Garden Route environmentalists have raised concerns about the strain that the proposed R2-billion Knysna River Reserve development will have on the town‘s water supply.

Garden Route environmentalists have raised concerns about the strain that the proposed R2-billion Knysna River Reserve development will have on the town‘s water supply.

By Francois Rank

Garden Route environmentalists have raised concerns about the strain that the proposed R2-billion Knysna River Reserve development will have on the town‘s water supply.

While the ambitious project has received the green light from the municipal public amenities committee, the Wildlife and Environment Affairs Society of SA (Wessa) has appealed to the trade and industry department to halt the development.

The society‘s main concern is increased water consumption, especially from the Knysna River.

But the Knysna municipality says the development, which will include the SA Sports Hall of Fame, a luxury hotel and an Audubon golf course, will not place an unmanageable burden on water supplies.

The demand from the development fell well within the current abstraction licence, a spokesman said.

Wessa environmentalist Steve du Toit, who represents several concerned environmentalist in the region, said:

"Our major concern is that there is not information available to make an informed decision. We don‘t know for example what the current abstraction is doing to the Knysna River or the estuary.”

Last week, while the amenities committee was voicing its support for the development Wessa and two other appellants, who are members of the public, were presenting their verbal appeals to representatives from the trade and industry department.

Their presentation was the conclusion of an appeal process which began in April last year when the national government released its record of decision giving the riverfront development the green light.

Du Toit said the verbal submissions would be reviewed by a panel of experts who would advise Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk on whether the development should go ahead.

Municipal technical services director Neale Perring said the Knysna River Reserve development would draw its domestic potable water from the Knysna municipality.

"In establishing its requirements, the worst-case scenario was painted which included 100 per cent occupancy of all dwellings year-round, no rainwater harvesting and a basic of 1 200 litres a day per dwelling unit.

"The resultant expected demand from the Knysna River Reserve is 352,7 megalitres a year.”

This works out to an added demand of 0,9Ml a day. At present the municipality produces on average 9,8Ml a day. The average daily consumption stands at 6,7Ml. Its abstraction licence allows it to abstract up to 13Ml a day. The river is the main water source for Knysna, with 76,6% of the water used in January coming from it.

Development planner Michael Maughan-Brown said: "Essentially Wessa‘s concern is valid in terms of long-term planning and further abstraction but it is not a short-term issue. The municipality can provide us with water within its current abstraction licence.”

Perring said: "Water is a key consideration when it comes to the approval of developments. However each case needs to be weighed up on its merits. In the Knysna River Reserve case the development of this facility is concurrent with a R20-million upgrade of the municipal potable water treatment works – capacity is being doubled.”

frank@johnnicec.co.za

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