Draft Basic Assessment Report

IMPROVEMENT OF NATIONAL ROUTE SECTION 3 FROM KM 0 AT CALEDON, ENDING AT KM 48.67 AT .

DEA Reference: 14/12/16/3/3/1/1630

Prepared for:

Prepared by:

EOH Coastal & Environmental Services

Block D, Gillooly’s View Office Park (EOH Business Park), 1 Osborne Lane, Bedfordview, Johannesburg, 2007.

Also in Grahamstown, East London, Port Elizabeth and Maputo (Mozambique) www.cesnet.co.za | www.eoh.co.za

September 2016

BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

(For official use only) File Reference Number: Application Number: Date Received:

Basic assessment report in terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014, promulgated in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998), as amended.

Kindly note that:

1. This basic assessment report is a standard report that may be required by a competent authority in terms of the EIA Regulations, 2014 and is meant to streamline applications. Please make sure that it is the report used by the particular competent authority for the activity that is being applied for. 2. This report format is current as of 08 December 2014. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ascertain whether subsequent versions of the form have been published or produced by the competent authority 3. The report must be typed within the spaces provided in the form. The size of the spaces provided is not necessarily indicative of the amount of information to be provided. The report is in the form of a table that can extend itself as each space is filled with typing. 4. Where applicable tick the boxes that are applicable in the report. 5. An incomplete report may be returned to the applicant for revision. 6. The use of “not applicable” in the report must be done with circumspection because if it is used in respect of material information that is required by the competent authority for assessing the application, it may result in the rejection of the application as provided for in the regulations. 7. This report must be handed in at offices of the relevant competent authority as determined by each authority. 8. No faxed or e-mailed reports will be accepted. 9. The signature of the EAP on the report must be an original signature. 10. The report must be compiled by an independent environmental assessment practitioner. 11. Unless protected by law, all information in the report will become public information on receipt by the competent authority. Any interested and affected party should be provided with the information contained in this report on request, during any stage of the application process. 12. A competent authority may require that for specified types of activities in defined situations only parts of this report need to be completed. 13. Should a specialist report or report on a specialised process be submitted at any stage for any part of this application, the terms of reference for such report must also be submitted.

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14. Two (2) colour hard copies and one (1) electronic copy of the report must be submitted to the competent authority. 15. Shape files (.shp) for maps must be included in the electronic copy of the report submitted to the competent authority.

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SECTION A: ACTIVITY INFORMATION

Has a specialist been consulted to assist with the completion of this section? YES NO If YES, please complete the form entitled “Details of specialist and declaration of interest” for the specialist appointed and attach in Appendix I.

1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION a) Describe the project associated with the listed activities applied for

The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) proposes the upgrading of National Road 2 (N2), Section 3, which is 48.79km long and located between Caledon and Riviersonderend, within the Theewaterskloof Local Municipality of the . The proposed development will entail the lengthening and/or widening of 21 existing climbing lanes, the addition of 10 new climbing lanes, the upgrading of 34 intersections/access ways, replacement of 46 earth and concrete drains, the lengthening of 88 culverts, the widening of two bridges and the upgrading of associated signage. Widening of the existing surfacing to provide wider shoulders is proposed for the entire length of the road and it is generally planned that this work will occur on the side of the road that has the most available existing road reserve. Roadwork activities will include the widening of cuttings and fills, construction of granular pavement layers with aggregates obtained from commercial sources, the construction of a gravel wearing course, resealing of the existing surface, the painting of road markings, the erection of road signs, and the installation of rumble strips and road studs.

The project is mainly located in a rural area consisting of farms with predominantly agricultural land use. However, certain sections of the project are located within residential areas and public structures:

 Caledon (km 0): Town consisting of commercial and industrial developments, residential area , and High school ( High school);  Caledon Hospital (km 0.73);  Caledon Casino (km 0.73);  Residential area (km 0 to km 0.73);  Residential area with Primary school (The Glebe primary school) (km 2.73 to km 3.09);  Small cluster of residential houses (km 47.3);  Riviersonderend (km 48.67): Town consisting of commercial developments and residential housing.

An anticipated construction period of 30 months is anticipated. The footprint of the site is currently unknown, but a maximum of 280 workers estimated to be working during the daytime at any given time. The main items of the work to be undertaken in terms of construction include the following:

General

 The establishment Contractor’s campsite, including facilities for the Engineer’s personnel on site;  Setting out and provision of survey.

