6.4 Bantamsklip Site

6.4.1 Physical

(a) Location

The Bantamsklip site is located approximately 5 km east of and approximately 50 km northwest of (Figure 42). The site is situated on the Southern Cape coast, falls within the jurisdiction of the District .Municipality and has the following co-ordinates: 34 ْ 42’28.95’’S and 19 ْ 33’12.17’’E

Figure 42: Location of the proposed Bantamsklip site in relation to the surrounding areas (Bulman, 2007)

(b) Topography

The coastal portion of Bantamsklip is characterized by an undulating topography created by a series of vegetated dunes (Figure 43). The inland portion is a broken landscape with hills, including rocky, limestone hills with numerous caves and marshy lowlands.

According to Low and Desmet (2007), the landscape is dominated chiefly by undulating (non-differentiated) dune fields, but with a strong presence of transverse and parabolic dunes. The dunes have been artificially vegetated by Acacia cyclops (Rooikrans) and other introduced woody aliens. However, the remains of an undulating system appear to underlie the transverse system.

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Figure 43: Topographic location of the proposed Bantamsklip site in relation to the broader geographical area (Burger, 2007)

(c) Climate

Eskom conducted meteorological data collection campaign during 1987 to 1989 at the Bantamklip site. Monitoring occurred at three locations namely Die Gruis, Buffeljagsbaai and Danger Point. The climatic information was taken from Burger (2007).

(i) Temperature Although the temperature patterns are similar at Struis Bay and , the temperatures are slightly higher at Struis Bay. The maximum temperatures at Hermanus often reach 30°C whereas this is less frequent at Struis Bay. The minimum temperature at Struis Bay is frequently below 5°C and at Hermanus is frequently below 7°C.

(ii) Wind The wind direction in the Bantamsklip region is predominantly from the west northwest to northwest. A secondary wind direction is from the east to east-southeast.

No automatic weather stations are operating at the Bantamsklip site, thus the weather patterns at Hermanus and Struisbay were used for the purpose of this report. The surface wind character is summarised in the wind roses in Figure 44. The wind patterns at the two weather stations, while not the same as what would be at Bantamsklip, are very similar. The only significant difference is the occurrence of calm wind conditions, with Hermanus at 10.8 % and Struis Bay 2.4 %. Strong wind speeds, (above 10 m/s) are more prevalent at Struis Bay and occur from western and eastern directions. At Hermanus, most of the strong winds originate from the east.

Bantamsklip experiences onshore flow at the surface, though not as strongly as found at Thyspunt. Vertical motion during these months is negative, suggesting that emissions may not be easily advected.

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Figure 44: Wind roses for Hermanus, one of the weather stations used to infer weather data at the Bantamsklip site (Burger, 2007)

(d) Geology and Seismology

The geological and seismological information was taken from CGS (2007a).

Regional data exists in the form of the 1:250 000 scale sheet 3319 Worcester compiled from base maps on 1:50 000 scale. The AEC (NECSA) produced detailed mapping at 1:50 000 scale and site specific mapping at 1:5 000. De Beer (2005) described the area as underlain by an assemblage of lithostratigraphic formations very similar to that of Koeberg, except that it has a much greater thickness of the Palaeozoic Cape Super group.

Basement rocks of the Malmesbury Group and the Cape Granite Suite are overlain unconformably by quartz arenite and shale of the Cape Super group (Figure 45 and). Extensive Pliocene to late Pleistocene aeolianites of the Group covers these rocks, with a localized thin unit of marine sediments sandwiched between basement rocks and Cenozoic cover. Bantamsklip is situated towards the southeastern boundary of the syntaxis, where NE trending folds that are characteristic

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of the Cape Fold Belt (CFB) syntaxis curve asymptotically into an easterly orientation. Deformational intensity is markedly higher than in the Cape Peninsula.

The 40 km radius around the site includes many major faults with displacements ranging between tens to hundreds of metres. The syntaxis is the most fractured part of the Cape Fold Belt and the Bantamsklip area is no exception. The area is characterised by ENE to NE striking thrust faults that are cut by NE, WNW and E striking normal faults. There are apparently no dolerite dykes in the area, but a suite of Late Cretaceous alkaline rock types occurs offshore to the SE of the site. Evidence for neotectonics in the area was summarised in De Beer (2004, 2005, 2006b).

Figure 45: Geological structure, setting and seismicity for the Bantamsklip site (derived from a 1:250,000 digital database) (CGS, 2007a)

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Figure 46: Simplified geology map for the Bantamsklip site (SRK, 2007b)

(i) Tectonics The Bantamsklip site is situated in a fractured part of the Cape Fold Belt, called the syntaxis where NE–SW trending faults dominate (De Beer, 2004). Most fold axial traces bend in an accurate fashion from the NE-SW syntaxial orientation into the E-W

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orientation of the southern branch of the Cape Fold Belt. NW-SE to WNW-ESE trending faults are less common and occur near the northern boundary of the 40 km regulatory radius, as well as NE of the site. Evidence for neotectonic activity was found by both Andreoli et al. (1994); of which some evidence has been verified (De Beer 2004, 2005, 2006b). Both the evaluation of this evidence and follow-up investigations remain an outstanding issue. The extensive sand cover and lack of good outcrops over known faults of Mesozoic age within an eight km radius inhibits surficial palaeoseismic investigations.

