Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The West Coast Region (WCR) of the Western Cape Province in South Africa is earmarked
for at least 13 windfarm developments. These proposed developments represent an
investment in and a movement towards cleaner and alternative ways of energy generation. All
developments that will alter the environment or landscape are usually received with some sort
of opposition. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not the presence of wind
turbines in the form of wind farms will have any affect on the sense of place of insiders of
(residents) and outsiders (visitors) to the West Coast Region, the insiders’ attachment to their
natural landscapes and the outsiders’ experiences of the region. In the context of multiple
issues arising from a very complex discourse around the possible effects that the proposed
windfarms are perceived to have in the WCR, this study approached the research topic from
three perspectives of inquiry: (1) windfarms and people’s place attachment; (2) windfarms
and landscape aesthetic and function interference; and (3) windfarms and its effect on
tourism. The study area includes 15 towns of three subregions of the WCR, namely the
Swartland, West Coast Peninsula and Bergrivier subregions.
The research objectives are seven fold, namely (1) to establish a solid base and understanding
of the concepts and constructs related to wind energy, landscape aesthetics and place
attachment; (2) to review appropriate case studies reported in the international literature and
apply relevant methodologies in this study; (3) investigate theories, types and models of
public decision making to explore the degree to which these could be applied to windfarm
support or objection in the WCR; (4) to critique current policies in windfarm establishment
and discover whether and how these shape social objection to or support for windfarm
development in the WCR; (5) to establish the perceptions and attitudes relating to wind
turbines of three groups of actors (tourism industry, tourists and residents) in the WCR by
conducting questionnaire surveys in 15 West Coast towns and villages and interpret these
views in relation to the impacts of wind turbines on the local landscape; (6) to determine the
insiders’ place attachments to the WCR, whether the presence of wind turbines will affect
these attachments and whether their attachments influence decisions to support or oppose the
proposed windfarm developments; and (7) to assess the extent to which the presence of wind
turbines will affect the tourism value of the region. Primary data was further strengthened by
semi-structured interviews, informal conversations and observation at public participation
and specialized group meetings. Data was analysed using SPSS, Excel and ArcGIS. The findings indicate that respondents are concerned with issues related to the sustainability
of the natural environment and that the residents of the WCR possess a strong sense of
attachment to the region, but no clear indication was found that their place attachment serve
as a reason for their opposition to the proposed windfarm developments. Although the
support for windfarm development decreases from a national to a regional level and to the
local level of in or close to the towns in which respondents reside, their opposition to
windfarm development in the region cannot only be regarded as simple not-in-my-backyard
(NIMBY) attitudes. Seventy-five per cent of the respondents regard the physical landscape
of the WCR as very special, but would still support the development of windfarms in the
region indicating that the respondents do not believe the construction of wind turbines in the
WCR landscapes will influence the special character of landscapes negatively. There is no
indication presently that the tourism industry would be affected negatively by windfarm
development in the region as both residents and visitors do not believe that windfarms deter
tourists from visiting certain areas and more than 90% of visitors indicated they would return
to the WCR after a number of windfarms have been developed. It is recommended that a
post-development impact study be conducted to determine the attitudes toward windfarm
development in the WCR following the deployment of wind turbines. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Weskus-streek in die Wes-Kaap provinsie van Suid-Afrika word geoormerk vir ten
minste 13 windplaas ontwikkelinge. Hierdie voorgestelde ontwikkelinge verteenwoordig ‘n
belegging in en ‘n beweging na skoner en alternatiewe maniere van energieopwekking. Alle
ontwikkelinge wat die omgewing of landskap sal verander word gewoonlik ontvang deur ‘n
mate van teenkanting. Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal of die teenwoordigheid
van windturbines in die vorm van windplase enige invloed op die plekbewustheid van
inwoners van en besoekers aan die Weskus-streek, hulle gehegdheid aan die streek se
natuurlike landskappe en besoekers se ervarings van die streek sal uitoefen. Binne die
konteks van verskeie kwessies met hul oorsprong vanuit ‘n baie komplekse diskoers rondom
die moontlike effekte wat vermeen word die voorgestelde windplase op die Weskus-streek sal
hê, benader hierdie studie die navorsingsonderwerp vanuit drie navraagsperspektiewe: (1)
windplase en mense se plekgehegdheid; (2) windplase en landskap estetiese en funksie
steuring; en (3) windplase en die effek daarvan op toerisme. Die studie area sluit 15 dorpe uit
drie substreke van die Weskus-streek in, naamlik die Swartland, Weskus Skiereiland en
Bergrivier substreke.
