THE VILLAGE
NEWS
24 FEBRUARY 2021 YOUR FREE COPY #ALLOVEROVERBERG The next issue of The Village NEWS will be out on 3 March 2021.
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The annual harvest is slowly but surely getting underway in the Overberg after cooler than normal temperatures delayed the start of the season by a few days. Winemakers and viticulturists agree that last year’s ample rain and this summer’s moderate temperatures made for bumper crops, as the conditions slowed down ripening and allowed for fuller flavour development on the vines. While the wine industry suffered devastating blows due to lockdown restrictions, many farms in the area report that both online and international sales have helped them to survive and ensure space in the cellars for the new vintages. Winemaker Nadia Newton Johnson was among those who thoroughly inspected the crop before the pressing of the grapes started. PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer
New plan for Fernkloof Writer De Waal Steyn
N
ine years after consultants were first appointed to develop a management plan for the Fernkloof Nature Reserve (FNR), a final draft plan is expected to be approved in principle by Council on Wednesday. Consultants were tasked in 2012 to develop an integrated development plan for FNR and the first draft was advertised in 2014. The comments that were received were worked into the plan and it was workshopped with interested and affected parties for another three years. However, the 2017 version of the plan was shrouded in controversy after conservation bodies and the public rallied against a section of the plan that allowed for proposed development rights within the borders of the reserve. According to that version a zipline, a coffee shop on Rotary Way and even a cable way could have been allowed should developers apply and succeed in their applications. These plans were
nipped in the bud after a public outcry shortly before the closing date for public comment on the plan. At the time social media was alight with posts, comments, and petitions against the adoption of the plan, which also included the possible future development of management offices, a tourism office, model aircraft flying sites, bird hides, educational centres, picnic sites, a conference facility, accommodation units and an astronomy centre. After a public meeting where objections were raised against the proposed development rights, the lack of consultation with the Fernkloof Advisory Board (FAB) and input from interested and affected parties, the plan was withdrawn and sent back to the drawing board. “After another round of workshops and public meetings, the final draft was supported by CapeNature and the Fernkloof Advisory Board (FAB) and advertised in 2019. The comments were considered and incorporated into the final draft of the Protected Area Management
Plan (PAMP),” states the agenda for this week’s Council meeting. Should the PAMP, for the period 2021 to 2025, be approved in principle by Council it will be submitted to Anton Bredell, the Western Cape’s Minister of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning for final approval. According to the plan its primary objective is to ensure the protection, conservation and management of the protected area concerned in a manner which is consistent with the objectives of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (NEMPAA) and for the purpose the reserve was declared. “The FNR PAMP is a strategic document formulated to provide a framework for the operation and management of the reserve. It is an adaptive management tool that allows for adaptive and/or refined management processes to respond to the changing factors that may affect the FNR,” according to the agenda. According to the plan’s Conservation Devel-
opment Framework the FNR is classified as a Core Conservation Zone and all possible future developments within the reserve will be required to go through the standard processes of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the NEMPAA and the municipal application procedures. The plan states that the municipality has the mandate to sustainably develop the FNR within the framework of an approved Concept Development Plan (CDP). The municipality will initiate the development of a CDP that will address the future improvement and development of all infrastructure within the reserve. As stated by the PAMP, the reserve will continue to provide quality eco-tourism experiences to visitors, but some degree of tourism infrastructure development, guided by the CDP, is required to serve the required recreational and social needs. Emphasis should be placed on facilities and services that enrich the visitor’s understanding and appreciation of the biodiversity and cultural heritage of the FNR, according to the plan.
