Thursday 27 May 2004

This site will be updated on 3 June  2004 at 17:30

Business - Sakenuus

• Treatment plant for Joostenberg?
• Pearl Valley plans second phase
• Belgiese Minister besoek Franschhoek
• Property sales up
• KWV shares rising
• Taste top wines
• Drilling for water at Wemmershoek
• Pioneer Foods presteer goed

VIR MEER EIS. Piet Fouchee ('n kommissaris van die Klein Eise Hof in die Paarl) en Sjane Binedell (klerk van die Hof vir Klein Eise) bespreek hier 'n saak nadat die jurisdiksie van die hof op 1 April vanaf R3000 tot R7000 verhoog is. Enigiemand kan by die hof 'n eis instel, behalwe regspersone soos munisipaliteite en maatskappye. Daar mag ook teen enigeen geëis word, behalwe die staat. Eisers kan hul eise aan Binedell by die Paarlse Streekhof gee. Die Klein Eise Hof sit Donderdae om 18:00 by die Paarlse stadsaal.

Treatment plant for Joostenburg?

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A NEW water treatment plant and reservoir for the Berg Water Project is likely to be built in the Muldersvlei/Joostenberg area.

At a meeting held at the Winelands Hotel on 18 May, the Bulk Water Department of the City of Cape Town reported on their investigation of the appropriate siting of future bulk water supply infrastructure relating to the Berg Water Project.

Possible sites in the vicinity of Klapmuts, Paarl, Franschhoek, Pniel and Durbanville were investigated, but the most suitable option is the Muldersvlei/Joostenberg area due to its elevation, which will ensure enough water pressure for delivery to Cape Town and Drakenstein, and can be linked to the existing Wemmershoek pipeline.

The sloping site required will be approximately 120 000 square metres in size (water treatment plant) and 90 000 square metres (300 Ml reservoir) and will be purchased from the landowner(s).

The pipeline from the new dam to be built in the upper Berg River near Franschhoek, will run west of the Paarl/Simondium road, passing under the N1 near Klapmuts.

Where the pipeline may cross vineyards or other agricultural land, the topsoil will be kept separate from the rest of the excavated material and be replaced once the pipeline has been installed.

The project is scheduled for completion by 2010.

Anyone who wishes to be identified as an interested and affected party in the environmental impact assessment or if you need more information, contact Melanie Dyssell of Chand Environmental Consultants on 762-3050 or melanie@chand.co.za.

AN additional section of land north of the Pearl Valley golf course, known as Pearl Valley II, will soon be rezoned to become the site of a second Jack Nicklaus signature course, a "Bear's Best". There will also be 950 new homes around the course.

The new course will be the first of its kind outside the USA and only the third ever to be built. 

Pearl Valley has also signed an exclusivity deal with the Nicklaus Organisation to ensure that it will be the only Bear's Best within South Africa.

A Bear's Best course is a composite of the best and most famous 18 holes from Jack Nicklaus courses around the world.

A total of 341 hectares is to be rezoned for this new development, comprising sections of the farm Kliprug, Kunnenburgh, De Hoop, Titus Kloof and Riverside east of the Berg River.

Most of the area is sandy wasteland which is unsuitable for farming and will require considerable rehabilitation.

The development entails an investment of R594 million by Novelway and proposes the construction of 200 resort lodges, 750 homes, a hotel, conference centre, health spa, golf academy and polo field with horse trails.

A site visit for interested and affected parties will be held on Wednesday at 10:30. For more information, phone environmental consultant Anneke de Kock on 866-1524 or dekockae@ mweb.co.za.

* An additional residential development on 210 hectares north of Pearl Valley II, called "Dans la Vigne", is also currently being planned by Gatekeeper Private Equity of Pretoria.

According to PJ le Roux of planning consultants Jan Hanekom Partnership, the security development on 230 hectares will consist of 549 housing units including a retirement village, private school, polo field and equestrian centre.

The project is a joint initiative by Novelway, the Malaysian developers of Pearl Valley, and the Nicklaus Organisation.

