Hout and About

December 2013

The official publication of the Hout Bay Residents & Ratepayers Association

For back copies of Hout and About see our website www.houtbay.org.za

Photo of Hout Bay beach taken from Chapmans Peak Drive, in happier times

1
Hout & About December 2013
 PAGE

Photo Photo Hout Bay taken from Chapmans Peak Drive, in 1

happier times

Lens Lines - a message from the Chairman of the Hout Bay 2

Residents & Ratepayers Association
When the rains came this summer devastation wrought
and mother nature hit back on the destabilised Chappies
mountain-side.
.
Photo taken at the height of protests against the tolling and 3
proposed building of a toll plaza and office block on Chappies, in
the Table Mountain nature reserve a world heritage site.
Photo of CPD outside Chapmans Peak Hotel & mudslides into 4
luxury block of flats No.1 Chapmans Peak Drive
Photo of land slide due to destabilisation of mountain, while 5
building of Toll Plaza & Office Block
Anthony Allens overview and aerial schematic: photos & 5-7
description of the cause of the carnage on CPD
Stop Press Dr Guy Prestons report on what caused the 6 -7
mudslides on Chappies
Hout Bay Beach cleansing operation kelp must be left on 8 11
the beach outside Kelp Removal Zones, to reduce sand
erosion see maps
12
To know whats going on in Hout Bay Seasons Greetings
13
Membership form to join HBRRA

Lens Lines

A message from the Chairman of the Hout Bay Residents & Ratepayers
Association
Our lead photograph is of Chapmans Peak Drive taken in happier times, before we had to
contend with autocratic administrations who thought they knew better than the people living
in Hout Bay. Pleadings like Hands off our Mountain!! Cancel rotten deal did nothing to stop
the onslaught on Chappies.
Now mother nature has hit back with heavy mudslides from a destabilized mountain.
The further photos show the devastation after drenching rains hit Hout Bay the other day,
and the earlier landslide on the mountain as the multi million Rand Toll Plaza and Office
Block was hastily being built against tremendous opposition: over 10 000 signatures
collected from coastal runners, cyclists, and communities in and around Hout Bay, as well as
a fiercely fought million Rand law suit.

2
Hout & About December 2013
 3
Hout & About December 2013
--------------------------------------000O000--------------------------------------------------

4
Hout & About December 2013
What caused the carnage on Chapman's Peak Drive?

Here is a schematic derived from an aerial photo shoot concluded on the afternoon of 20
November 2013.

Fortunately there was 8/8 high cloud cover which prevented strong shadow contrast and the

5
Hout & About December 2013
soil in the wash-aways is still moist in the deep gullies, providing strong visual clues.

Close proximity, high resolution images completed in the shoot provide vital clues to the
management of this unstable slope.

This wide angle overview illustrates two main facets, divided by a ridge line between the
north and south facets.

The north facet is composed of 4 individual tear drop wash-aways which did not combine
and remained parallel.

The north facet primarily caused the flood damage to Flora Bay resort, whilst the south
facet provided the bulk of material which hit No.1 Chapman's Peak Drive.

The six primary tear drop wash-aways in the south facet evidently had a higher feed or flow
rate of water, which became exaggerated when the topography below the points of origin
caused the six flows to converge into two points, one directly above No.1 Chapmans Peak
Drive and one just below that building but above Flora Bay.

"Tear drop" shaped wash-aways are marked in each section.

The decomposed Table Mountain Sandstone (TMS) is largely comprised of in situ scree
material which also contains a high percentage of historic overburden from the late 1800s
and early 1900 manganese mining operation.

Cut dried tree trunks are evidence of the alien vegetation clearing programme which also
provided the loss of critical binding agents to the steep slope and it is possible that had
these trees been left in place, that less catastrophic erosion may have taken place.

Recent fire damage further contributed to the surface matrix instability with the loss of
critical binding surface flora. The passage of abnormally high rainfall storm water over this
surface resulted in the immediate erosion of the surface and deep wash-aways. The
resulting slurry of loose scree sand and rock tore the deep gullies visible in the image.

In addition to the multiple factors that may have contributed, it is most likely the primary
cause was simply the abnormally high volume of water shed by the mountain slopes during
the 12-hour period in which over 140mm of rain fell. In simple terms, just too much for the
storm water systems and natural mountain drainage to cope with.

The entire slope remains unstable and susceptible to any future high rainfall.