Die navorsingsdoelwitte is sewevoudig, naamlik (1) om ‘n konseptuele basis en verstaan van
konsepte en konstrukte geassosieerd met windenergie-opwekking, landskap estetika en
plekgehegdheid te kweek; (2) om toepaslike gevallestudies te hersien en sommige relevante
metodologie vir die studie aan te wend; (3) om teorieë, tipes en modelle van publieke
besluitneming te ondersoek ten einde te bepaal tot watter graad dit aangewend kan word tot
windplaasondersteuning of teenkanting in die Weskus-streek; (4) om kritiek te lewer op
huidige beleide van windplaasontwikkeling en te ontdek tot watter mate en hoe dit sosiale
teenkanting of ondersteuning van windplaasontwikkeling in die Weskus-streek vorm; (5) om
die persepsies en houdings van drie groepe deelnemers (die toerisme industrie, toeriste en
inwoners) in die Weskus-streek te bepaal deur vraelysopnames in 15 Weskus dorpe te doen
en hierdie sienings in verhouding met die impakte van windturbines op die plaaslike landskap
te interpreer; (6) om die inwoners se plekgehegdheid tot die Weskus-streek te bepaal en of
die teenwoordigheid van wind turbines hierdie gehegdheid sal affekteer en of hul gehegdheid
besluitneming rakende die ondersteuning vir, of teenkanting teen, windplaasontwkkeling
beïnvloed; en (7) om te bepaal tot watter mate die teenwoordigheid van windturbines die
toerisme waarde van die streek sal affekteer. Primêre data is verder versterk deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, informele gesprekke en waarneming by publieke deelname
sessies en gespesialiseerde groepsvergaderings. Data is ontleed deur middel van SPSS, Excel
en ArcGIS.
Daar is bevind dat respondente besorg is oor kwessies rondom die volhoubaarheid van die
natuurlike omgewing en dat die inwoners van die Weskus-streek ‘n sterk gehegtheid aan die
streek het, maar geen definitiewe aanduiding is gevind dat hulle gehegdheid aan die streek as
‘n behoorlike rede vir hul teenstand teen die voorgestelde windplase aangevoer kan word nie.
Alhoewel ondersteuning vir windplase afneem vanaf nasionaal na streeksvlak en die plaaslike
vlak van binne of naby die dorp waar respondente woon, kan teenkanting teen die
ontwikkeling van windplase in die streek nie slegs eenvoudig as ‘n nie-in-my-agterplaas
houding (NIMAP) beskou word nie. Vyf-en-sewentig persent van die respondente ag die
fisiese landskap van die Weskus-streek as baie spesiaal, maar ondersteun steeds
windplaasontwikkeling in die streek wat aandui dat die respondente nie van mening is dat die
oprigting van windturbines in die Weskus-streek landskappe die spesiale karakter van hierdie
landskappe negatief sal beïnvloed nie. Daar is tans geen aanduiding dat die toerismebedryf
negatief deur windplaasontwikkeling beïnvloed sal word nie aangesien beide inwoners en
besoekers aangedui het dat hul nie van mening is dat windplase toeriste sal verhinder om
sekere areas te besoek nie. Negentig persent van besoekers het aangedui dat hul steeds sal
terugkeer na die Weskus-streek ná die ontwikkeling van ‘n aantal windplase. Dit word
aanbeveel dat ‘n ná-ontwikkeling impakstudie onderneem word om die houdings jeens
windplaasontwikkeling in die Weskus-streek ná oprigting van die turbines te ondersoek.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/79872 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Lombard, Andrea |
| Contributors | Ferreira, S. L. A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 211 p. : ill., maps |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
Page generated in 0.0089 seconds