The Bantamsklip site is situated approximately 4.5 km away from both the Groenkloof and Elim faults. The magnitude of displacement along both of these faults is of the order of a few hundred metres. Other nearby faults are the , Donkergat and the Birkenhead faults shown by Andreoli et al. (1989) pass close by the site, as does the postulated fault. Although most of these faults have probably not been active since the Late Cretaceous, their relationships to the Miocene-Quaternary sediments of this area have not been investigated in sufficient detail. Andreoli et al. (1989) made a synthesis of the possible neotectonic features in the southern Cape area. Small seismic events (< M340 on the Richter magnitude scale) have been recorded by the Elim seismic station in and along an E- W trending fault, north east of Napier.

A 1:50 000 aerial photographic mosaic clearly shows the south-eastward extension of the suspected Blomerus fault across the farms Klein and Groot Haelkraal and passing within two km northeast of the Bantamsklip site. This feature seems to be controlled by fracturing parallel to a hitherto unconfirmed fault (Blomerus fault), but it also correlates fairly well with the 100 m Mio-Pliocene (ca 5 Ma) strandline along some stretches, A multi-electrode direct current and magnetic survey failed to identify a fault and the consensus is that it represents a relic of the above strandline with associated fossil dune ridges. Ditto

(ii) Palaeo-seismicity Soft sediment deformation including slumping, faulting and monoclinal folding in aeolianites was confirmed but interpreted as having occurred syn-depositionally during the Pliocene and certainly prior to one Ma ago. Similar structures were not observed in Pleistocene aeolianites of the area. No observations could be made of latest Pleistocene and Holocene effects of strong ground motion because of the absence of riverbank exposures. There is no primary evidence of recent movement of all the faults within the 40 km radius around the site, but this requires further investigation.

A WNW striking fault with the characteristics of a pre-Cenozoic fault and a damage zone some 50 m wide and 80 degrees SSW dip occurs at Celt Bay, approximately three kilometres SE of the site (De Beer, 2005, 2006b). The fault is indicated as a Grade IV fault on AEC (1989) maps, however, it is not regarded as a risk for surface faulting.

No evidence of Pleistocene activity along the Worcester fault has yet been found, but as high erosion rates could have removed evidence and it constitutes one of the main linear seismogenic elements in the seismotectonic model of Du Plessis (1996), this feature should be investigated in sufficient detail to exclude the possibility. There is no evidence of faults in the offshore Bredasdorp Basin having been active after the 93 Ma (De Beer, 2005).

40 Earth movements of magnitude 3 (M3), are rated as minor earth quakes and can often be felt but seldom cause damage.

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There is evidence of Late Cretaceous to early Cenozoic volcanic activity on the offshore Alphards Bank approximately 50 km SE from the site, which has produced one M 2.2 event in 1997. Events between M 2.2 and 3.9 near Robertson may be associated with magmatism of the same general age in that area, and the proximity of the Worcester fault line. The Celt Bay fault, when extrapolated north-westwards, passes near the northern boundary of the Bantamsklip site. There is no evidence of it being a capable fault thus far, but this will require further investigation.

(iii) Seismic Hazard The seismic hazard associated with the site will be determined during the detailed assessment phase of the EIA process. Preliminary investigations indicate that there is no fatal flaw with respect to seismic risk.

(e) Geohydrology

The geohydrological information was taken from SRK (2007b).

(i) Groundwater occurrence The bedrock at the site consists of Table Mountain Group (TMG) sandstones, which can be broadly classified as a secondary or fractured-rock aquifer (Figure 47). The superficial deposits of the Bredasdorp Group are classified as a primary or intergranular aquifer. Groundwater flow and storage takes place within the original pore spaces between constituent grains. The upper boundary of the aquifer is the water table and these aquifers are therefore unconfined.

Groundwater in the TMG is generally of a deep-seated nature inland but on the coastal plain and wave cut platform at the site it can be reasonably extrapolated that groundwater levels will be within approximately five meters below ground level. Local ‘aquifers’ are unconfined or semi-confined and groundwater flow will generally follow the topographic gradient. Flow can therefore be expected to be in a southwesterly direction towards the sea, possibly becoming more southerly closer to the Haelkraal River.

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Figure 47: Simplified groundwater map for the Bantamsklip site and surrounding regions (SRK, 2007b)

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(ii) Groundwater quality Over most of the study area, groundwater quality in terms of EC is in the range 70 to 300 mS/m41. Better quality groundwater (EC <70 mS/m) is associated with the TMG mountains to the north. The EC of the water issuing from the spring supplying Pearly Beach was measured as 38 mS/m in 1989. Groundwater from the TMG Aquifer was also measured at 38 mS/m in 1992 from a borehole located near Pearly Beach. Groundwater quality in the TMG and Bredasdorp Aquifers at the site, measured by the Atomic Energy Corporation, was 150 to 225 mS/m and 750 mS/m.

(iii) Groundwater potential According to the DWAF hydrogeological map sheet 3317, the TMG and Bredasdorp Group aquifers were classed as median boreholes with yields ranging between 0.5 to 2.0 L/s, excluding dry boreholes. The Bokkeveld rocks were classed as median, with yields ranging between 0.1 to 0.5 L/s.