- Anthony Allen -
THE AERIAL PERSPECTIVE
- 021 447 2037

STOP PRESS - What caused the carnage on Chapman's Peak Drive? Dr. Guy Preston
contacted us in this matter see below

Dr Guy Preston, a Hout Bay resident who is also the Deputy Director-General in the
Department of Environmental Affairs responsible for the Working for Water programme that
manages the control of invasive alien plants across the country, was approached to
comment.

Preston said that is clear from a perspective of the entire west-facing flank of Chapmans
Peak drive, that the site of the plantation/invasions by pines, as well as gum and wattle
trees, is dramatically worse than other areas in terms of erosion, slippage and mud-slides.

6
Hout & About December 2013
The plantation should never have been planted on such a steep slope, and particularly with
such soils. Poor management and associated invasions by the trees worsened the
situation. The impacts were exacerbated through periodic intense wild fires on soil
properties (leading to a water repellence and consequent risk of erosion); changes in soil
chemistry through the pines; inhibition of indigenous vegetation (suppression by
allelopathy) by the gums; and, of course, the intensity of the rainfall.

What happened at the bottom of Chapmans Peak drive could have happened all along the
drive, had it not been for the efforts of the authorities and hack groups to keep the area
from being invaded by alien trees.

It is also clear that a greater focus on repair of the invaded site is necessary, as was done
through the Ukuvuka Campaign following the intense fires along the Table Mountain chain in
January 2000.

Photos by Anthony Allen The Aerial Perspective are strictly copyright no copies
without permission Anthony Allen 021 447 2307

7
Hout & About December 2013
--------------------------------------000O000--------------------------------------------------

Hout Bay Beach

City of Cape Town Beach Cleansing Management Procedure

Cleansing Area One: Hout Bay to Atlantis

Issued by:

The Manager: CLEANSING Ms C McKinnon

General Policy Principles

All beaches are to be managed as ecological systems.

Under no circumstances will any waste (human or natural) be buried on the
coast/beach.
All marine mammal carcasses will be removed to the appropriate landfill site.
In the event of a whale or dolphin carcass Marine and Coastal Management must be
contacted at: 021 402 3911. In consultation with Marine and Coastal Management
the appropriate method of disposal of the carcass for each individual case will be
discussed and agreed upon.
All litter bins, dustbins and cleansing containers will be removed from all beaches by
the end of May 2005 and placed on the pavement, boardwalk or parking lot at the
back of the beach.

Kelp and Redbait Removal

8
Hout & About December 2013
 For all areas demarcated as Kelp Cleansing Areas (in the attached aerial photographs)
all kelp wrack and Redbait shall be removed from the coast and taken to the appropriate
landfill site.
All tidal pools to be kept free of kelp.
No kelp or redbait is to be removed from any other area on the coast. Where extreme
storm events result in abnormal amounts of kelp wrack being deposited, removal of kelp
wrack to a landfill site from Natural Coastal Areas may be requested by the relevant
Beach Manager (in consultation with the relevant environmental area manager).
Completion of these ad hoc requests will be at the discretion of the Cleansing Area
Manager.
Frequency of kelp and redbait removal from the demarcated areas will be done
according to the Cleansing Schedule. This Cleansing Schedule will be determined by the
Cleansing Area Manager and communicated in writing to the relevant Amenities and
Environmental Area Managers for their records. Frequency of kelp and redbait removal
from the demarcated areas will be done according to the Cleansing Schedule. This
Cleansing Schedule will be determined by the Cleansing Area Manager and
communicated in writing to the relevant Amenities and Environmental Area Managers for
their records. The Kelp Cleansing Schedule and Deep Cleaning Schedule will be frequent
during summer months (October to April) and infrequent (50%) during winter months.
Kelp and redbait may be stockpiled prior to removal to the landfill site. All stockpiling
will be done at the location indicated on the map. No kelp or redbait may be stockpiled
for longer than three days.
On the request of the relevant Beach Manager, collected kelp will be distributed to
reasonable locations and central points for the use in dune rehabilitation. This kelp will
NOT be litter picked by Cleansing prior to distribution for dune rehabilitation.
Once distributed for dune rehabilitation, the Beach Manager will be responsible for
removing the kelp to the landfill site if NOT used for dune rehabilitation as intended.

