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Coastal property owners to be informed of legal obligations

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Posted On Monday, 07 June 2004 02:00 Published by
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The Estate Agency Affairs Board and the Ukuvuka Campaign have joined forces to inform landowners and property agents about their legal obligations in dealing with a range of environmental issues.
By Graham Norris

The Estate Agency Affairs Board and the Ukuvuka Campaign have joined forces to inform landowners and property agents about their legal obligations in dealing with a range of environmental issues.

"The rate at which property near coastal areas and nature reserves is being sold calls for property agents to be aware of current environmental trends and laws," said Val Charlton, co-ordinator of the Ukuvuka Campaign.

The initiative is supported by the conservation and environment community and several leaders in the private sector, including Santam and the Cape Argus.

According to Charlton, private landowners manage almost 80% of South Africa's land, including many threatened and rare habitats, and this places a great responsibility on them to conserve biodiversity and adhere to environmental laws.

Property agents who are able to evaluate the environmental value of property and point out liabilities have a greater advantage over their competitors. Ukuvuka's role is to facilitate and add capacity to local authorities and the Table Mountain National Park for fire control.

The core work of the campaign is centred around reducing the risk of damage from wildfires and maintaining effective biodiversity conservation. "Invasive alien species are able to survive, reproduce and spread across the landscape - sometimes at alarming rates," said Charlton. "They do not adhere to property boundaries.

Moreover, infestation by woody invasive species and commercial plantations that are not properly monitored exacerbates the risk of fires." Johan Bester, acting chief executive officer for the Estate Agency Affairs Board, said that for many potential property owners, wildfire was not a consideration when acquiring property close to nature.

"Agents can play an important role by recommending fire mitigation guidelines when planning new developments," he said.

Ukuvuka partners have begun taking legal action against landowners who have been warned of invasive plants occurring illegally on their property and have failed to remove and control them.

While such prosecutions may generate a considerable amount of debate, failure to address infestations, apart from posing a direct threat to landowners, is likely to have far greater costs in terms of removal and rehabilitation in future.

"We fully support Ukuvuka's efforts and hope all property agents will work with them in eliminating this environmental hazard," Bester said.

This article was originally published on page 8 of The Cape Argus on June 05, 2004
Publisher: The Argus
Source: The Argus
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