Roadworks

 The accommodation of two way traffic (through possible use of stop and go’s, etc.);  The crushing, screening and stockpiling of material from cuttings at road widenings;  The clearing of vegetation (182 200 m2 area);  The construction of fills and cuts;  The construction of granular pavement layers from material obtained from commercial sources;  The construction of gravel wearing course;  Resealing the existing surface;  The painting of road markings;

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 Installation of route marker boards and road signs to indicate climbing lanes;  Implementation of rumble strips to enhance the safety at intersections;  Erection of guardrails at bridge approaches and high fills and possibly at new passing lanes;  Installation of road studs on new surfacing;  Finishing off of the road reserve.

Drainage and culverts

 The removal and replacement of earth side drains at climbing lane locations (27 earth drains);  Cleaning sub-surface drains and culverts;  The lengthening of 14 major and 74 minor culverts due to road widenings;  Removal and replacement of concrete drains affected by widenings for the proposed climbing lanes (17 drains);  The widening of two bridges.

The project objectives are thus understood as being to improve the safety of the road by providing wider surfaced shoulders, improve capacity and safety by upgrading existing climbing lanes and providing additional, address existing road safety hazards, improve intersection safety and capacity, and rationalize access arrangements where potential exists.

LOCATION:

The project is located on the National Route (N2), specifically Section 3, which is the stretch of road between the towns of Caledon and Riviersonderend, in the Western Cape. The ‘start’ of the road section is the intersection of the R316 and the N2 in Caledon, and terminates at the intersection of the municipal boundary and the N2 in Riviersonderend. Various parts of the road will be upgraded, with proposed climbing lanes intended in both directions (heading eastward and heading westward). Additionally, certain intersections are proposed to be upgraded along the entire length of the road. Regardless of the specific works conducted, the entire Section 3 (i.e. the entire road between Caledon and Riviersonderend) will be resurfaced (receive a new seal). As such, the whole section is regarded as the construction region. Figure 1.1 below shows the intersections to be upgraded, the westward and eastward direction climbing lanes, as well as the two rivers crossing the Road. Figure 1.2 indicates road network in the general area.

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Figure 1.1: Location of the project within the Theewaterskloof Local Municipality.

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Figure 1.2: Locality Map with road network shown.

In addition to the EIA process, water use licence applications (WULAs) will be submitted in accordance with the National Water Act (Act No. 36 of 1998), regulated by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) for new major drainage structures.

CLIMATE

The climate within the region increases in aridity towards the east (towards Riviersonderend), with the mean annual rainfall ranging from 508.0mm/pa in Caledon, to 365.0mm/pa in Riviersonderend (CapeFarmMapper 2015). The lowest mean monthly rainfall is 8mm during December/January, while the highest mean monthly rainfall is 76mm/month over August. Rainfall is thus highest during the late winter months in this region.

The mean annual temperature for the project region is 16.8°C, with the hottest month being February with a maximum mean temperature of 28.4°C. The coldest month of the year is July with a mean minimum temperature of 6.6°C (CapeFarmMapper 2015).

GEOLOGY AND SOILS

The project region primarily consists of Shale of the Bokkeveld Group, as well as Tertiary silcrete. Soils are generally of the Glenrosa and/or Mispah forms (other soils may occur), lime rare or absent in upland soils but generally present in low-lying soils, with land form code of Fb109 (CapeFarmMapper 2015).

In the immediate vicinity of Riviersonderend, Alluvium on shale and sandstone of the Bokkeveld Group dominates, while the soil is predominantly Prismacutanic and/or pedocutanic diagnostic horizons dominant, B horizons - mainly not red, with land form code of Db10 (CapeFarmMapper 2015).

TOPOGRAPHY

The topography of the project region ranges from 180m above sea-level to 1500m above sea-level, as indicated in Figure 1.3 below. Generally, however, the topography of the area that the N2 crosses is fairly mild and undulating, ranging between roughly 583m above sea-level and 200m above sea-level.

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Figure 1.3: Topography map of the of project region.

VEGETATION

According to SANBI (Mucina and Rutherford, 2006) the vegetation types found in the area include Western Rûens Shale Renosterveld, Shale Fynbos, Overberg Sandstone Fynbos and Central Rûens Shale Renosterveld (Figure 1.4), all of the Fynbos biome. Their respective conservation classification is shown in Table 1.1 below.

