Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Affairs

(1)(a) The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (herein after referred to as ‘the Department’) has engaged with the Elandskloof Pilot Project primarily at a strategic and enabling level. The current Elandskloof project team includes WWF, Nedbank Green Trust, nonCrete, Waitrose and Phuhlisani. The Department has taken an active interest in the project, particularly in relation to its relevance for the development of the Provincial Biomass Strategy. The Elandskloof initiative, and nonCrete’s role within it, has been viewed as an innovative example of alien biomass beneficiation linked to housing outcomes, with potential to serve as a best‑practice case study for replication, scaling, and the identification of future funding opportunities within the Province.

The Department, including CapeNature, has also been involved more directly in biodiversity‑related initiatives in Elandskloof, which have supported the community centre project. In January 2025, Departmental and CapeNature officials, together with other role players, were involved in a process of mapping both the biodiversity value and the extent of alien vegetation within the Elandskloof community. These engagements were aimed at supporting the community in decision-making regarding land-use options and addressing key land management challenges. Issues highlighted during these discussions included the spread of invasive alien plants, water production concerns, and fire management. This information contributed to planning around the community centre itself, as well as to longer‑term planning for potential housing development in Elandskloof using innovative materials and construction approaches (i.e., quantification of the available invasive alien plant biomass available for use in the construction of the community centre). The biodiversity assessments also informed the submission of a proposal to the Provincial Stewardship Committee for the consideration of Elandskloof as a protected area, a process that took place in February and March 2025.

In addition, officials are involved in addressing broader water and land management challenges within the Groot Winterhoek Strategic Water Source Area (SWSA), in which Elandskloof is situated, and within the wider Olifants–Doring catchment. This includes engagement with governance processes at the SWSA scale through involvement in the Boland Groot Winterhoek SWSA Collective, as well as exploring opportunities for resource mobilisation and sustainable financing to support initiatives aimed at securing these water source areas.

(b) The Alien‑Biomass‑to‑Housing Model at the Elandskloof project is aligned with the Western Cape Climate Change Response Strategy: Vision 2050 in that it supports climate‑resilient development, ecosystem restoration, and the transition towards a low‑carbon and inclusive provincial economy. By enabling the clearing and productive utilisation of alien and invasive plant biomass, the model contributes to improved ecological infrastructure, water security, and reduced climate‑related risks such as wildfire and drought, which are identified adaptation priorities under the Strategy.  The Alien-Biomass-to-Housing Model includes biodiversity gains due to the removal of invasive alien plants. These biodiversity gains will inherently restore ecological function which will build climate resilience and reduce societal risks associated with multiple natural disasters.

At the same time, the reuse of biomass within housing value chains supports mitigation objectives by promoting lower‑carbon material pathways, while advancing a just transition through the creation of inclusive green‑economy opportunities linked to environmental management, human settlements, and enterprise development.

(2) (a) Approximately 10 042 kilolitres (kL) of water per year is estimated to be released back into the system following the clearing of 8,5 hectares of invasive black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) in Elandskloof. The clearing took place within the riparian area of the Boontjies River, where invasive alien trees significantly reduce water availability through high water use. This estimate was calculated using the methodology developed by Le Maitre et al. (2016)[1], with the applicable parameters reflected in Table 1.

Table 1: Parameters used to estimate water replenishment from clearing invasive black wattle in Elandskloof.

(b) The removal of invasive black wattle biomass on the Elandskloof farm has resulted in a meaningful reduction in wildfire risk, primarily through the reduction of available fuel loads and the modification of fire behaviour potential within the affected area. Dense stands of invasive alien trees are characterised by high biomass accumulation, vertical fuel continuity, and elevated fire intensities when ignited. Their removal therefore lowers the intensity of fire, including rapid flame spread, high heat release, and crown fire development.

