The  community joined hands in protests against efforts to start coal mining operations on the neighbouring farms of Groenvlei and Lakenvlei, because of the disastrous effects it will have on the environment, and therefore also on the tourist and hospitality industries. The following feedback more or less sums it  up :

Reg. No. B2001/033916/23
Your Management, Monitoring and Environmental Connection.
P.O. Box 2047 Tel: +27 12 993 2165
Garsfontein East Fax: +27 86 621 0292
0060 e-mail: johan@menco.co.za
Name: Johan Maré
Cell: 083 389 6617
Date: 9 December 2011
Ref: MP30/5/1/2/2/505MR

Manager: Law and Policy Programme
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Private Bag X11
MODDERFONTEIN
1645
Attention: Ms. Anique Greyling
By email: aniqueg@ewt.org.za

Dear Madam,

RE: NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT, 1998 (ACT 107 OF 1998): ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) REGULATIONS LISTED ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPOSED COAL MINING OPERATION FOR WPB COLLIERY (PTY) LTD ON THE FARMS GROENVLEI 353 JT AND LAKENVALEI 355 JT

Reference is made to your letter dated 2 October 2011 as well as your email dated 9 December 2011 pertaining to the above-mentioned matter.
M2 Environmental Connections (hereafter referred to as Menco) apologizes for the late response but would like to make use of the opportunity to provide the Endangered Wildlife Trust with the following reply. However, Menco would like to reiterate that our client does not intend to act in contravention of its legal obligation and intends to fully co-operate with the instructions of the Department of Mineral Resources. Therefore, without prejudice of their rights Menco provides the following feedback as requested.
1. Application for mining right to the Department of Mineral Resources in terms of the MPRDA
An application for a mining right in terms of section 22 of the MPRDA, 2002 (Act 28 of 2002) had been lodged with the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) on 24 January 2011 for the mining of coal on portions 6 and 23 of the farm Groenvlei 353 JT and portion 12 of the farm Lakenvalei 355 JT, district of Belfast.
The acceptance letter from the DMR pertaining to the above-mentioned mining right application was received by facsimile dated 7 March 2011. The letter stated the timelines to be followed in terms of the compilation of the documentation in support of the mining right application. The EIA/EMP report compiled in terms section 29 and 35(5) of the MPRDA was submitted to the
Your Management, Monitoring and Environmental Connection.
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DMR on 2 September 2011 following Public Participation on 30 March 2011 as well 29 August
2011.
Ongoing public involvement has resulted in the notification by the DMR on 23 September 2011
that objections had been received against the mining right application and that WPB Colliery will
be invited to RMDEC to be allowed the opportunity to make a representation before all parties
that objected.
A response to all objections had been compiled but the RMDEC meeting had been postponed
until the next scheduled meeting in January 2012.
2. Application for authorization in terms of NEMA EIA Regulations for listed activities
In a response by Menco dated 5 September 2011 it was stated that an application for authorization
in terms of NEMA was submitted with the Department of Economic Development, Environment
and Tourism in Witbank. The project was registered with DEDET and reference number
17/2/3N-82 was allocated.
It should also be noted that DEDET considered the application as partial fulfillment of the
requirements of the Listed Activities under GN R545. It was requested to resubmit the application
with the omission of activities 20 and 22 as it is deemed a requirement of the Department of
Mineral Resources to authorize mines. It was further stated that Listed Activities under Category
B 4(1) should be lodged with the Directorate: Environmental Impact Management under NEM:
WA as DEDET is no longer mandated to authorize such activities. As stated earlier it was agreed
with the Department of Water Affairs: Mpumalanga Regional Office to authorize the waste
(water containing waste) under the National Water Act, 1998 (Act 36 of 1998) as section 21(g)
water uses.
The remainder listed activity is for the storage of diesel on site. According to the applicable
regulation the NEMA process needs to be followed if more than 80 0000 liters of fuel is to be
stored on site. WPB Colliery will be storing between 20 000 – 40 000 liters of diesel in tanks
located aboveground and that are bunded.
3. Application for a Water Use License in terms of the NWA, 1998
A regulator authority meeting was held with the Department of Water Affairs on 7 September
2011 to discuss the departmental requirements for a water use license application. A prefeasibility
meeting is a prerequisite in the water use authorization process. The meeting was
attended by several of the registered stakeholders that objects to the project. The responsible
manager of the Department of Water Affairs has granted the Interested and Affected Parties an
opportunity to raise concerns that were considered as part of the delineation of scope of work to
be compiled in the Water Use license Application Process.
WPB Colliery (Pty) Ltd is therefore in the process to apply in terms of section 40 of the National
Water Act, 1998 (Act 36 of 1998) for an Integrated Water Use License authorization for all water
related activities on the farms Groenvlei 353 JT and Lakenvalei 355 JT inclusive of the following:
• Section 21(a): Taking of water from a resource
• Section 21(b): Storage of water
• Section 21(c): Impeding or diverting the flow in a water course
• Section 21(g): Disposing of waste which may detrimentally impact on a water resource
Your Management, Monitoring and Environmental Connection.
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• Section 21(i): Altering the bed, banks of water course
• Section 21(j): Mine dewatering
As coal mining is considered a high risk sector activity (Category A) the water use license application must be supported by an Integrated Water and Waste Management Plan (IWWMP). The IWWMP is in the process of completion and consist of several technical reports such as:
• Surface water study
• Geohydrological investigation
• Civil engineering design report
The sensitivity of the area had been considered and the WULA makes provision for compliance with GN 1198 and 1199 dated 18 December 2009 pertaining to the protection of wetland areas. The wetland areas had been delineated and a section 21(c) and (i) application will form an integral part of the application for a WUL.
4. Possible application for a waste use license
All waste related activities at WPB Colliery (Pty) Ltd falls within the ambit of the MPRDA entailing overburden stockpiles. In addition the Pollution Control Dams (PCDs) will be authorized in terms of section 21(g) of the NWA. There is thus no need to apply for a waste permit in terms of NEM:WA. General waste generated at the mine will be removed by Belfast Local Municipality in accordance with agreed service agreements.
5. Way forward
It should be noted that it is considered premature to pre-empt the outcome of the RMDEC meeting. Based on previous experience it was a request from the RMDEC that the applicant resolve the objections through further consultation with the IAPs. In all likelihood a similar request might be tabled for WPB Colliery. In this instance the applicant has already proceed with the obtaining of quotations from independent specialist to address issues raised such as:
• Impact of mining on the eco-tourist industry in the area
• Avifauna study during the summer season
It is therefore realistic to consider that further public participation will be conducted in order to inform registered stakeholders on the progress made to date.
Should you require any further information regarding the above-mention response, please do not hesitate to contact this office at the numbers provided.
Regards
J. Maré
Menco

