YEAR 2008
N.
01
Public Ceremony
for Delivery of the
Urbanization Licence
of CostaTerra
Visit to the work site by the
President of the Municipality
of Grândola
Infrastructure works
Contents
page
03.
Public Ceremony for Delivery
of the Urbanization Licence of CostaTerra
04.
Sensitive Areas Delimitation
Natural / Forest Areas Management
Programme: Transplantations
07.
Infrastructure works
Visit to the work site by the President
of the Municipality of Grândola
08.
Works at the approach road to Galé
Nematode Campaign
05.
09.
06.
10.
Earthworks
Clarification Session
PROLUMP - Campaign against the Nematode
Statement of Principles – Fontaínhas TDA
Projects: CostaTerra & Pinheirinho
11.
Protocol between Aflops and CostaTerra
– Demonstration Projects
02
page
Author:
Tomaz d’Eça Leal
Date of Publication:
December 2007
Public Ceremony for Delivery
of the Urbanization Licence
of CostaTerra
On 23 March, the laying of the first stone of the tourist resort CostaTerra CostaTerra Estate, Aberta Nova, Melides - took place in the presence
of the Ministers for Economy and Innovation and Environment
and Territorial Planning.
In December 2005, the CostaTerra resort was classified as a Project of Potential National Interest. In January 2006, the Ministers for Environment, Territorial
Planning and Regional Development and Economy
and Innovation recognized, by Joint Order, the public
interest of the project. For 18 years, the project undergone successive technical evaluations, and was
analysed under all possible perspectives. The project
was elaborated by more than 70 consultancy firms,
involving more than 350 technical, environmental,
landscape, economic, social, urban development and
architecture experts.
The total investment for the CostaTerra resort is estimated to reach 535 million euros in its 4 stages of
development, over the next 10 to 12 years. Overall,
the resort is expected to create nearly 1,260 direct
jobs and more than 3,000 indirect jobs. The total
turnover generated over a period of 20 years is estimated to range between 2,300 and 3,000 million
euros. Tax profit will undoubtedly be significant.
03
page.
mud brick), and will be made subject to international
environmental certifications.
The project also includes a Nature Documentation
Centre, a Bird Sanctuary, a Gardens Paradise, a
Butterfly Greenhouse, a Biological Farm and Vineyard with certified productions to be consumed in the
resort.
CostaTerra is a sustainable development based
resort, and it is our firm belief that the soundness
of its economic success is a direct consequence of
the quality, capacity and commitment of the means
invested in the project in order to achieve this goal.
The project comprises 3 suite hotels, 4 apartment
hotels, 4 tourist villages, an inn, 204 residential tourist
villas, 1 golf course, 1 Lusitanian horse riding centre,
1 sports medicine, geriatric and talassotherapy clinic, 2 tennis clubs and gymnasiums, one commercial
forum and one ecumenical centre, which will occupy
124 ha of the 1,350 ha estate.
The CostaTerra project makes a comeback to “earth
architecture”, to its traditional morphologies and construction methods (as for instance, rammed earth and
COSTATERRA NEWSLETTER / YEAR 2008 / N. 1
Author:
Bráulio Marques
Date of Publication:
December 2007
Author:
Rui David / Paula Bento
Date of Publication:
December 2007
Sensitive Areas
Delimitation
Natural / Forestry Area
Management Programme
Social, economic and environmental
responsibility is a key factor on all
processes developed by CostaTerra.
Prior to the start of the deforestation works and the earthworks,
CostaTerra carried out conservation actions of natural areas and
implemented the programme addressed to classified flora species
and adopted the methodology for transplantations and seedbeds.
Following this guideline, the CostaTerra Environmental Management Team, with the help of a team
with a wide range of skills such as Forest Engineers,
Biophysics experts, Environmental Engineers and
Biologists, assisted with the adequate technological means, such as Global Positioning Systems
(GPS), and, as required by the Environmental Impact Statement and the Environmental Conformity
Report of the Urban Development Project, delimited
and marked the areas therein identified as “sensitive
areas” for their significant value for nature conservation (classified habitats and flora).
