issues .

NEXT MEETING - Saturday 29 October 2011 at Dave’s Pearly Beach house.