There are few boreholes in the vicinity of Bantamsklip and groundwater potential is generally low. These springs issue from the Waenhuiskrans Formation and the yield was estimated by Meyer (1998) at >7 L/s. There are no private boreholes on Bantamsklip. The whole area between the coast and the inland plains of the Overberg north of Napier is classed as a Major Aquifer according to the DWAF national classification (Parsons and Conrad, 1998). However, it is stressed in their report that this is an overview classification only and cannot be used on a site-specific basis. The area around Pearly Beach is further classified by DWAF as a Sole Source Aquifer. Such an aquifer is defined as (Parsons and Conrad, 1998):

o An aquifer which is used to supply 50 % or more of domestic water for a given area and for which there are no reasonably available sources should the aquifer be impacted upon or depleted. Aquifer yields and natural water quality are immaterial.

‘Sole Source’ reflects the fact that there is no viable alternative supply. Towns such as Pearly Beach where this situation exists have merely been listed by DWAF as there is no map showing the boundaries of such aquifers. However, the Atomic Energy Corporation concluded that groundwater potential at the Site is low and that geohydrological considerations should not be an issue in the siting of a NPS. Only small quantities of groundwater should be expected in excavations on site.

(f) Geotechnical characteristics

The sand dune terraces are semi-consolidated or unconsolidated and therefore will tend towards their natural angle of repose but the stability may be affected by some seepage and occurrence of water at the interface. The slope faces will probably be susceptible to erosion and therefore vegetation re-establishment and/or other appropriate slope protection methods will be required. In addition, the presence of calcarenite and boulder beds in the sequence will improve the initial stability of the cut faces but continued weathering will probably create steep cut faces in this material unstable with time.

Structures built in the sands must take account of the variable consistency of the material and should be designed to normal Rankine earth pressure equivalent to a friction angle of 32° and cohesion of 0 kPa. The calcarenite will exhibit some cohesion, but the reliance thereon will have to be carefully considered in the design

41 Water with an EC > 300 mS/m is of poor quality and unfit for human consumption, whilst water with an EC of between 70 and 300 mS/m is brackish and of marginal quality for human consumption.

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phase. The presence of the cobbles and boulders could also make the use of sheet piles and certain type of piles difficult to install, if lateral support and alternative foundation types are necessary. The bearing capacity of the sand, in general will depend on the consistency of the various strata, and will range from 100 to 250 kPa. Insitu compaction/densification of the sand layers should be possible, if required.

The underlying rock terrace consists of a succession of shallow (25°) variably weathered ridges and gullies. The strength and stability of the rockmass is uncertain at this time but is likely to be variable due to the differential weathering, faulting and folding of the area and the presence of fault zones containing breccia and rock flour. The rock classification is therefore likely to be poor, in general, with areas of fair rock. The bearing capacity of the rock therefore should be downgraded to account for this variability. Particular attention will need to be paid to the foundation design in the potentially weak zones in the formation. In areas where the overburden is thick and large load carrying capacity is required, piles or caisson type42 foundations may be necessary.

The observation of slickenside on the rock joints is indicative of slip plane development. Therefore, it is likely that unstable wedges may form in rock excavations, where joints daylight or fault zones are present. Particular attention therefore must be given to excavations in this material, particularly where a considerable thickness of overburden exists. It will probably be necessary to stabilize unretained steep excavation faces with anchors and/or bolts both for temporary (construction) and permanent conditions.

The availability of construction materials on site is uncertain, but it is likely that they will have to be imported from commercial sources or quarries established in the vicinity and transported to site.

6.4.2 Biophysical (a) Flora

The Agulhas Plain is home to a rich assortment of different vegetation groups. Mucina et al. (2005), by inference, recorded some 17 vegetation types, with nine of which as listed below, occur in the general study area: Agulhas Limestone (Least Threatened); Agulhas Sand Fynbos (Vulnerable); Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetlands (Vulnerable); Cape Seashore Vegetation (Least Threatened); Elim Ferricrete Fynbos (Endangered); Overberg Dune Strandveld (Least Threatened); Overberg Sandstone Fynbos (Least Threatened); Southern Coastal Forest (Least Threatened); and Western Coastal Shale Band Vegetation (Least Threatened). Refer to the below.

42 Caisson refers to a type of foundation most commonly used underwater for a bridge, but sometimes used in building construction.

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Figure 48: Vegetation types associated with Bantamsklip and surrounding environments along the coastline (Low and Desmet, 2007)

The Forest and Thicket communities are dominated by Sideroxylon inerme milkwood, Celtis africana white stinkwood, Olinia ventosa hard pear and Apodytes dimidiata white pear. Renoster shrubland (renosterveld) occurs on fertile shale and related sites on the Plain.

The remaining community types are fynbos, characterised as Mesotrophic Asteraceous Fynbos, a form dominated by members of the daisy family is found on the fine-textured soils of the Elim land system (Thwaites and Cowling, 1988), often in association with ferricrete. Dune Asteraceous Fynbos, as its names implies, is confined to coastal dunes between Langebaan and Port Elizabeth, but has strong affinities with and is probably successional to Dune Thicket (Strandveld) vegetation.