Therefore, and as required by the Mitigation
Measures laid down in the Environmental Impact
Statement, in March 2007, vegetation was collected
from the areas affected by the 1st and 2nd Stages of
the Urbanization Works for transplantation on previously defined areas outside the construction area.
The work began in 2006, prior to the Urbanization
Works, and was finished in November 2007.
The transplanting of isolated or small groups of
specimens was carried out:
The transplanted specimens of Juniperus navicularis and Santolina impressa were monitored and
watered with the help of a tractor coupled with a
water-tank
Legend:
Compesation Areas...
Juniperus navicularis
The physical delimitation of the areas was made by
using stakes and demarcation bands, on a total area
of 81,000 square metres.
Each sectioned area was tagged with interpretation
plates describing the number of species present and
in need of preservation. These plates were designed
not only to ensure their protection during the works
but also to raise public awareness about the importance of the environmental values present.
COSTATERRA NEWSLETTER / YEAR 2008 / N. 1
04
page.
Author:
Rui David
Date of Publication:
December 2007
Earthworks
One of the remarkable features
of CostaTerra is its undulated relief,
which will remain untouched,
except for minor adjustments,
for as long as the aim is to foster
the site and its singularities.
ERA – Arqueologia
Therefore, the mitigation of the
earthworks was already a concern
during the preparatory works.
We may consider three main types
of works that generate earth moving:
1-Public roads
2-Lake system
3-Infrastructure Works
The earth moving and levelling works were carried
out from 23 March 2007 to 9 June 2007.
The public roads project of CostaTerra was designed
in such a way as to adapt, to the extent possible
and within the restrictions imposed by Portuguese
legislation for road calculation, to the existing land
shape, which resulted in a mitigation of the earthworks.
Although the projected lakes do not have a substantial weight, in absolute terms, on the 200 ha of
construction volume, they did account for a considerable part of the earthworks.
In practice, the location of the lakes was based on
an analysis of the design of the land, and the goal
was to limit the same to the depressions, which
drastically reduced excavation needs.
Facilities such as pumping stations, Distribution
Power Station, etc., were built without destroying
the land unevenness or on the surface. For this
reason, the overall impact is meaningless within the
context of a global assessment of the impact of the
earthworks in a 200 ha urban development.
05
page.
COSTATERRA NEWSLETTER / YEAR 2008 / N. 1
Author:
Mónica Faísca
Date of Publication:
December 2007
Clarification Session
Following the start of the 1st Phase of the Urbanization Works, a Clarification Session to the local
population, local administration, local Media, etc.
was held on 25 May 2007, during which important
information on the launching and progress of the
works was shared. The local population was also
made aware of the means used and actions taken
with regard to the protection of the environment,
health and security at work and was introduced to
The Session was chaired by the President
of the Municipality of Grândola, Carlos Beato.
the technical team working on site.
Management Plan, Paula Bento;
Speeches were made by Tomaz d’Eça Leal,
Director of the Owner, CostaTerra,
and by the following experts working on site:
Preza Plus
Environmental Monitoring within the Environmental
Geodesenho
Environmental Monitoring of the Works,
Daniel Ribeiro;
HSA
Coordination of the Security at the Work Site,
José Mesquita;
ERA
Archaeological Monitoring of the Works,
Ana Penisga;
Engexpor
Monitoring of the Works,
Vítor Pimentel / Jonatas Rodrigues;
Tecnovia
General Contractor,
Hermínio Martinho / Rui Mano.
This Clarification Session was opened
to questions.
COSTATERRA NEWSLETTER / YEAR 2008 / N. 1
06
page.
Author:
Rui David
Date of Publication:
December 2007
Author:
Mónica Faísca
Date of Publication:
December 2007
Infrastructure
Works
Visit to the work site
by the President of the
Municipality of Grândola
The 1st and 2nd Phases of the
Urbanization Works, which were
carried out from 9 July 2007 and
19 September 2007, consisted of the
following infrastructure:
• domestic and rainwater drainage
networks on the roads
• entire structuring of public roads
The following works are in progress since
21 September 2007:
• Completion of the Lakes of the golf course irrigation system from the effluent treated at the WWTP;
The President of the Municipality,
Carlos Beato, and municipal council
members visited last 16 November
the CostaTerra work site.