Deep Sand Cleaning

For all areas demarcated as Kelp Cleansing Areas (in the attached aerial photographs),
deep sand cleaning may occur in the defined nodal area (as mapped) at the discretion of
the Cleansing Area Manager.
The frequency of deep sand cleaning will be determined by the Cleansing Area Manager.
This Deep Sand Cleaning Schedule will be determined by the Cleansing Area Manager
and communicated in writing to the relevant Amenities and Environmental Area
Managers for their records.
The Deep Sand Cleaning machine is to enter and exist the beach at the formalised
access point.

Litter Picking and Waste Removal

All coastal areas will be litter picked according to the Cleansing Schedule which will be
determined by the Cleansing Area Manager and communicated in writing to the relevant
Amenities and Environmental Area Managers for their records.
Waste and litterbins will be emptied according to the Cleansing Schedule which will be
determined by the Cleansing Area Manager and communicated in writing to the relevant
Amenities and Environmental Area Managers for their records.

9
Hout & About December 2013
 On request by the relevant Amenity or Environmental Manager, major waste material in
the form of large drift wood, concrete blocks, metal poles etc that may emerge on the
beaches or be washed ashore, shall be removed by Cleansing.

Public Complaints

If public complaints are received regarding the presence of kelp on the beaches outside of
the Kelp Cleaning Nodes, the cleansing department may forward the complainants on to Mr
Gregg Oelofse Tel: 021 487 2239 for attention.

10
Hout & About December 2013
HBR&RA Collection tins

Please take note and you will find new collection tins appearing at many till points around
Hout Bay - tins for small change to create big change to support the cause keep Hout
Bay a place we would all like to live in. No matter how big (and we encourage and welcome
Corporate membership at R1000,00) or how small the donation, all donations are welcome.
Youll find our tins at Penzance Vet, Casareccio, Darios, La Cuccina, OK, CNA, SPAR, Earth
Worx, Jack Hammers, Riding Centre, Dr.Orreys rooms, Blue Bottle.

So again heres our bank details- our Bank is:

First National Bank,

Branch: Hout Bay
Sort code: 204 009
Current account in the name of Hout Bay Residents Association
A/c Number: 5345 1027 173 Please put your name and initials as the reference if
you make an electronic funds transfer or deposit monies to the credit of the Associations
bank account.
Cheques/Money Orders, payable to Hout Bay Residents Association may be
posted to HBRRA, P.O. Box 27031 Hout Bay, 7872

11
Hout & About December 2013
To know whats going on in Hout Bay, why not join the Hout Bay
Residents & Ratepayers Association?

Join today heres how:-

Simply complete the Membership Form below, and email to
hbrra@houtbay.org.za, and a response will be sent to you promptly.
The annual subscription fee is a nominal amount and you may wish to make
a donation please do so!

The Economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ecology without the

Environment, there can be no Economy!

THE ENVIRONMENT IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE - OUR PRIORITY

We wish all our members, associates & the

communities a safe, healthy, joyful, Holiday Season
and a successful year ahead.

12
Hout & About December 2013
HOUT BAY RESIDENTS & RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION
(previously HOUT BAY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION)
*****The ENVIRONMENT is our priority*****
PO Box 27031 Hout Bay 7876
Email: hbrra@houtbay.org.za
Chairman: Len Swimmer (021 790-0268)

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

I/We would like to take out membership of the Hout Bay Residents & Ratepayers Association and understand that the
subscription fee is R60 per person per year and R100 per couple. Corporate Membership R1000,00

Please find payment of R . enclosed and note the following details in your records:

SURNAME .... FIRST NAME/S ...... TITLE

POSTAL ADDRESS

..

RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS [if different]

..........

PHONE (h) FAX .. CELL PHONE

....

EMAIL ADDRESS

...

SPECIAL CONCERNS

I AM ABLE TO OFFER ADVICE OR ASSISTANCE TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE . DETAILS OF MY

AVAILABILITY AND AREA/S OF EXPERTISE OR INTEREST: ..

Banking details for a/c Hout Bay Residents Association BANK: FIRST NATIONAL BANK

BRANCH: HOUT BAY

BRANCH CODE: 204 009
ACCOUNT No: 5345 1027 173

Please use your FULL Name as a reference on the payment to ensure that we correctly credit your
membership payment RECEIPTS WILL BE ISSUED FOR CASH PAYMENTS ONLY OR BY REQUEST

13
Hout & About December 2013