Dominant ericoid and smaller-leaved shrubs species namely, Passerina paleacea, Agathosma collina (boegoe), Metalasia muricata blombos and Phylica ericoides, illustrate some overlap with the previous type. Dry Restioid Fynbos, with a high cover of restios (reeds) dominates this type.

Proteoid Fynbos, one of the key vegetation indicators on the Plain, is the most widespread vegetation type in the region. Protea repens dominated vegetation is confined to the ferricrete and silcretes of the area. The second type of fynbos occurs on limestones and shallow calcareous sands over limestone and is dominated by proteoid shrubs. The third community type is the more typical mountain fynbos, which is restricted to acid, infertile sandstone-derived soils.

The final fynbos type is dominated by Erica’s and is called Mesic Ericaceous Fynbos. This type is rare in the area as it is confined to the Soetanysberg and just to

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the west of Bantamsklip, but might extend as Far East as the Potberg in . Soils tend to be rocky, shallow and infertile. The last vegetation type is azonal and incorporates the wetlands and vleis of the area. This type has not been well studied although dominants do include Sarcornia spp. (brack systems), Phragmites australis (neutral to fresh water) and various Restionaceae and Cyperaceae in acid waters.

Most of this coastline, is of moderate irreplaceability, with the area inland of the coast highly irreplaceable (sensu Cowling et al., 1999) (Figure 49). Low (2003) echoes the coast (low) to inland (high) dichotomy with most of the adjacent areas rating at between 40 and 60 % for ecological importance. In a much more detailed study focusing on the Agulhas Plain, Cole et al. (2000) indicate slightly lower values for irreplaceability, although the coast is rated more highly and there is a corridor between the latter and inland. CapeNature manages a number of reserves along this coast at Walker Bay, Uilkraalmond, Pearly Beach and Quoin Point. The Pearly Beach Nature Reserve protects most of the coastal section of the Bantamsklip site, whilst Groot Hagelkraal Farm is a Private Nature Reserve and Natural Heritage Site.

Figure 49: Irreplaceability (top) and ecological importance of the Bantamsklip coastline (Low and Desmet, 2007)

(b) Invertebrate Fauna

The site potentially supports the following invertebrates: • One Red Data book butterfly (Chrysoritis thysbe mithras); • A species of the newly described insect order Mantophasmatodea (Austrophama gansbaaiensis); • At least one undescribed species of velvet worm (Onychophora, Peripatopsis

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sp. nov); • The greatest number of endemic millipedes of all sites; and • A diverse molluscan fauna.

Bantamsklip offers the most suitable habitat for relictual species. Although the data indicate that Bantamsklip did not contain more relictual taxa than any of the other sites, this is probably a result of under collecting, as it is the best representative of the full range of Gondwanan (relictual) habitats. Even though similar habitat exists elsewhere within the Cape Fold mountains and southern coastal areas, there is considerable species turnover between such sites.

(c) Vertebrate Fauna

The Bantamsklip site lies within the CFR. Bantamsklip is dissected by the , creating a coastal portion and an inland portion. The inland portion is located on the farm Hagelkraal, which is registered with DEAT as a Natural Heritage Site. The two portions are distinct from each other in terms of dominant habitats and biotic communities.

Bantamsklip comprises varied habitats and can be expected to contain a rich diversity of fauna. Particularly, the inland portion includes some threatened habitat types important to some equally rare species. Features of special significance with respect to species and ecosystem processes include the following (Harrison, 2007):

• Amphibians: Several threatened species are known to occur and breed on the farm Hagelkraal, including the Micro Frog Microbatrachella capensis (Critically Endangered), Cape Platanna Xenopus gilli (Endangered) and Western Leopard Toad Amietophrynus pantherinus (Endangered). • Reptiles: A few potentially threatened species are likely to occur. • Birds: Some threatened seabirds are likely to roost and forage at the coast. Red Listed raptors, e.g., Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus, Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus and Black Harrier Circus maurus, may have breeding sites in the rocky hills. • Mammals: The caves in the limestone hills are likely to contain important roosting and breeding sites for a relatively large number of bat species, several of which are Red Listed. The threatened Whitetailed Rat Mystromys albicaudatus (Endangered) may occur. • Ecosystem processes: The fragmentation of the site by the R43 is an unfortunate feature which partially disrupts ecosystem processes, but otherwise the site is well connected to neighbouring properties and local ecosystems appear to be largely intact and functioning normally. The variety of habitats means that there are extensive ecotones which are important in ecological and evolutionary processes. The inland, fynbos areas have fire as an important ecological driver, and this holds important implications for environmental management. There are a number of watercourses and wetlands, as well as numerous rocky hills and caves, all of ecological importance and potentially vulnerable to disturbance. The coastal portion is sandy, undulating and vulnerable to mechanical disturbance, but to a lesser degree than Thyspunt because the slopes are generally more gentle.

(d) Hydrology

Several quaternary catchments exist within the 20 km radius of the Bantamsklip site (Figure 50), namely:

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• Catchment G40M drained by the Uilkraal and Boesman Rivers to the north and west of the site; • Catchment G50A within which the Bantamsklip site is situated drained by the Haelkrall, Koks, Wolfgat and Ratel Rivers; and • Catchment G50B to the north drained by the Koue River.

