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Table 14 (Overstrand Local Municipality Bioregional Plan SDF).
Table 12.
The vision, mission and objectives of the Overberg District Municipality as outlined in the
2010-2011 IDP document.
Vision Mission Objectives
To bridge the
racial socioeconomic
divide
and to create
sustainable
livelihoods and
thriving
communities
within the
Overberg
District
To preserve and
further develop the
district through the
preservation of the
region’s rural
character, the
promotion and
sustainable utilisation
of the region’s
diversity, and to
ensure sustainability
and development of
human and natural
resources to the
benefit and wealth of
all inhabitants and for
the promotion of
economic growth
and development
• To support the development of a diversified, resilient
and sustainable district economy in order to promote
economic growth, build skills, create jobs and eradicate
poverty
• To ensure that all people are located within integral
human settlements and have access to social services
and security
• To facilitate the improvement and expansion of the
provision bulk and basic services to all the people
• To ensure the health and safety of communities through
the prevention and management of risks
• To facilitate sustainable and efficient land use and
planning frameworks
• To facilitate the necessary institutional transformation
and financial sustainability of the ODM in order to make
it a truly developmental municipality
Both the local and district SDF documents highlight the importance of conservation areas and
the need for protection of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Both documents recognise
the potential for natural resources (agriculture, forestry, fishing etc.) to support economic
development as well as the notion that natural attributes of the area (including the estuary)
have a regional value for opportunities e.g. ecotourism. Restoration and rehabilitation of
natural areas are listed as key strategies and both SDF documents emphasise the strategy of
invasive alien plant clearance. The Uilkraals River Catchment has extensive areas of alien
vegetation that run along the course of the river and estuary within the riparian zone. The
Overstrand Local Municipality SDF document states restrictions on future development i.e.
restrictions on development below the 1:100 flood line and in sensitive areas, such as
wetlands, floodplains and riparian systems. Development around the estuary is relatively low,
but with increasing tourism to the area development will surely increase and consequently put
pressure to cross the existing urban edge. Both SDF documents state that the natural
functioning and natural processes of ecosystems must be protected and the effective
management of catchments must be ensured. The district level SDF also focuses on estuaries
directly and states that the long term protection of estuaries must be ensured and that areas
around the estuary mouth must be protected from any development impacts. The Uilkraals
Estuary is at present not functioning naturally and the natural processes associated with the
estuary have been disrupted. The management of the catchment is therefore not effective as
the rivers natural flow patterns have not been regulated successfully.
The Overstrand Local Municipality SDF compiled a spatial planning and management concept
(Figure 15) which further underpins the municipality’s approach to the integrated spatial
management of land use and economic development within its jurisdictional area. The main
Uilkraals Estuary Situation Assessment
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