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Here are FOSAF’S comments as per Peter Ardenne :

Hi everyone,

As a tourist destination I thought you might be interested in the response of the consultants to WPB Colliery to some of the many objections raised both in writing to the DMR and when the second Public Participation meeting was held in August. Despite the fact that the documentation supporting this application for an open cast mine is fatally flawed in just about every respect it appears that Mr Bower wishes to press ahead and meet our objections. Needless to say, not only does this proposed mine pose a huge threat to the tourist destinations in the area, but also to the proposal of the Steenkampsberg Environmental Initiative to eventually have the Dullstroom plateau declared a ‘Protected Area”. In other words we cannot allow this project to proceed on any account as a mining right issued to Bower will automatically open up the area to many similar applications.

As a tourist destination you will note from the attached document that they are appointing a specialist to study the impact the mine will have on our business. Apart from the many other well argued scientifically based objections it will be interesting to see what this particular specialist study comes up with.

Celeste, I may have missed some destinations in the area – please pass on.

Regards,

Peter.

13 December 2011

What’s this ?

The picture above shows the harvest of only one round trip to the chalets. Yes, these are indeed cigarette butts. It does not  include those in the refuse bins or on the dam walls, where there are even more.  Anglers are supposed to use the containers provided, but as it seems, with little effect. It makes us a little sad because the flyfisher is an eco or “green” conscious person. Therefore we feel at liberty to call upon all guests to put their cigarette butts and refuse in the ash trays and bins. To further accommodate smokers, we now also supply eco mini bins which clip onto the belt, clothing or bag at R25 each. The lid can also be pushed out to hold small throw-aways like chewing gum or toffee wrappings. The slide show that follows tries to encourage smokers with acknowledgement of their rights, to please co-operate and contribute to a ” greener” and cleaner environment. We thank all for understanding :

Treeferns is truly concerned about the environment. We used stone from the farm to build the chalets and reservoir to blend with the background, the dam walls were covered with kikuyu grass, and the terrain was left undisturbed as far as possible. The following pictures demonstrate clearly. Note how the drinking water reservoir in the centre of the photos blends with the background rocks:

