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A whale of a time
Photographer Gwen Rea took this closeup of a whale near St James on Thursday – and when she showed the image to a pair of marine biologists, they agreed Rea had captured a very special moment: The whale was giving birth to a little one. Photos: Gwen Rea
Tuesday 20 September 2011
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HAPPY FAMILY: Rea re turned to the same spot the next day and spotted the same whale, now swimming with her calf.
EARLY DAYS: The calf stuck close to mom on its first few days in the wide blue wa ters.
Oil site gets green light DALEEN FOUCHÉ
C
ITY PLANNING is to review the subdivision and rezoning application for the contested Marine Oil site development in Simon’s Town, after plans for the proposed mini-town gained provincial approval in August. The proposed development, which is spearheaded by Southern Palace Investments, was approved by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP) in April 2010, but the Far South Peninsula Community Forum (FSCF) and Simon’s Town Civic Association appealed the decision. Anton Bredell, Western Cape MEC for the DEAP, declined the appeal and confirmed in August this year that the proposed development had been approved.
Objections to the development centred around the density of its housing section and the impact the development would have on existing infrastructure, especially roads. The proposed development is to comprise two elements on the 6,4 hectare site. The first is a 6 000m² shopping mall at the front on the property, bordering Main Road. The second is a group of apartment blocks, with up to 785 residential units to be built behind the commercial node. Dr Lesley Shackleton, deputy chairperson for the STCA, expressed disappointment that the appeal to the initial approval of the proposed development had been dismissed. She says the application for about 800 residential units is too much for current infrastructure, especially if one looks at the “bigger picture.”
On the other hand, she says the Dido Valley housing development, which is to be built near the proposed Marine Oil development, must go through, because it is reaching for a different population group. “We need more low-income housing,” she says. The Dido Valley project, which is awaiting provincial approval, is to consist of 600 houses, a clinic, crèche, church, a business hub and a taxi rank, along with the necessary roads and infrastructure, on an 8,03ha site at the top of Dido Valley. Shackleton, however, says the STCA does not object to the Marine Oil site’s development in principle. “It is a very nice design, it is just the density of the development which is impossible,” she says. Francois Wust, town planning consultant from C-Vission, however, downplayed the scale of the de-
velopment last week, saying that while the applicant applied for the “absolute maximum” residential units, it is more likely that about 400 units will be built. He further says that the development will be built in stages, with the commercial node comprising “a small shopping centre” to go up first and residential units to follow, as the market demands. Wust says the application to rezone the property from industrial to commercial and residential will now be submitted to the City of Cape Town for consideration. Further applications to subdivide the property will also be submitted. Wust says that developers had to wait for environmental approval from province before the these applications could be considered. He adds that talks with the City regarding the levy on bulk infra-
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structure also delayed matters. Money from such levies is used to upgrade infrastructure in the area surrounding developments of this nature. Wust, however, says an agreement has been reached with the City to pay off this levy as the development progresses, instead of as a once-of payment. People’s Post reported last year on the start of the cleanup process on the Marine Oil Site (“Cleaning starts for proposed mini-town”, People’s Post, 2 February 2010). Wust says the cleanup has been completed, and that authorities have given the “thumbs up”. This formed part of the consideration for provincial approval, he adds. The removal of fish oil- and nickel-contaminated material from the site for controlled disposal started in January 2010.
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