R.I.P. Hermanus Bypass?

Writer: Dr Anina Lee.

Most people in Hermanus are aware of the saga of the CBD bypass road. It has now reached a critical point.

If the provincial environmental authority (DEA&DP) gives the project environmental authorisation, the way will be open to build a provincial road that will cut a swathe through a very special section of our own Fernkloof Nature Reserve (FNR).

You may well ask how that is possible. Surely Fernkloof is a protected nature reserve? Yes, it is. South Africa has laws in place that are designed to prevent the loss of conservation-worthy land.

You be the judge. Above is a photo of the pristine fynbos next to Mountain Drive. The finished road plus pedestrian walkway would cut a swathe 30 metres wide through the vegetation (photo below). Of course, getting to that point would entail a far wider area of impact, as the current Hermanus to Stanford roadworks make clear. The photo at the bottom shows what the Overstrand Municipality offers in exchange.

But there is a caveat. If the supporters of the road can prove that there is no feasible alternative and that the need for the incursion into the reserve is critical, then a so-called “biodiversity offset” can be motivated to make up for the loss of protected land.

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 16)