From a fire risk management perspective, the clearing intervention contributes to:

• Reduced fire frequency, intensity and severity, helping stabilise fire cycles and limit the shift towards shorter more erratic fire return intervals, lowering the risk for uncontrollable and unpredictable wildfires.
• Improved fire containment prospects, as lower fuel loads allow for safer and more effective suppression activities.
• Enhanced access for fire management and emergency response, supporting operational readiness during fire events.

In relation to biodiversity protection, the reduction in fuel loads is particularly significant for adjacent ecologically sensitive and biodiversity rich areas such as fynbos, which are vulnerable to high intensity and frequent fires that can result in long term ecosystem degradation. By reducing the probability of frequent and intense fires spreading from invaded areas into surrounding natural vegetation, the intervention supports the protection of indigenous species, soil integrity, and post‑fire recovery processes.

Overall, the biomass removal is assessed to contribute positively to landscape‑level fire risk reduction, ecosystem resilience, and climate adaptation outcomes, consistent with the province’s integrated approach to fire management, ecological restoration, and climate resilience building.

(3) (a) Neither the Department or CapeNature is engaged in a formal or specific workstream with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in relation to the sustainable building technologies in question, although both support this initiative. Separately, the Department is pursuing a strategic partnership with CSIR focused on developing a Provincial Biomass Strategy to identify the most viable biomass beneficiation options appropriate to different contexts.

Within the context of the Elandskloof Pilot Project, it has been clarified that the sustainable building partner, nonCrete, has already subjected the low‑carbon, fire‑resistant bricks to rigorous performance testing. These tests, including heat resistance and load‑bearing assessments, have yielded highly positive and credible results. To ensure compliance with requirements for permanent residential structures, the project partners are currently completing the final processes to register both the brick and floor system with Agrément South Africa (ASA). ASA is a government agency within the portfolio of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, mandated to assess, evaluate, and certify innovative and alternative building technologies that fall outside standard building regulations. This certification process provides assurance that the materials meet nationally recognised performance, safety, and durability standards for permanent use.

(b) The Elandskloof Pilot Project, as one of the first initiative of its kind, is providing a standardised methodology and valuable insights that can inform future alien‑biomass‑to‑housing initiatives. The project offers important lessons on the construction methods, performance standards, and testing requirements needed to support the use of alternative building materials for permanent structures, as well as on practical considerations related to sourcing and processing invasive alien biomass.

The current Elandskloof project team are actively discussing options for how these lessons and methodologies could be applied more broadly. In parallel, the Cederberg Municipality is considering whether similar pilot projects could be implemented in Citrusdal and Clanwilliam as a means of addressing the acute housing shortages in these towns while simultaneously tackling the invasive alien plant infestations along the Olifants River. These discussions are expected to include private‑sector partners, particularly farmers who have a strong interest in improved water management and the provision of housing for workers. The initiative is also intended to be taken up with construction companies appointed to deliver housing projects, with a view to encouraging the inclusion of such or similar low‑carbon, alien‑biomass‑based building materials in future developments.

(4) The Department actively pursues interventions within the Boland, Groot Winterhoek, Langeberg, Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma surface water Strategic Water Source Areas. Current efforts focus predominantly on the establishment of partnerships, the identification of shared objectives, and coordinating action towards these objectives. The Department’s unique province-wide perspective allows it to implement lessons throughout the Province. The alien-biomass-to-housing initiative will be one of a suite of solutions that will be put forward within these Strategic Water Source Areas given that invasive alien plants are a significant threat in all. The Provincial Biomass Strategy will unpack the enabling conditions for these various solutions that can then be considered by landscape-level interventions towards the most practicable option for biomass beneficiation. The aforementioned partnership with the CSIR will significantly advance this strategy, and efforts are underway, to undertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment to provide this invaluable guidance spatially throughout the Province.

In addition to this, CapeNature has identified protected areas within the Groot Winterhoek, Boland, and Outeniqua Strategic Water Source Areas as potential sites for future alien-biomass projects. Requests for expressions of interest have been distributed and are currently being evaluated to identify potential implementation partners.