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Thursday 1 July 2004

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This site will be updated on 8 July  2004 at 17:30

Lifestyle - Leefstyl


Wetlands launched

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THE R21 million Working for Wetlands agreement between TCTA (co-ordinators of the Berg River Dam project) and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry was signed at Wemmershoek last Thursday, with the launch of the wetlands viewing platform.

Japie Buckle, Working for Wetlands provincial co-ordinator of the three Cape provinces, presented an entertaining and highly informative talk on the value of

wWETfc

WETLANDS. The new viewing platform in the wetlands near Wemmershoek Primary. It is envisaged that local guides will be trained to accompany tourists to the platform, and later, on a boardwalk across the wetlands.

wetlands in the Franschhoek Town Hall earlier last week.

He told the audience that wetlands were important filter systems that acted as huge sponges during the wet season that provided a stream of clean(ed) water to river systems. They also slowed the flow from the steep mountain slopes, thereby preventing erosion.

"Wetlands are very forgiving," said Buckle, adding that it was "almost never too late to rehabilitate a damaged wetland".

He pointed out that the current construction of the access road to the new dam site on the Berg River should not cause permanent damage to the wetland along the R45.

Buckle indicated that the wetland had already been bisected by the R301 between the Wemmershoek Primary School and the Wemmershoek Sawmill, but that work on the rehabilitation would start soon.

Some R300 000 had been made available for the clearing of alien vegetation in the wetland through the Working for Wetlands programme.

According to Buckle, the work had to start on the higher lying areas first (behind the Wemmershoek School), before the area under construction could be addressed. 

Together with the signing of the agreement between TCTA and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, a new viewing platform in the wetlands, donated by TCTA, was also opened.

It is envisaged that local guides will be trained to accompany tourists to the platform, and later, on a boardwalk across the wetlands.

According to TCTA spokesperson George van der Merwe, the authority is "committed to sustainable environmental practices".

He expressed the hope that the proximity of the viewing platform to the Wemmershoek School would "foster increased environmental awareness amongst the learners".


Hulp met tuisversorging

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TUISVERSORGING het binne die Weskus/Wynlandstreek 'n belangrike prioriteit geword.

Met die toename van siekte-toestande soos HIV/Vigs, tuberkulose en beroertes het die vraag na tuisversorging al groter geword.

Die regering en die Europese Unie het nou saamgespan in 'n daadwerklike poging om hierdie behoefte in die provinsie en gevolglik ook in die streek aan te spreek. 

Die Streekdirekteur van Gesondheid (Weskus/Wynland), Carine Bester, het gesê: "Deur die vestiging van hierdie vennootskap, is die horison verbreed om ons mense in hul uur van nood by te staan met daadwerklike dienslewering deur tuisversorging.

"Op hierdie wyse kan die kwaliteit van lewe verbeter en verruim word."

Onlangs het verteenwoordigers van ongeveer 60 organisasies binne die streek, voorligting  ontvang rakende die prosedure van die tenderproses om fondse te bekom vir tuisversorging in die gemeenskap.

Die kriteria waaraan 'n organisasie moet voldoen, is duidelik uitgestippel asook die streng riglyne ten opsigte van finansiële verslagdoening.

Die deelnemers aan hierdie voorligtingsessie kon vrae stel ten opsigte van die aansoekvorms en inligting inwin met betrekking tot die voltooiing daarvan.

Die sluitingsdatum vir die tenderproses om befondsing is 2 Julie waarna die toekenningsvergadering op 16 Julie  sal plaasvind.

Uit die entoesiasme tydens die vergadering het twee baie belangrike aspekte navore getree naamlik: Daar bestaan 'n groot behoefte aan tuisversorging in die gemeenskap; en daar is 'n groot gewilligheid om hierdie aspek aan te spreek as die nodige befondsing kan geskied.


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