uct heritage park management framework - University of Cape Town

17
• UCT was officially established in 1916, while the central backbone to the Upper Campus
was built in the 1930’s;
• In 1936 the PWD recognised that the woods on the Estate were in need of attention and
sought advice from the Department of Forestry. A working plan was prepared, which
proposed that, amongst other: woods of exotic trees should be thinned to 123-247
stems/ha to achieve a more Park like landscape; young regenerating Cluster Pines be
removed; and inter-planting and other planting of indigenous trees (e.g. Silver Trees
(Leucadendron argenteum)) should be undertaken. Cluster Pine and Stone Pine seedlings
were removed and Silver Trees and Protea seeds were sown. Yellowwood under-planting
also occurred. It was noted that existing Stone Pines, Cluster Pines and Poplars were
about 60-70 years old and therefore predated Rhodes. It was also noted that Eucalyptus
plantings were undertaken around 1903 for fire protection purposes. The landscape was
at that stage dominated by Cluster Pines, which were invading, with the second most
dominant tree being Stone Pines.
• A 1955 report focused on the need to create “all age” (diverse ages) stands to promote
canopy sustainability and investigated planting a more diverse range of trees including
species exotic to the Cape.
• A 1988 decision to chop down some of the Stone Pines, to improve grazing, was stopped
after a public outcry.
2.3.9 Conservation Development Framework (CDF): 2006-2011, Volume 1, Prepared by
South African National Parks (SANParks): Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) 8
Objectives of developing the TMNP CDF are firstly that it fulfils the requirements of the National
Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (Act 57 of 2003) (NEM: PAA) and SANPark’s CDF
Planning Manual; that it be informed by relevant up to date specialist- or area focused studies;
and, that it should align with the TMNP revised Park Management Plan.
The CDF comprises three volumes, the first of which contains a map and accompanying tables and
is reviewed here. The CDF as a set of documents should be understood as a ‘planning framework’
and not an implementation plan. The CDF forms part of the TMNP Park Management Plan as
approved by the Minister in terms of NEMA: PAA. Thus any proposed land use changes need to
follow due statutory and legislated processes. Changes to the management recreational activities
can only occur with stakeholder participation.
The map grades the expected intensity of use and identifies visitor sites, TMNP movement
networks and the boundaries. It also indicates visitor numbers to various locations within the
TMNP per annum.
The Map indicates that Rhodes Memorial, a mixed use Leisure site, is a highly visited site with over
100,000 visitors per annum but its surrounds are zoned ‘Quiet’. Quiet zones provide experience of
a ‘relative sense of solitude and relaxation’ through the experience of the natural environment
supported by basic facilities. These zones are relatively accessible and therefore attract more
users to the area. Users in these zones are also typically exposed to the ‘sights and sounds off the
City’ and it is therefore important to note when considering any change to the landscape interface
8 This CDF replaced the 2001 CDF for the (then) Cape Peninsula National Park which was the first spatial Plan prepared for a
National Park in South Africa. A CDF is a spatial plan developed to address the requirement of NEMA: Protected areas Act
(NEMA:PAA) (Act 57 of 2003), which requires National Parks to prepare “zoning Plans” indicating what type of activities
should occur in what sections of the park. They are intended to be reviewed on a 5 yearly basis.
UCT Heritage Park Management Framework: Final Draft Report, July 2012