Figure 50: Surface water catchments associated with the Bantamsklip site (SRK, 2007a)

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Table 15 summarises certain key catchment characteristics for these catchments

Table 15: Catchment characteristics of Bantamsklip Catchment Gross Mean Mean Mean MAP- NET Gross Coefficient Area Annual Annual Annual MAR MAR MAR of (km²) Evaporation Precipitation Runoff RESP (106m3) (106m3) Variation (MAE) (MAP) (MAR) (CV) (mm) (mm) (mm) G40M 393 1440 574 57 5 20.8 22.6 0.718 G50A 243 1440 545 49 5 7.6 11.9 0.721 G50B 339 1445 531 45 5 15.3 15.3 0.719

(i) Surface water features

The following general comments relating to surface water features (and their potential use) can be made at this preliminary stage:

• The area is characterized with lower rainfall than the Thyspunt site with no notable surface water features in the vicinity of the site; and • Relatively low ‘coefficient of variation’ (CV) numbers imply that the primary watercourses in these catchments could be generally perennial. Secondary watercourses are generally non-perennial.

(ii) Storm water run off

Table 15 shows gross and net MAR for primary watercourses draining nearby catchments.

(e) Freshwater Supply

(i) Local Authority Supply Bantamsklip falls within the Breede WMA. According to water requirement projections in DWAF’s National Water Resource Strategy (2004), there is no allowance for water requirements for power generation in this WMA. Water is supplied to the nearby towns of Pearly Beach and Buffelsjagt by the local authority. Pearly Beach is supplied by springs about six km to the northeast of the town. Boreholes in the town area supply Buffelsjagt. A nearby dam of the same name supplies Baardkeerdersbos. Regional scale supply occurs via a pipeline from Kraaibos Dam to near a treatment works at Franskraal to the northeast of Gansbaai.

The studies undertaken by Eskom in 1994 concluded that any major industrial undertaking would require the supply of fresh water by pipeline from a major source outside of the immediate region. The nearest such system is the /Breë.

(ii) Community Supply There are few boreholes in the vicinity of Bantamsklip and groundwater potential is generally low. Exploration boreholes were drilled at Pearly Beach and Buffelsjag in the early 1990s for town supply but were unsuccessful. There were 700 boreholes tapping the aquifer of the coastal plain of which fewer than half yielded > 5 m3/h.

(iii) Water Quality Water quality at Bantamsklip is generally good. For example the water supply to Pearly Beach has an EC of 138 mS/m.

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(iv) Desalination There is a ready supply of seawater at the site and desalination could serve as a cost effective source of fresh water. The merits of such a desalination plant will be investigated during the EIA phase of the project.

(f) Freshwater Ecology

Bantamsklip lies on the western side of the Agulhas Plain, which contains the largest and most diverse array of wetlands in the southwestern Cape. The Agulhas Plain extends from the Klein River mouth to the and is likely to support rare and/or endemic plant and animal species. Wetland systems in the Agulhas Plain area range between saline and fresh systems, and include coastal lakes, floodplains, valley bottom wetlands, seeps and rivers. These wetland systems exhibit exceptional diversity, in terms of both habitat type and biota at a landscape level.

A total of 72 wetlands, including 37 endorheic (or “inwardly draining”) wetlands, 29 palustrine wetlands (these include riverine marshes, floodplains and other riparian areas) and six lacustrine wetlands (wetlands with permanent open water habitat) were identified in the Agulhas Plain area, some of which are on the Bantamsklip site. However, formal mapping and classification of wetlands has not been undertaken at a regional level, and existing spatial data sourced at this stage of the project (e.g. Cole et al., 2000) focus on broad scale mapping of terrestrial areas, and are thus of little value in estimating wetland habitat significance.

The most ecologically important systems occur in the portion of the site to the north, and include the upper reaches of the Koksrivier (a tributary of the Ratelrivier system) to the east, and the Groot Hagelkraal River, to the west, while several seasonal seepage wetlands are thought to occur on the site south of the R43 Road (King and Silberbauer, 1989).

Upstream of the R43, the Groot Hagelkraal River is a broad, longitudinal wetland supporting a mixed plant community, dominated on its drier, outer edges by transitional wetland species, including Chondropetalum tectorum, Rhus spp., and Metalasia muricate (Day, 2005). These give way to wetter patches comprising a mixed Psoralea / Berzelia (Psoralea pinnata, Psoralea afila and Berzelia spp.) community. The river itself in these reaches comprises a braided stream, edged with a dense overgrowth, including Zantedeschia aethiopica (arum lilies), Juncus capensis, and Ficinia nodosus. These give way along their margins to the Berzelia Psoralea communities. Large portions of the wetland community appear relatively undisturbed, although the outer edges have been disturbed by impacts such as extensive alien invasion, roads, drainage channels and past agricultural activities.

Downstream of the R43 and west of the present study area the Groot Hagelkraal River merges with its westerly tributary, the Klein Hagelkraal River. The rivers form a wide, coastal lake immediately downstream of their confluence, referred to by Jones et al. (2002) as the 43Pearly Beach Marsh and described by King and Silberbauer (1989) as a site of Special Scientific Interest, by virtue of the combination of different wetland types and substrata that characterise it. It is classified as high regional and local importance by Euston-Brown (2003) from a botanical perspective and Day (2005) describes it similarly in terms of wetland habitat importance.