They were accompanied by board members of the
Contractor Tecnovia and of the Owner CostaTerra.
The purpose of this visit was to check the progress
of the works initiated in July 2007.
The visit to the work site was preceded by a stop at
the Malha Branca geodetic vertex and ended with
a presentation of the works in progress by Tomaz
D’Eça Leal, director of CostaTerra.
• Water supply to the resort;
• Water Distribution Network of the 1st
and 2nd Phases;
• Telecommunications Network of the 1st
and 2nd Phases;
• Electric power distribution network of the 1st
and 2nd Phases;
• Gas Network of the 1st and 2nd Phases;
• Road kerbs.
Completion of the infrastructure and carriageways
of the 1st Phase is scheduled to occur by the end of
January 2008.
07
page.
COSTATERRA NEWSLETTER / YEAR 2008 / N. 1
Author:
Rui David
Date of Publication:
December 2007
Author:
Lúcio do Rosário
Date of Publication:
December 2007
Works in the access
road to Galé
Nematode Campaign
With the beginning
of the Urbanization Works, special
attention was paid to the passable
conditions of the municipal access
to CostaTerra, to the Galé Camping
Site and to the Galé Urbanization,
from Trunk Road 261.
Eradication of Trees with
symptoms of pinewood nematode
at the CostaTerra estate
In June 2007, CostaTerra instructed the contractor
Tecnovia to make improvements to the tarred section of the said municipal path.
The work was carried out from 6 to 8 June 2007
and consisted of the levelling of the pavement by
placing a bituminous carpet. Since 11 September
2007, and following approval by the Municipality of
Grândola, traffic is being shifted from the tarred section of the access road to an alternative path. This
detour is duly signalled, ensures acceptable access
conditions and complies with all safety rules.
Under the National Programme of Pinewood Nematode Control and pursuant to the applicable legislation (Ministerial Order 103/2006, of 6 February,
amended by Ministerial Order 815/2006, of 16
August, amended by Ruling 24 251/2006, of 27
November) trees showing symptoms of the disease
caused by the Pinewood Nematode marked with a
white strip were cut down.
Other dead or dying trees struck by the Pinewood
Nematode disease which symptoms appeared
after the marking were also cut down. The timber
and other brushwood resulting from the cut down
were burnt or crushed and brought to industrial units,
within the restricted area.
Traffic should be back to normal in early 2008.
COSTATERRA NEWSLETTER / YEAR 2008 / N. 1
08
page.
Author:
Lúcio do Rosário
Date of Publication:
December 2007
PROLUMP
Campaign against the Nematode
The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus
(Steiner & Burher, 1934) Nickle 1970, a microscopic worm of the earthworm
family is considered one of the most damaging organisms for conifers
(soft wood).
Contamination of cluster pines by the Nematode
disease occurs through an insect vector, in Portugal, the sawyer beetle (Monochamus galloprovincialis), and this disease kills the trees.
Affected trees show signs of limpness, including
needle discoloration. With infested trees, the pine
needles loose their natural colour and turn yellow/
brown. Chlorosis begins in the youngest needles,
which remain attached to the tree for long periods
of time.
In regards to the need to safeguard the economic value of the pine forests in the North and inland of the country, and to meet the international
commitments aimed at limiting infestation in European territory, the taking of all possible steps to
stop the spreading of the disease was considered of the utmost importance. The following actions were taken against the known species that
host the vector insect of the Nematode disease,
09
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Monochamus galloprovincialis, which include,
besides the Pinus pinaster (cluster pine), the
Picea orientalis, Pinus halepensis, Pinus nigra,
Pinus nigra austriaca, Pinus nigra laricio, Pinus
radiata and Pinus sylvestris:
• Delimitation of a plant protection containment
strip – buffer area -, nearly 3 km wide around the
affected area, thereby creating an area free of
hosts of Monochamus galloprovinciallis, where
all trees of the above referred species, even if
being used for ornamental purposes alone, are
to be cut clear and removed;
• The compulsory cut down of trees showing
symptoms of the pinewood disease in the restricted area. The Directorate General of Forestry
may further remove all the cluster pines within a 5
meter range from the diseased trees;
• Specific measures of control of the material
resulting from the cut down (timber, remains and
barks to be burnt, crashed, used as fuel, treatment
with heat or crashing – fumigation at appropriate
places in the restricted areas or transportation to
industrial units), storage and transportation and
also the relevant industrial processing;
• Measures applied to the nursery plants located
at the Restricted Area;
• Screening tests for the Pinewood Nematode
disease on trees showing suspicious symptoms;
• Obligation of registration by those who import,
produce, sell or process host conifers, timber and
plants from such conifers in the Restricted Area,
as well as those who operate in surrounding areas by receiving timber from the Restricted Area.
