The following extract is from recent items published in the Hout Bay press.

by Dave Cowley - Sentinel Jun 99

Sustainable development is all about using resources in such a way as to not impact on those available to subsequent generations; it's also all about learning from the mistakes of previous generations as well as those of our contemporaries.

In many communities the legacy of past generations is that of a destroyed natural environment, polluted land and rivers, destroyed habitat for indigenous fauna and flora as well as air and noise pollution. Most of these came along with so called "development"  and few communities have escaped the wanton destruction that man's so called "development" has caused.

In Hout Bay, the very thing that attracted many there - its natural environment - is being incrementally destroyed by each and every one of us as more and more residents move in at an alarming rate and we simply have to stop and take stock of what is happening, we cannot go on destroying without creating.

To create the equilibrium needed for sustainable development needs a community conscience which will censure those who would exploit our environment for personal gain and encourage those whose actions are truly public spirited and aimed at the conservation of what God has given us custody of.

By encouraging and facilitating the conservation of what is good and creating sustainable development solutions, Heritage Societies, made up of people whose roots are firmly placed in the community they love, can make a great contribution.

It is naive to believe that a Municipality based on the other side of the Mountain will have the knowledge or inclination to consistently make the right kind of decisions on our behalf. You have only to look at the recent fried chicken outlet to see that they are totally insensitive to the ambience of our valley and are quite happy to approve land use and re-zoning applications regardless of the impact on the community.

Since 1995 the Hout Bay Heritage Trust has consistently questioned bad Council decisions on such matters. A Hout Bay Planning Sub Committee (from which we were originally excluded) has also existed for some time, consisting of of some very hard working people, however it was also dependent on some whose aim appeared to be to undermine its decisions. However, we are pleased that at long last a re-defined Ward Planning Committee has emerged, free of political interference and representative of most of our civic organisations which we hope will go from strength to strength. We have agreed to participate in the committee and thus the members of our own planning committee, under the leadership of Rae Graham, have joined the new body which we hope will now have the "clout" to make the Municipality listen. We wish the new committee and its dedicated members every success for the future and look forward to seeing the results of a much greater community voice on planning issues.

Whilst this development will strengthen the Ward Planning Committee, it will also allow the Heritage Trust to focus on other issues which previously were not adequately addressed , particularly relating to our natural environment and general conservation issues. We look forward to addressing the new challenges ahead and reporting to you on future activities.

This editorial marks the launching of our Heritage Website. We are excited at the prospect of making a substantial contribution to the good governance of our community on all heritage and environmental issues. If you would like to know more about the Hout Bay & Llandudno Heritage Trust mail us at HB.Heritage@zsd.co.za
Dave Cowley
Chairman
99/06/02