43 Note that the Pearly Beach Marsh lies outside of the Bantamsklip site.

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The coastal lake narrows into a wide, slow-flowing river, which opens into a shallow lagoon, on Pearly Beach. Shrinkage and degradation of the Groot Hagelkraal riverine wetlands in these reaches has resulted from alien vegetation, as well as channelisation of the river downstream of the R43 and a reduction in the species diversity occurs upstream (Day, 2005). Nevertheless, Day (2005) considered these wetlands, and in particular, the less-impacted Pearly Beach Marsh / coastal lake and lagoon to have high habitat conservation value.

The Koksrivier flows off the north eastern portion of the site above the R43, and its catchment within the study area includes broad hillside seepage wetlands, occasional seasonally inundated springs or pans and, along the river channel itself, a dense band of Prionium serratum (Palmiet) vegetation. The river on the site is believed to be relatively unimpacted and of high conservation importance. De Villiers (1989) noted the importance of the Ratels River wetlands downstream as habitat for two red- data frog species, namely Microbatrachella capensis (micro frog) and Xenopus gilli (Cape platanna) (Day, 2007).

No wetlands were identified within the proposed power plant terracing.

(g) Oceanographic aspects The Bantamsklip site is a highly exposed section of rocky coastline and is “highly stable with respect to marine sediment dynamics” (Prestege et al., 2001b). In addition, it is stated in Prestege et al. (2001b) that “…the average wave energy along the study coastline can be expected to be the highest anywhere along the SA coastline due to its southerly latitude and orientation perpendicular to the dominant south westerly swell waves”. Details pertaining to the sea state, sea level and the diffuse attenuation co-efficient will be outlined in the EIA Report. Information pertaining to the SST and chlorophyll a concentrations are outlined below.

(i) Sea Surface Temperature (SST) The mean SST for Bantamsklip is 16.8°C to 17.1°C. The maximum and minimum SST are ± 21.3°C and 15.0 °C, respectively.

(ii) Chlorophyll a The mean chlorophyll a values for Bantamsklip are between 2.5 and 10 mg.m-3, which are values of chlorophyll concentration typical of a moderately productive coastal ocean. Maximum and minimum chlorophyll a concentrations are 8 mg.m-3 and 0.5 mg.m-3, respectively with a high irregular annual variation.

(h) Marine biology

The Bantamsklip site lies within the warm temperate Agulhas marine Bioregion. Invertebrate species richness in this region is somewhat lower than in the Thyspunt region, but much higher than that along the west coast. No rare or endangered marine species are known from the site and very few range-restricted species are reported from this region (Awad et al., 2002). No sites of special biological significance, as noted by Jackson and Lipschitz (1984), occur within the site, although the important seal and bird colonies of Dyer Island are located approximately 10 km to the west of the site.

Strongly dissected exposed rocky shores interspersed with small pocket beaches, on which large quantities of kelp are cast ashore characterise the coastline. The area is known to support dense kelp beds and abalone resources (the current status of which is unknown) and the wider region also supports a number of significant fisheries and

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other marine activities, such as white shark diving and whale watching, although much of this activity is centred at Gansbaai, ± 20 km west of the site.

(i) Air quality

As with the previous sites, emissions data are not available at this stage and actual ground level concentrations of the various pollutants were not measured.

6.4.3 Socio-economic

(a) Population

In the 2001 census the population data for the Overberg District Municipality indicated just over 203,520 people and when compared with the 1996 data, indicated a 27.97 % population increase (Revised IDP, 2006/2007). Refer to Figure 51.

Figure 51: Population density (population per km2) for the Bantamsklip site and surrounding regions (Burger, 2007)

(b) Surrounding Land Use

Fishing and holiday towns are scattered along the southern coast in the vicinity of Bantamsklip (Figure 52). The surrounding main towns are Bredasdorp, Stanford and Hermanus. The Bantamsklip site is situated within a nature reserve. No developments fall within a five km PAZ radius from Bantamsklip. Pearly Beach is the only town that falls within a 16 km radius.

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Figure 52: Land use associated with the Bantamsklip site and surrounding regions (Burger, 2007)

(c) Economy

This site is situated on a coastal plain near Cape Agulhas in the southern region of the Overberg District Municipality. In the 2001 census the population was slightly more than 200,000 (Maasdorp, 2007b).

Figure 53 provides an indication of the sectoral composition of the economy associated with the Bantamsklip area.

Maasdorp (2007b) identified the following local Authorities as part of the economically impacted region: • Metropolitan Municipality - It is accepted that the Metropole will be a major supplier of goods and services during the construction phase and will therefore be a beneficiary of the process. If Bantamsklip is the site selected, it will also benefit from the electricity produced. • Overberg District Municipality - This area can benefit during the construction phase with the upgrading of road and other infrastructure, but the possibility exists that the tourism and related industries can suffer because of negative perceptions around nuclear power. The farming area covered by the

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following three local Authorities is included. • Cape Agulhas Local Municipality and Overstrand Local Municipality - This area can benefit during the construction phase with the upgrading of road and other infrastructure, but may suffer losses because of negative perceptions around nuclear power. • Theewaterskloof Local Municipality - Although this area is further away from Bantamsklip, it forms a link to Cape Town and is therefore included.

