Ross Cameron of André van der Spuy Environmental Consultants

But I have another agenda. After what David Stonestreet said about him, I was curious to find more about the man central to brokering and maintaining a meaningful peace between so many opposing stakeholders. And as the representative of a company that drives out in the region of 100 tonnes of cast concrete paving products per day (certainly not world leaders in cast stone, but definitely the biggest and most technologically advanced producer in the Western Cape), I want to know what we can do to ensure that we don’t inadvertently begin to show signs of the same imperialistic nonchalance about our impact on the environment which we perceive in a certain nation situated at the top left of the Atlantic.

Where it all started

Ross’s upbringing undoubtedly assisted in readying him for his role. His mother produced an environmental magazine from home, and as a boy Ross was always somehow part of this buzz (Ross intends to continue the production of Earthyear in the near future). His father, Bruce Cameron, is a well-known landscape architect with Planning Partners, and Ross even worked at the practice for a few months helping out the environmental scientist.

Having switched subjects in standard 9, Ross was soon top of his class in Geography, finishing matric with an A aggregate. He went on to do a BSc in Environmental Science, and after a few months at Planning Partners, he joined André van der Spuy's practice in 2004. André was commissioned by Plan Trust to deal with a wide range of environmental aspects on site at Baviaanskloof, and this resulted in the firm's appointment to work for Plan Trust at Lake Michelle. They are also involved at the Long Beach Mall.

Ross speaks with an unassuming eloquence. He doesn’t throw around business buzzwords like “proactive”, “win-win” and “mutual benefit”. In fact, I doubt that he even has a “negotiation strategy”. He’s simply honest. Although paid by the developer, he says, “it is important for us to keep our integrity and neutrality — to uphold the Environmental Management Plan.”

I asked Ross Cameron what Pavatile could do as a manufacturer of cast concrete products to ensure that the environment is responsibly considered. Ross referred briefly to the usual health and safety standards for production, and the statutes pertaining to specific industries. But it is during installation, he said, that there are often the greatest opportunities for getting it right or wrong. He described some of the practicals involved in implementing an environmental management plan at the Lake Michelle development, with specific reference to paving. Some are equally applicable and feasible for implementation at smaller paving sites.

Before paving began at Lake Michelle, they did a “plant search and rescue”. (Details have been reported on the radio and in other media over several years.)

Environmental induction sessions were held for labourers and foremen. Speaking simply and with the aid of posters and occasionally also with the assistance of an interpreter, Ross explained who he was, why he was there, what is meant by “the environment” and why we should all work to preserve it. Explaining the rationale, he then gave specific rules regarding fires, sanitation, animals and other areas of concern, e.g.

• You can’t just wee or pooh in any old place just because it’s quicker than going to the portable toilet!
• If you see a snake, don’t just chop off it’s head — call the project’s environmental guy! (In the week of our interview, labourers had came across two snakes on the site. They dutifully called the environmental workers, who took the snakes away to adjacent reserves.)
• Don't litter. Use the bins provided, and empty them weekly.
  (A skip was also provided on site.)

Litter and waste management can be a big headache on a paving site. Pavatile’s palletised products are delivered in protective plastic and cardboard wrapping, but Ross has often found it difficult to get contractors to dispose of these materials properly by using the bins.

Don’t mix concrete on the ground. It can leech into the soil and mix with the ground water — especially at a place like Lake Michelle where there’s a high water table. Mix concrete on boards or on plastic sheeting.