COSTATERRA NEWSLETTER / YEAR 2008 / N. 1
Author:
Mónica Faisca
Date of Publication:
December 2007
Statement of Principles
Statement of principles of the tourist developers of the Fontaínhas
Tourism Development Area included in the Comporta-Galé Site for protection
and fostering of the public values of nature conservation
The projects within the Fontaínhas TDA (Pinheirinho and CostaTerra estates) respect the ecological values present. These estates have submitted
Environmental Management Plans, which contain
measures of promotion, management and financing
of present and potential natural values and allow for
the maintenance of the Site’s overall coherence.
Based on the revenues generated by the tourist
activity of the TDAs, this commitment ensures the
financing of the elaboration of the Environmental
Management Plans, and their enforcement, in particular, through actions of plantation, management,
monitoring, protection and promotion.
The proposals laid down in such Environmental Management Plans were transposed into the
Environmental Impact Studies, submitted to Environmental Impact Assessment, and generated compensatory and impact mitigation measures aimed to
ensure compliance with the objectives of the Natura
2000 Network and the specific guidelines from the
Portuguese State to that effect.
The implementation of these Environmental Management Plans is a private commitment for the
accomplishment of an objective of public interest
for nearly 2,150 ha (1,350 ha in the CostaTerra
estate and 800 ha in the Pinheirinho estate) of the
Comporta-Galé site, representing approximately
6.67% of the classified area and the whole of the
TDAs area.
COSTATERRA NEWSLETTER / YEAR 2008 / N. 1
10
page.
Author:
Rui David / Paula Bento
Date of Publication:
December 2007
Protocol between Aflops
and CostaTerra
The AFLOPS (Forestry Producers
Association) and CostaTerra signed
a partnership protocol designed to
govern the cooperation between both
parties within the scope of the project
of the Permanent Forestry Fund,
under number 2004 09 002604 0,
designated as “Network of Demonstration Projects for the Protection
of Autochthonous Forestry Systems
of the Region of Setúbal”.
Some areas of the CostaTerra estate have been
devoted to the running of demonstration tests,
throughout the whole of the construction period.
The general goal of the Project is to create and
develop a Regional Network of Areas of Demonstration of Good Installation Practice, Management
and Conservation of Classified Forestry Habitats,
within identified and delimited areas inside the
CostaTerra estate, where the following will be carried out:
I - Dune forests:
• Signalling and identification of the species
in need of conservation
• Companion planting (Pistacia lentiscus,
Rhamnus lyciodes, Rhamnus alaternus,
Phyllirea angustifolia, Osyris quadripartita);
• Testing of the training processes
of these species;
• Access protection and control;
• Follow-up and monitoring of the tests
II - Portuguese prickly juniper
(Juniperus navicularis):
• Testing of solutions of the reproductive
processes;
• Training processes of these species;
• Access protection and control;
• Follow-up and monitoring of the tests.
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COSTATERRA NEWSLETTER / YEAR 2008 / N. 1
Santolina impressa
COSTATERRA NEWSLETTER / YEAR 2008 / N. 1
12
page.
CostaTerra
Sociedade Imobiliária
de Grândola, S.A.
Herdade da CostaTerra
Lugar das Fontainhas,
7570 GRÂNDOLA
Palácio Sant’Anna
Rua do Instituto Bacteriológico, n.º 8
1150-190 LISBOA
Tel. +351 218 855 524
Fax: +351 218 855 525
For further information:
[email protected]