Representatives from each organisation will travel to the various Jack Nicklaus courses around the world to select the 18 holes that would be the most appropriate to replicate for the new development.

There are only two other such courses in the world in Las Vegas and in Atlanta.

The new course will be surrounded by residential plots effectively creating an estate with numerous fairways facing homes and two 18 hole signature golf courses, making Pearl Valley a golfing mecca.

DIE Belgiese Minister van Ontwikkeling, Marc Verwilghen, het onlangs Franschhoek besoek om die vordering van die Franschhoek Belgiese Ontwikkelingstrust waar te neem.

België het al sedert 1998 meer as R10 miljoen geskenk aan die trust wat verskeie opheffingsprojekte op die dorp bestuur.

Verwilghen en sy vrou het onder meer die trustees van die Trust ontmoet by die IT Centre waar hulle verwelkom is deur die Seunsbrigade se orkes.

Daarna is projekte van die trust besoek - twee bewaarskoolprojekte in Groendal en Mooiwater, die Huguenot Sjokoladefabriek en die Hospicegebou (waarvoor België R500 000 bygedra het).Die besoekers is vergesel van drie Belgiese TV-spanne.

Die Kabouterland and Khanyisa bewaarskole word deur sowat 100 kinders bygewoon, wat onlangs 'n groot voedselskenking van Nestlé ontvang het. Plaaslike ondernemings skenk ook gereeld vars vrugte en groente.

Die Trust se ander projekte sluit in Educare opleiding vir onderwysers van bewaarskole en laerskole, rekenaaropleiding en remediërende wiskundeklasse vir skoliere. Verdere befondsing word benodig om die wiskundeklasse uit te brei.

Vir navrae oor rekenaarklasse, skakel 876-2878. Daar is ook 'n motorwassery en opleiding- en werkverskaffingsdiens (876-2915).

THE Boland & Overberg region of Pam Golding Properties has achieved growth in residential sales of 30 percent for the financial year ended February 2004, with sales turnover of over R1,3 billion. 

Unit sales of 1668 are also up by 30 percent for the same period.

Dr Andrew Golding, CE of the PGP group, says the Boland & Overberg region of the company's Western Cape operation plays an important role in contributing to group turnover, and is one of the group's key strategic growth areas.

Glyn Bricknell, PGP's MD for this region, says it is significant that unit sales have also increased considerably, as it reflects the company's sustained growth in achieving higher sales in a competitive market, where stock is often limited.

Concentrated marketing efforts and ever-increasing brand awareness are key contributing factors to the higher unit sales and turnover, she says.

"It is also noteworthy that we have seen growth across all areas, and while the highest turnovers are being achieved by offices which include Franschhoek/Winelands Route, Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Gordon's Bay, Paarl, Strand and Hermanus, smaller towns such as Kleinmond, Onrus, Wellington, Malmesbury, Gansbaai, Betty's Bay and Pringle Bay are truly coming into their own and generating sizeable sales," adds Bricknell.

PGP's Boland & Overberg region has achieved exceptional growth in recent years. During the previous financial year (ended February 2003), sales turnover doubled.

KWV shareholders are increasingly optimistic about the value of their shares, after unexpectedly being offered R1,60 for their shares by a Stellenbosch financing group, Anglo African Trading.

The shares have been trading at around R1,36 but since the offer was made, the price has risen to R1,55.

Anglo African Trading previously administered the KWV shares of the Group of Five (GT Ferreira, Pug Roux, Paul Meaker, Hansie van Nierker and Thys du Toit).

According to JP du Plessis, MD of Anglo African, they would like to obtain 50 million shares at R80 million (11%) as an investment in the wine industry and believe KWV has good potential.

Most of the shares are held by wine producers who have until 14 June to accept the offer on a "first come first served" basis.

Danie de Wet, chairman of KWV, has expressed his concern about the "hostile" offer at a time when KWV is negotiating with an empowerment consortium to purchase 25% of KWV shares, and has advised shareholders to hold on to their shares.

WINE lovers can taste South Africa's best-of-the-best wines during June.

