Talks about the proposed Franschhoek cable car or “skytram” have been making the rounds once again, this time after an opponent of the project travelled to Colombia to make his voice globally.
Nick Reyneke, head of communications at the Baviaans Growth Initiative (BGI), is currently attending the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP 16) in Cali, Colombia. Reyneke, who represents BGI, aims to address the importance of conserving South Africa’s biodiversity.
“Unsustainable proposed projects such as the Franschhoek Skytram, which will damage the fragile Cape Winelands Biosphere, remind us of the urgent need for policy changes and stronger support for nature-based solutions.
“These projects take from nature without giving back, risking the destruction of ecosystems that are part of the Cape Floral Kingdom – a unique and irreplaceable biodiversity hotspot,” Reyneke wrote on his LinkedIn profile as an introduction to the key points he would discuss during the COP summit.
On the “Stop the Franschhoek Skytram” Facebook group, Reyneke also posted that the skytram project “threatens to turn Franschhoek into a Disneyland detached from its agricultural and multicultural heritage”.
Reyneke could not be reached telephonically.
The skytram is proposed to start at Haute Cabrière and follow a 1 km cable line up the valley to the Mount Rochelle Nature Reserve.
The lower station at Haute Cabrière will include the existing offerings as well as new proposed walkways around a dam, a new deli, ablutions and parking, while the upper station at Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve will include wine tasting, a restaurant, souvenir shop, paragliding launching area, walkways and existing hiking routes.
Other concerns regarding the proposed skytram project that have been reiterated by opposers over the course of the public participation process since February, include mass tourism and the capacity of Franschhoek’s power grid to carry the cable car, the increased risk of fires and the lack of socio-economic benefits for locals.
According to a Netwerk24, Stellenbosch municipal spokesperson Stuart Grobbelaar confirmed the municipality has “given permission to the developers to submit an application to get environmental approval from the [national] Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE)”.
According to Grobbelaar, the permission is necessary as part of the proposed project is located on municipal land.
“It is important to clarify that the municipality’s consent at this stage does not mean the council’s approval of the proposed project,” Grobbelaar told Netwerk24.
“This consent is a procedural requirement in accordance with legislative mandates, allowing the environmental assessment process to proceed.
“The municipality will not consider any further development applications until the environmental impact study has been formally accepted by the department.”
The article further elaborated that Doug Jeffery Environment Consultants had confirmed that the project is still in the pre-application process. “Consultation with the community is still ongoing with no formal application submitted to the DFFE,” the article stated.