The most spectacular scenes meet one’s eye from almost any point on the farm, offering numerous opportunities for sight-seeing, hiking, and photography. Imagine standing on a vantage point 2000 m above sea level with a 360 ° view of the environment with neighbouring towns, mountains, slopes, and valleys at your feet. It is an experience not to be missed.  One has to personally experience the grandiosity of our awesome Creation, which these pictures can only try to convey :

T

he Editor of The Complete Fly Fisherman (TCFF), P.J. Jacobs, lodged objections to the responsible authority, The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, against the listing of trout as an invasive species. He also invited concerned parties to contribute to the campaign by sending their support by e.mail to TCFF, magads@gonet.co.za. The letter follows :

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Attention: Bonani Madikizela
Fedsure Building
315 Pretorius Street
Pretoria

30 April 2009

By e-mail – bmadikizela@deat.gov.za

Dear Mr Madikizela

This letter serves as the lodging of a formal objection to the proposed
regulations for the NEM:BA Act 10 of 2004 (as published in the Government
Gazette on 2 April 2009), on behalf of the Complete Fly Fisherman Magazine,
its employees and shareholders, and specifically as far as the listing of
trout is concerned.

We wish to place on record the following:

1.   Trout are non-invasive in South Africa, and there exists no scientific
proof to the contrary. Its present listing as “alien invasive” in terms of
Schedule 3 is therefore incorrect, and can only be based on incomplete,
incorrect information or assumptions. This is contrary to the requirements
of the Act.
2.   Where they presently occur, trout present no threat to any indigenous
species and are naturalised.
3.   Trout are self-regulatory and need not be zoned. Zoning and the permit
system will have a detrimental effect on the trout industry.
4.   The present listing of trout will do great harm to the trout industry,
with a consequent substantial loss of jobs, especially in the lower income
segment.
5.   Trout fishing is a way of life for many South Africans, and the present
listing infringes this right.
6.   Trout contribute enormously to the economy, and the present listing
will limit that contribution in the future. It also impairs the right of the
industry to expand and grow.
7.   The listing is flawed, in that correct procedures were not followed as
stipulated in the Act, inter alia in so far as not enough funding was made
available to properly research the status of trout prior to and leading up
to its listing as “alien invasive” in terms of Schedule 3. Many interested
and affected parties were not consulted or invited to workshops,
insufficient workshops were held and evidence presented at workshops were
not procured or evaluated as is prescribed in the Act.

Consequently, we request that trout be re-listed as non-invasive in terms of
schedule 1.

We reserve all rights.

Yours faithfully,

PJ Jacobs
Editor

See also the Editorial of the December/January 2008/2009 issue of TCFF

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To be successfull a business has to have objectives and set standards to measure performance.  Invariably it is easier to set a standard than to keep it up or improve on it. The so-called law of diminishing standards is all too often true. It is therefore essential for any business to continuously monitor results, and take corrective action. Means to evaluate  are regular inspections, customer feed back, sales, turn-over, repeat orders, etc. In the hospitality industry in which Treeferns Trout Lodge is operating guest feedback, occupancy, and repeat bookings are significant indicators of performance in the key areas of infra-structure, facilities, accommodation, dams and fishing, safety and service.

Infra-structure.

A frequently asked question concerns the condition of roads, and as we are situated in a high rainfall area on uneven terrain, farmroads receive continuous attention. Also the main access road from surrounding towns is regularly monitored and reported to the responsible authority, and even contributed to.

Facilities

The dams are regularly inspected and repairs made when necessary, and weeds and grass cut to facilitate access and fishing. Upgrading is part of dam management.

Accommodation

A weekly inspection is carried out of the chalets with the aid of an inspection list, and repairs made when necessary.  Linen are inspected regularly, and repaired or replaced when necessary.

Fishing

Being the main attraction the quality of fishing is monitored continuously, and guests’ feedback followed up. The dams are stocked monthly with quality fish.

Health and Safety

A risk analysis has been done and safety measures introduced. A first aid kit is available. (See Safety and Security, under “Health.)

Service

Chalets are serviced on a daily basis.

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A frequently asked question is who our neighbours are. As there are naturally many from nearby to further away, we will only deal with the immediate ones adjacent to us :

Greystone Lodge.

This is our closest neighbour “across the road “, offering three star accommodation and facilities on a private nature reserve. The accommodation consists of one-, two-, and three-bedroom self-contained chalets, and spacious two-bedroom apartments in the main lodge all with views over the property and dam. Meals are available on prior booking.

Waterkloof Nature Reserve.