The following information was taken from Maasdorp (2007b). Traditionally, the area was dominated by cattle farming and indigenous flower harvesting, both wild and cultivated fields. Much of the output is exported to Europe, especially from the flower farms. There is a general belief / understanding that by helping the environment/biosphere they are able to fetch higher prices and are able to set themselves apart from other rivals.

Cattle farmers are struggling in the area, and it is commonly thought that most land, presently used for cattle farming will, in the coming two decades, be used for wine farming, eco tourism and conservation.

More recently, the area developed into the newest wine region of the Cape – The Agulhas wine region. In a half circle of about 25 km around the proposed site several wine estates have been established: Agulhas Wines, Zoetendal, Quoin Rock and the Oystercatcher, with potential for more to develop in the future. The area is considered good for wine with respect to soil types and climate, and is seen as a refuge from the traditional wine areas in the if temperatures keep rising in these areas. Generally, it is expected that the Agulhas Wine Region will be of major importance to the wine industry of the Western Cape.

An interesting feature is that roughly the area from Hermanus in a straight line down to Cape Agulhas, and then bordered by the sea in the south, is gradually becoming a conservation area. It has been suggested that, through public-private agreements, the whole area will eventually become a large open nature reserve. There will still be private farm owners, but their fences will be removed, allowing animals to move freely. There are long-term plans to build a fence along the perimeter, and then around any towns such as Gansbaai. This initiative is being driven by a project, which falls under SAN Parks.

The unspoilt Moravion Mission town of Elim (a heritage site) is especially expected to benefit on the basis of tourism as a result of the road being tarred.

Gansbaai and the surrounding areas operate a vibrant fishing industry. The fishing industry is currently producing between R 230-300 million per annum. This involves both natural fishing and aquaculture. There is significant fishing in: the pelagic industry (pilchards, sardines, etc.), trawling, line fishing and abalone (however, there is current uncertainty as to the future of abalone fishing following announcements by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism). There are various other smaller fishing activities.

It has been suggested that in the next 7-8 years, there is potential for the industry to grow to as much as R 750 million per annum, provided that critical infrastructure is in place. As discussed earlier, the main road between Gansbaai and Bredasdorp is being tarred. This, in conjunction with the commercialisation of the local air force base, is needed for the industry to expand this rapidly.

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The industry employs about 1,200 people. There are almost exclusively local small to medium-sized fishing companies running the industry.

Figure 53: Economic sectoral composition associated with the area surrounding the Bantamsklip site (Dippenaar, 2007)

(d) Human Health

In the NSIP Summary Report for the site (Eskom, 1993), it is mentioned that the population in the area is small, consisting of farming and rural communities as well as retirement communities. Population numbers, however, increase dramatically during the holiday season. A concern was raised that holiday populations in the area may transgress the guidelines for demographic restrictions required at the time by the then Council for Nuclear Safety. The report further mentions that a few professional and technical people working for Armscor and the Air Force live in the area, but it is uncertain whether there are any Armscor and the Air Force activities in the area.

The NSIP report indicates that the area obtains almost all of its water from very poor underground sources, and it appears that some surface water is present in the area. As a result of the Hagelkraal River, the Bantamsklip site has been identified as a national heritage site of major biotic importance (Eskom, 1993). However, the information currently available does not exclude the site from the list of possible sites on the basis of potential impacts on human health. Nevertheless, human health may be impacted by the establishment of a nuclear installation in the area through the surface water-radionuclide pathway as well as the food pathway as a result of agricultural activities (e.g. grazing of animals) or subsistence fishing in the area. Residents and tourists in the area may also be exposed through the air pathway. The potential for such impact will be investigated during the EIA phase of the project.

(e) Agriculture

According to Maasdorp (2007a), minimal agricultural activity is noticeable within the five km radius, with only one possible area under forestry cultivation observed at about 5.5 km east of the proposed site. Further to this, possible cropping areas were observable, possibly as part of the same farm at eight km east of the site and a different set of crop lands noticeable 10 km north of the site. A great deal of cropping land is noticeable just outside the 20 km radius zone of the site.

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(f) Noise

Surrounding sensitive noise receptors have not been identified to date.

(g) Visual and Aesthetic

The rocky shoreline is orientated east-west and the landform rises to a sandy vegetated terrace that rises from 16 m near the Coast Road R43 to 40 m at the road some two km inland. This narrow sandy coastal plain rises to a plateau height of approximately 195 m.

The Haelkraalrivier has incised this plateau and other drainage lines that discharge on the coast. Four prominent high points along the southern edge of the plateau remain Wolfhuiskop 274 m, Hagekraal 212 m, Carruthers Hill 196 m and Buffelsjagberg 311 m.

The steadily sloping landform to the coastline south of the road (R43) offers no visual screening of the proposed NPS. The high points on the plateau edge will look down onto the proposed NPS.

(h) Heritage and Cultural Resources

Situated on and close to the property (± five km inland) are a series of limestone hills and crags in which are several large overhangs and rockshelters exist. The area may be considered to have strong scenic values, a diversity of landscapes, powerful wilderness qualities and sense of remoteness. Previous studies undertaken by Avery (1974) in the Pearly Beach area mention the occurrence of numerous shell middens, fish traps as well as shipwrecks. In general, the entire south coast shoreline is considered as archaeologically sensitive. During the course of the site visit this year, it was noted that Late Stone Age shell middens formed a continuos ribbon along the entire shoreline pointing to high archaeological sensitivity. In addition, it was noted that the Hagelkraal farmhouse is an adapted historic structure of gradeable heritage significance. Stone walls were also identified close to the shoreline during the site visit.

