LOCAL ward councillor, Heinz de Boer, has condemned any attempts at eradicating the vegetation on the dunes along the beachfront, after residents on Cowrie Terrace in La Lucia recently cleared a section of ground cover adjacent to their beach property.
De Boer said that he will be pushing investigations so that strong action can be taken against residents who take it upon themselves to destroy indigenous and significant flora in his ward. He added that the destruction at Cowrie Terrace had also been reported to the relevant authorities and investigations are underway.
“It is important to preserve our coastal dunes. According to coastal engineers, within the next 20 to 30 years global warming will cause the sea level to rise, and then the only barrier between the ocean and the coastal properties will be the dunes,” he said.
Brian Wright, the project leader of the Umhlanga Urban Improvement Project (UIP), echoed De Boer’s sentiments, saying, “It is in everybody’s best interest to protect the coastal dune system.
“If the system breaks down or if there is no longer a continuous barrier, the coastal properties will no longer be protected against erosion and the encroachment of sand and beach onto the inland properties,” he said.
This is especially concerning after the devastating storm that stuck the KwaZulu-Natal coast in 2007, causing massive erosion as well as millions of Rands of damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure along the uMhlanga, Ballito, eMdloti, Amanzimtoti and Margate beaches, he added.
According to Phoebie Carnegie, a member of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA), the value of coastal properties is dependent on the barriers or coastal dune systems which protect them.
“Coastal property owners are the custodians of the shore in front of their properties; if that erodes, their property loses value. Many home owners want to have a sea view and immediately cut away the vegetation and build decks close to the sea. This is totally against the law,” she said.
What’s more, the dune system is incredibly fragile and rehabilitation is often a difficult and expensive process, said Mike Denison, Biodiversity Programme Manager at WESSA
“When people start tampering or destroying vegetation it could lead to the collapse of the dune system, which plays a vital role in the equally fragile eco-system. The dune system is absolutely necessary to prevent erosion and to protect the other indigenous plants and wildlife,” he said.
The National Environmental Management Act No 24 (2008), which was inaugurated to protect coastal vegetation, explicitly states that it is illegal to destroy any indigenous or protected flora along the South African beaches.