In a straight line towards Machadodorp lies Waterkloof Nature Reserve with 330 hectares of grassland. It is a shareblock developement with timber lodges. Twenty-five sites have already been sold and 21 of them developed. The reserve is stocked with a variety of game endemic to the area, viz. eland, mountain rhebuck, zebra, blesbok, springbok, etc. The picture also shows Machadodorp in the back-ground.

Cullen Farm.

On our South-Eastern border towards Waterval Boven,  three dams of Cullen Farm as seen from the FM tower.

Little Troutbeck.

Balbeggie view of Loch Logan

Little Troutbeck This self-catering cottage is on the doorstep of Golden Pond – a 1ha dam. It is a wooden cottage, set in a pretty private garden – not too far from the main farmhouse. It is a double-storied cottage with a large bedroom with  ensuite bathroom … read more

Loch Logan

Little Trout Beck is a 209 ha working farm, with a magnificent view of the Elandsriver Valley. There are three accommodation units sleeping 4, 8 and 12 people, two of whom are syndicated. Flyfishing stillwaters consist of 11 dams stocked with rainbow, brown, and golden on a regular basis.

Four Friends Country Estate.

This property lies approximately 5 km from Treeferns on the road to Belfast and is also a working farm. It has three cottages, and facilities for various activities , viz. fishing, hiking, golf, horseriding, hunting and more.

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Vlakfontein, home base of Treeferns Trout lodge, because of its high altitude, is an ideal site for telecommunication transmissions. Not surprisingly, therefore, three landmarks or towers dominate the skyline. The major telecommunication networks are represented here, viz  Sentech, Eskom, Telkom, Vodacom, and MTN. I  believe that also Cell C is utilising  excisting infra-structures.

Sentech.

Sentech evolved from the technical and broadcast arm of the SABC into an information communication technology company. It is state-owned and a fully commercial enterprise. Sentech owns and operates a large number of broadcasting transmitter sites : 598 television transmitters, 730 FM transmitters, and some medium and short wave transmitters. One of these is sited at Vlakfontein on the hill called Mareskop, and is referred to as the Dullstroom tower, shown below.

The height of the tower is 800 ft, it pivotes on a ball, is well anchored with 4 anchor cables on each of 4 anchors. It has a radius of 150 km. The tower also hosts Telkom and Vodacom.

Eskom.

Eskom ownes the Machadodorp Radio Repeater Station which is also situated on Mareskop, Vlakfontein. It is a 45 m Eifel tower as part of Eskom’s radio communication network. To ensure sustainable power to all its consumers Eskom relies on its own communication network. This station also hosts a MTN base station. The tower is the one on the left on the picture below, west of the Telkom mast.

Telkom.

Telkom has erected a mast of 50 m high on a concrete foundation of 7 m² on a site of 12 m², with associated telecommunication equipment. It is the mast on the right of the above photograph. Telkom also has an Alcatel radio antenna at the Sentech tower. The farm telephone is connected to this antenna.

Vodacom.

Vodacom operates a base station  at the Sentech FM tower.

MTN.

The Eskom mast left on the above picture hosts a MTN base station, as shown on the photo below.

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I have a passion for water, perhaps because I grew up in Namibia with its water scarcity.   I experienced the shortage of water, and I know what thirst is. Apart from the Creation itself, life and man-kind, water is God’s most precious gift. Without water no life is possible. Water is the back-bone of our country, our agriculture, industry, and particularly Treeferns Trout Lodge. Furthermore, because we care for our environment we have to conserve our water resources. If everyone does his and her share, and perhaps a little more, we will succeed in our efforts.

The Working for Water Programme (WfW),  launched in 1995  by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, spearheads the fight against alien invasive vegetation. Yearly millions of Rands’ damage  are caused by these species, and particularly pose a serious threat to the water resources of the country. They divert an enormous volume of water from more productive and essential uses like human consumption, agriculture, industry,  recreation, and more specifically the fishing industry. At Vlakfontein black wattle are the  main alien invaders.

This picture shows the invasion of  rock by black wattle.

Since 1995 the Programme has cleared more than a million hectares of invasive plants, and not only conserved water but also created training and work for thousands of jobless people through the so-called RDP scheme. A project was also carried out at Vlakfontein where mechanical ( felling of trees), and chemical (applying of herbicides) methods were used.  A follow-up project is presently being conducted by our-selves. The plants are cut, and the stumps treated with herbicide.

See also on this web site “Our water source”.

Acknowledgement : ” Working For Water Webpage“,  10 February 2009, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. (Google search)

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