BJAC Beach Project
Report Back Presentation
Venue St Francis Links:
Tuesday 10 April, 2007
Mike
Simms the Facilitator
for the meeting
introduced himself and
prefaced the
presentation with a few
opening remarks. These
were:
BACKGROUND
The
amount of controversy,
suspicion and mistrust
abounding has at times,
made the review process
tricky and unpleasant.
The amount of gossip,
scurrilous rumour and
back stabbing has been
awful… a bit like
Baghdad … without the
bombs
There has
been just so much
wasted energy on
personal vendettas and
gossip, too much playing
the man an not enough
playing the ball. I
think this has simply
served to damage the
image of St Francis,.
just as much as the
recent storms.
For
example just contemplate
what the cost was to St
Francis property values
was of the recent
Noseweek article, most
of which was mischievous
insinuations.
St
Francis, has over time ,
become one of South
Africa’s most
prestigious, premium
holiday destinations.
This has created wealth
for those who live and
work and own property
here. St Francis is the
Canals, the Estuary and
the Beach… the entire
ambiance connects
…damage to one is a
damage to
all….therefore the
Ultimate Objective has
to be to
Preserve
the Value of St Francis
as this Premium
Destination.
The Sub -
Committee Mandate was
to save the Beach, a
public amenity; not to
save personal
properties. However
this will be elaborated
on under the technical
review.
KEY
OBSERVATIONS
Predictability:
The sea
and the coast is a
dynamic environment,
variable and
unpredictable. Even
the most modern science
is limited in this ever
changing environment.
Projections therefore,
can only be couched in
terms like..“ in their
best judgment’…never
100% certain.
The
community is also full
of observers. I have
heard many personal
observations. For
example: I have been
told that someone’s
grandmother crossed the
Kromme by oxwagon in
1920, it was so silted
up. I have also heard
that the river was once
so deep that the QE2
could have sailed right
up. Truth is both are
probably right.
Coupled with changing
weather patterns and
natural variability,
well you know what they
say: forecasting is
very difficult..
especially when its
about the future….
Amount of Work
The
work in the review
process was more than
any one had anticipated
…This is a devilishly
complex issue in all its
facets…and as the
process progressed many
volunteers evaporated.
Those left behind did a
great amount of work and
an enormous thanks is
due to all involved and
in all aspects..
UNFAIR
to
single anyone out but
the technical team in
particular have
scrutinized thousands of
pages of consultants
reports going back
years, checking on
references, etc and
leaving few stones
unturned. Interestingly
they have found errors,
contradictions and
caveats in most the
technical and
environmental stuff ever
written on St Francis…
Here …no
one comes out
unscathed and actually
neither does the St
Francis community which
has been talking for
decades and achieved
little but to fight
amongst themselves.
Today.. the choice is
yours again ….
Other
Issues
Lastly ,
it is necessary to say
something about the
Beach Trust and the
Objectors. It is
unnecessary to elaborate
on the Objectors -
without them this review
process and a
subsequent referendum
would not have taken
place. With the Beach
Trust… such an air of
suspicion and ill
feeling exists that the
sub-committees,
representing the
communities at large,
are quite divided on
what I may say on their
behalf….So…. this is
therefore a partially
personal statement
The work
done by the Beach Trust
and Alan Tonkin in
particular has to be
publicly acknowledged
and appreciated. Many
details require more
work clarity and final
consensus but the
process and direction
has been conceptually
sound and forms the
basis from which a
project to save the
beach can be built. The
Beach Trust financials
have also been fully
audited and given a
clean bill of health.
Covered by the Finance
Sub Committee review.
NEXT
STEPS (Following
Presentation)
Mandate,
It is
important to note that
NOBODY ( SFB
Beach Trust, BJAC nor
Kouga Municipality ) has
the mandate to speak on
behalf of this
community on this issue
, nor to proceed with
such a project.
So
clearly the very first
step is to get such a
mandate…….I will cover
this
Finances
The sub –
committee members are
all volunteers who have
put in a great deal of
time and effort .and
have had to pay their
own expenses….I have to
advise all that there
is no money to proceed
any further.on just
about any thing .. when
objections were raised
so did contributions to
the Beach Trust… no one
wanted to waste their
money on something that
would potentially go
nowhere..
We
therefore, require
funding to cover the
cost of the required
Referendum.
The bulk
of the next phase falls
onto the area of the
Referendum Sub-Committee
.The other sub
committees have
essentially completed
their assignments.
Suitable Trustees of
the possible Newtrust
are required and the
BJAC should drive this
process through the
Referendum
Sub-Committee. Further
I think that the issues
surrounding an election
are so tricky that
additional expertise
needs to be bought in
for this phase.
To ensure
continuity until all is
settled, I believe the
easiest way to proceed
is that the members of
the BJAC steer the
process and become the
Trustees of the Newtrust
until an election is
held. The Referendum
Sub-Committee and BJAC
will be responsible for
obtaining suitable
nominations for Trustees
going forward.
St
Francis Bay
10 April,
2007 |
