Fabriek Street 45 Paarl. P.O. Box 2632 Paarl Tel: Cell:

Transcription

1 11 July 2016 Organisation: Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Attention: Mr. Shafeeq Mallick NOTICE OF FIRST PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PERIOD: 12 July August 2016 GNEC Code: DEA&DP REF: 14/2/1/2/B1/14/0011/16 Dear Mr. Mallick INFORMING OF THE START OF THE FIRST PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PERIOD FOR THE SARATOGA VEGETATION CLEARING SECTION 24G ON PORTION 4 OF THE FARM KLAAS VOOGDS RIVIER NO. 40, ROBERTSON, WESTERN CAPE. Two patches of indigenous vegetation were illegally cleared on portion 4 of farm 40 Klaas Voodgs Rivier (Saratoga Farm), which is privately owned by the client Mr. Marc Doms, and is located approximately 10 km north east of the town of Robertson and approximately 8.4 km north west of Ashton. The farm is located outside the urban edge (appropriately zoned agricultural zone 1) and falls under the Langeberg Local Municipality. Saratoga farm is a fully functioning farm specializing in the growing of blueberries under tunnels. The land use of the surrounding area is also predominantly for agricultural purposes. The topography of the site is can be described as an open valley surrounded by the Langeberg-Wes Mountain range. Mr. Doms had planned on clearing two patches of indigenous vegetation adjacent to an existing agricultural field (to the north and to the south side of the existing field) with the aim to enlarge the field for the preparation of an additional blueberry orchard. The orchard footprint has been cleared in its entirety, however an assessment of the vegetation adjacent to the clearing perimeter was done by a botanical specialist, Dr Dave McDonald. This indicated that the vegetation type was likely incorrectly mapped as Breede Shale Renosterveld (which is listed as Vulnerable) and is more likely that of South Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos (which listed as Least Threatened). Some alien species were also located in the area adjacent to where the clearing had occurred. The

2 site does not fall within a CBA, no plant species of conservation concern were found within the undisturbed area (adjacent to the site) and the clearing was confined to the periphery and did not introduce any fragmentation. It is therefore confidently assumed that the impacts can be considered highly insignificant or LOW NEGATIVE. The cleared areas are however also mapped as part of the Breede Alluvium Renosterveld threatened ecosystem (listed as vulnerable), however no threatened plant species or species of conservation concern were found within this ecosystem adjacent to the site, therefore possibly also erroneously mapped. The construction of the blueberry orchard is not yet complete and will only commence once environmental authorisation is granted. This will include the installation of infrastructure (irrigation and tunnelling) and the planting of a crop of blueberries. This blueberry orchard will have positive socio-economic impacts, by creating temporary and permanent jobs, and will not result in any further environmental damage. No cultural or heritage resources were impacted upon by the vegetation clearing and are not expected to occur during the construction of the proposed blueberry orchard. No direct rectification is possible as the footprint has been cleared in its entirety, however a conservation offset agreement could be arranged to have non-arable areas on the farm assigned for conservation under a biodiversity conservation agreement. Taking the above mentioned vegetation clearing and the proposed blueberry orchard into account, the following listed activities will be triggered: Government Notice No. R.983 of 2014: Activity 27 The clearance of an area of 1 hectares or more, but less than 20 hectares of indigenous vegetation, except where such clearance of indigenous vegetation is required for i. the undertaking of a linear activity; or ii. maintenance purposes undertaken in accordance with a maintenance management plan. Activity 67 Phased activities for all activitiesi. listed in this Notice, which commenced on or after the effective date of this Notice; or

3 ii. similarly listed in any of the previous NEMA notices, which commenced on or after the effective date of such previous NEMA Notices; where any phase of the activity may be below a threshold but where a combination of the phases, including expansions or extensions, will exceed a specified threshold; excluding the following activities listed in this Notice- 17(i)(a-d); 17(ii)(a-d); 17(iii)(a-d); 17(iv)(a-d); 17(v)(a-d); 20; 21; 22; 24(i); 29; 30; 31; 32; 34; 54(i)(a-d); 54(ii)(a-d); 54(iii)(a-d); 54(iv)(a-d); 54(v)(a-d); 55; 61; 62; 64 and 65. Government Notice R. 985 of 2014 Activity 12 The clearance of an area of 300 square metres or more of indigenous vegetation except where such clearance of indigenous vegetation is required for maintenance purposes undertaken in accordance with a maintenance management plan. (a) In Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, North West and Western Cape provinces: i. Within any critically endangered or endangered ecosystem listed in terms of section 52 of the NEMBA or prior to the publication of such a list, within an area that has been identified as critically endangered in the National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment 2004; ii. iii. iv. Within critical biodiversity areas identified in bioregional plans; Within the littoral active zone or 100 metres inland from high water mark of the sea or an estuarine functional zone, whichever distance is the greater, excluding where such removal will occur behind the development setback line on erven in urban areas; or On land, where, at the time of the coming into effect of this Notice or thereafter such land was zoned open space, conservation or had an equivalent zoning. The aim of this EIA process is to ensure that: The environmental impacts that may be associated with the vegetation clearing and the subsequent proposed blueberry orchard are taken into consideration.

4 Public participation will be conducted, i.e. to afford stakeholders and/or the community sufficient opportunity to provide comment on the proposed blueberry orchard construction; and Sufficient information is submitted herewith to decision-makers to support an informed decision-making process. The following Interested and Affected Parties were notified of the public participation by registered letters on the 12 rd of July 2016: Cor van der Walt of Department of Agriculture Private Bag X1 Elsenburg 7607 Fax: Willie Roux of Cape Winelands District Municipality: Environmental Health Practices P.O. Box 91 Worcester 6850 Mr. I van der Westhuizen of Langeberg Municipality Directorate - Engineering Services Private Bag x2 Ashton 6715 Teshle de Koker of Langeberg Municipality (Ward Councillor) Private Bag x2 Ashton 6715 Fax: Rafeeq le Roux of Breede Gourtiz Catchment Management Agency Private Bag X3055 Worcester 6850 Fax: Alana Duffel-Canham of CapeNature Private Bag 5014 Stellenbosch 7599 Fax: Morgan Griffiths of WESSA P.O. Box Tokai 7966 Fax:

5 Mr. Marc Doms (Landowner) P.O. Box 400 Robertson 6705 Mr. Pat Busch (Landowner) P.O. Box 805 Robertson 6705 Fax: The first Public Participation Process will run from the 12 th of July 2016 until the 15 th of August A hardcopy of the first Draft Section 24G Environmental Impact Assessment Report will be available at the Robertson public library (Ms. Christa Joubert; Tel: ) and an electronic copy will also be available on GNEC s website ( Meanwhile, should you have any queries, please feel free to contact myself, at: Yours sincerely Ruben Schoombie For GNEC Cell: , Tel: (021) , Fax: (021) ruben@gnec.co.za