The trophy winners and gold and silver medallists of the 2004 Fairbairn Capital Trophy Wine Show will be on show at a public tasting in Cape Town on 9 June, immediately after the results have been announced. The tasting will be held at the Table Bay Hotel ballroom from 17:00 to 21:00.

 'Early bird' tickets bought by the end of May will cost R60 each and tickets sold thereafter and at the door are R80.

Bookings can be made via Computicket on 083-915-8000 or or online www.computicket .com.

The judging of the third Fairbairn Capital Trophy Wine Show took place at Grande Roche in Paarl from 10 to 13 May. 

The tasting panel, chaired by Michael Fridjhon, comprised an extraordinary line-up of wine authorities including the UK's Tim Atkin MW, Australia's Brian Croser and France's Michel Bettane.

The panel of nine judges is complemented by local critics Neil Pendock and Tony Mossop CWM, winemaker Marc Kent, wine judge and writer Angela Lloyd, Master of Wine scholar Cathy van Zyl and international wine buyer Richard Kelley MW.   

 International panellists and transparently rigorous judging procedures have led premium wineries to hail the show as the industry's benchmark event; the popularity of the tastings is testimony to the show's benefit to South African wine lovers.

For more information and general queries, phone (011) 482-5936 or on www.trophywineshow .co.za.

A PROJECT to investigate the potential for abstracting groundwater from a deep-lying geological structure known as the Table Mountain Group (TMG) Aquifer Alliance, has been launched.

At a public meeting to discuss the proposed drilling sites in the Boland mountains held in the Huguenot community hall in Paarl recently, it was established that one of the sites would be north of the Wemmershoek Dam.

One of the concerns expressed by members of the public, was that the drilling would affect the sources of mountain water used for local bottled water plants, but the assurance was given that only surface (above ground) impacts will be considered during this application, as no water will be abstracted.

The area being investigated lies between Tulbagh en Kleinmond where the Aquifer occurs between depths of 200m and 1 000m belowthe surface.

The project has reached the stage where a number of exploratory boreholes are to be sunk to determine groundwater quantities and quality.

Other drilling sites have been identified near the Theewaterskloof Dam, in the Stellenbosch Mountains, near Steenbras Dam and in the Kogelberg Reserve. Visit the website www.tmg-aquifer.co.za.

PIONEER Foods het met sy tussentydse finansiële resultate voortgebou op die goeie prestasie van die 2003 finansiële jaar.

Die Groep het 'n tussentydse dividend van 16,4 sent per aandeel verklaar. Dit verteenwoordig 'n styging van 67% tot R30 miljoen.

Wesensverdienste het met 52% tot R148 miljoen gegroei ondanks 'n 6% daling in inkomste tot R3,7 miljard.

Volgens André Hanekom, besturende direkteur van Pioneer Foods, is die goeie prestasie 'n voortsetting van die gunstige besigheidsklimaat van die laaste kwartaal van die vorige jaar, tesame met die handhawing van optimale marges.

"Die laer rentekoerse en skuldvlakke het 'n wesenlike daling in rentekoste teenoor die vergelykende periode tot gevolg en het ook 'n groot bydrae tot die verbeterde resultate gelewer.

"Die daling in inkomste is die gevolg van afwaartse prysdruk op veral graanprodukte en dierevoer en die negatiewe invloed van die sterker rand op uitvoere.

"Ondanks die styging van kontantwins tot R313 miljoen, was netto kontant uit bedrywighede 'n tekort van R36 miljoen, hoofsaaklik die gevolg van die seisoenale belegging in grondstof.

"Hoewel SAD en Ceres Fruit Juices se besigheid deur die sterk rand benadeel is, is aanvaarbare marges in die plaaslike markte behaal.

"Die agri-besighede het uitstekende resultate behaal en is die grootste bydraer tot die verhoogde marges in die stapelvoedselsegment.

"Die maal- en bakdivisie het bevredigend presteer terwyl die ontbytvoedsel divisie steeds goeie groei in verkoopsvolumes ervaar," sê Hanekom.

Die Groep se gesamentlike onderneming met Heinz is in werking gestel en die nuwe Heinz Ketchup-aanleg in Wellington sal eersdaags in produksie wees.

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