There is a reliable anecdotal by David Halkett who mentions that a human skeleton was found in a trial excavation in one of the limestone caves in Hagelkraal. The excavation was not pursued and the remains were not exhumed. Lime stone caves similar to these at Byneskranskop were excavated by members of the Archaeology Department at the South African Museum and found to contain a rich sequence of LSA finds.

In summary it is reported that the Bantamsklip site is characterised by the following:

• Archaeologically sensitve in terms of pre-colonial archaeological heritage, but has not been assessed in any systematic fashion; • The colonial period heritage of the site, although evident has never been assessed and its significance is unknown; • The National Shipwreck Database (SAHRA) contains no records of shipwrecks at Bantamsklip (a recent wreck has been noted on the site) but mentions two wreckings in the Pearly Beach area; • The cultural landscape qualties of the site have not been assessed, however, it is a wilderness area with a diversity of landscapes and considered important in terms of the identity and character of the area; and

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• Palaeontology was not previously assessed but is in all likelihood present in any area of the site with deep sands and calcretous formations.

(i) Tourism

The following information was taken from Maasdorp (2007c).

Of the five proposed sites for the location of the NPS, Bantamsklip has the second highest number of accommodation providers (according to findings on the internet) compared with the other sites. There are well over 150 establishments in the area. This area includes Hermanus, Gansbaai and Stanford in the west; Elim, Napier and Bredasdorp in the north; and Cape Agulhas and to the east.

From Hermanus to Cape Agulhas there are significant tourism activities. Gansbaai is famous both for being the best land-based whale watching spot and a prime location for cage diving to see the Great White Shark. Most boat-operators launch from on Danger Point Peninsula, and cruise for whales and sharks in the waters off Pearly Beach (including Dyer Island and Geyser Rock, home to 60,000 Cape fur seals and a breeding colony of African penguins).

In line with the move to a conservation area and the increasing environmental awareness in the area, nature-based tourism is strongly gaining importance. There is a high density of nature reserves and fynbos estates amongst them: the five-star Klein Paradys country House near Pearly Beach, the five-star Grootbos private Nature Reserve near Gansbaai, and the four-star farm 215 fynbos reserve between Gansbaai and Elim. The is an important future development for tourism. Apart from being a safe haven for the last extent of lowland fynbos in the Western Cape, game including hippo, cape lion, berg quagga, rhino and hartebeest which roamed the Agulhas Plains in the past will be released again in the coming years.

In order to stimulate tourism development in the area, the Western Cape government has decided to tar the road between Gansbaai and Bredasdorp, connecting the Whalecoast to the southernmost tip, Cape Agulhas. The first phase of this project (Bredasdorp to Elim) will be completed in 2008, and the 2nd phase (Elim to Gansbaai) will be completed sometime between 2008 and 2010 (however, as a result of the 2010 Soccer World Cup funding requirements, it seems likely that phase 2 will be delayed). Since tourists have the tendency worldwide to hug the coast as far as possible, it is deemed a fact that (after completion of this road) most tourists will divert south past Hermanus, Gansbaai and Agulhas to connect to the Garden Route, clearly elevating this area to the level of a prime tourism destination.

The unspoilt Moravion Mission town of Elim (a heritage site) is especially expected to benefit on the basis of tourism as a result of the road being tarred.

The Western Cape Integrated Tourism Development Framework identifies this area as a key growth point for provincial tourism, with an anticipated linkage to the Garden Route via an upgraded coastal road to Agulhas. This region is considered as a high potential tourism destination given the close proximity of Cape Town and the high quality landscape and other natural assets (Overberg Integrated Development Plan and Western Cape Integrated Tourism Development Framework). There are strong indications that a nature-based economy is emerging with both private and public conservation areas developing.

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(j) Accessibility

The closest commercial harbour and airport to Bantamsklip is in Cape Town. The runs in an east-west direction approximately 60 km north of Bantamsklip and links to the via Cape Town. Vaalputs is located off the N7 in the Northern . The N2 can be accessed from Bantamsklip via several routes along the R43, and the . The R43 is a surfaced road, which runs adjacent to the Bantamsklip site and provides direct access to the site. The site can currently be traversed via off road tracks.

6.5 Thyspunt Site

6.5.1 Physical

(a) Location

The Thyspunt site is located on the Couga Coast of the Eastern Cape Province, approximately 80 km west of Port Elizabeth (Figure 54). The site has the following co-ordinates: 34 ْ 11’22.51’’S and 24 ْ 2’54.63’’E. Humansdorp is located 15 km north and Oyster Bay is located seven km west of Thyspunt.

Figure 54: Location of the proposed Thyspunt site in relation to the surrounding areas (Bulman, 2007) (b) Topography

The site slopes steeply from its inland reaches down to the coast (Figure 55). The site is bisected by the R43 creating coastal and inland portions. The larger coastal portion of the site undulates as a result of dune systems, some stable and vegetated and others completely unvegetated, that run parallel to the coast. In the western

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