'Halt building at Langebaan until assessment done'
The plan to extend the visually intrusive R100 million boatyard at Langebaan Lagoon by 6m to 18m is unacceptable and a visual impact assessment must be done before further building is done, civic groups have told the government.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) has worked illegally on the project for more than a year without environmental authorisation and has already paid a R93 000 fine imposed by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs.
The DPW is building the boatyard for the Recces at their Salamander base on the western arm of the lagoon.
The Environmental Affairs Department is responsible for issuing environmental approval for such projects.
After last week's Cape Argus reports about the controversial project, three officials from the Environmental Affairs Department flew down from Pretoria on Thursday for an urgent meeting in Langebaan with project managers, SA National Parks and representatives of three local civic groups - the Langebaan Ratepayers and Residents Association, Cape West Coast Biosphere and the Saldanha Bay Water Quality Trust.
The three civic groups have been tackling the state about the project since becoming aware of it in March.
The groups said the visual impact of the boatyard was of "great concern" and needed to be addressed through a proper aesthetic assessment.
Other concerns included:
Their concerns also included the apparent "total lack of communication" between the government departments.
The Ratepayers' group chairman, Jaco Kotze, said: "We... understand the need for such a long overdue project such as this boatyard, which is in the national interest."
He added that the military was an integrated part of their community "and will always be".
"But these facilities should never be to the detriment of our environment, nor to community living in it."
Cape Argus
Posted at 02:28PM May 17, 2010 by Editor in Cities and Towns |