Table 1.1: Mucina & Rutherford (2006) conservation classification for the project region vegetation types. Project Area vegetation type Mucina & Rutherford (2006) conservation status Western Rûens Shale Renosterveld Critically endangered Greyton Shale Fynbos Vulnerable Overberg Sandstone Fynbos Least Threatened Central Rûens Shale Renosterveld Critically endangered

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Figure 1.4: Mucina and Rutherford (2006) map of the study area.

The different vegetation types are summarised below:

Overberg Sandstone Fynbos:

Distribution: This type of vegetation can be found within the Western Cape Province, from the Northwest region up to the Southeast part of the county. More specifically, it extends from Bot River and located in the Northwest, until Soetanysberg and in the Southeast, displaying a very irregular pattern. The areas of Caledon Swartberg, Babilonstoring, Kleinrivier, Bredasdorp Mountains, as well as the Agulhas Hills (located in the Southeast) also provide perfect habitat for this species to thrive.

Vegetation and Landscape Features: The surrounding landscape comprises of low mountains, as well as hills that demonstrate undulating features and the plains reveal their irregular form, which support the local shrublands that consist of dense restioid, ericoid-leaves and are classified as moderately tall. Moreover, in terms of their structure, these are considered to be mainly proteoid and ericaceos fynbos, however restioid fynbos occurs locally.

Geology and Soils: The Table Mountain Group, which belongs to the “Cape Supergroup”, leads to the formation of acidic lithosol soils that derive from the Ordovician Sandstones. The Houwhoek, Glenrosa and Mispah forms are predominant, and the land types include lb and Gb.

Conservation: This type of fynbos refers to the least threatened, with a respective target of 30%. Moreover, the Agulhas National Park, Babilonstoring, Fernkloof, Heuningberg, Maanschynkop, Salmonsdam and Caledon Nature Reserves only conserve 6% of this type of vegetation. However, there are private conservation areas, which contribute to the conservation of this specie, and these are namely the Vogelgat, Brandfontein, Rietfontein and Waterfall. In addition, part has been transformed due to

9 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT cultivation, representing a figure of 6%. With regard to erosion, it is low to very low, and some species such as Alien Pinus pinaster, Acacia cyclops, A. salinga, Hakea sericea, H gibbosa and Leptospermum laevigatum occur occasionally.

Greyton Shale Fynbos:

Distribution This type of vegetation can be found within the Western Cape Province at higher-altitude shales in the South of Riviersonderend and Caledon Sawartberg Mountains, which stretch from Theewaterkloof Dam to . Additionally, the Greyton Shale Fynbos also prospers, in the North of the Caledon region, specifically in the hills of Bergfontein and Spitskop.

Vegetation and Landscape Features The predominant vegetation species are considered to be the proteioid and asteraceous fynbos, as well as a smaller percentage of graminoid fynbos. In addition, the vegetation found in the regions mentioned above is classified as moderately tall and dense shrubland.

Geology and Soils The Bokkeveld Group shales, often in association with Ordovician sandstones provinient from the Table Mountain Group, also known as the Cape Supergroup, give rise to acidic, moist clay-loam and colluvium with various Mispah and Glenrosa forms. Furthermore, the land types are primarily Fa, Fb and Db.

Conservation The conservation status of this vegetation species is considered too vulnerable, with a target of 30%. Merely 1% and 6% are conserved in the Riviersonderend Nature Reserve and private conservation area of the same name, respectively. Moreover, a significant part has been transformed due to cultivation, more specifically 30%, and this is affects primarily the lower-lying areas. In terms of erosion, it is very low and moderate and the woody aliens comprise of Hakea sericea, Acacia Cyclops and various pinus species.

Western Rûens Shale Renosterveld: Distribution This type of vegetation can be found within the Western Cape Province from Bot River and east of , located in the western parts of Overberg, and surrounding the Caledon Swartberg. Also, it can be found approximately between Napier and , at an altitude of 60-450m.

Vegetation and Landscape The surrounding landscape comprises of moderately undulating plains, which consist of stripped naturally occurring vegetation. In regions where this species is conserved, it supports a cupressoid and small-leaved, low to moderately tall shrubland, which is dominated by renosterbos that can be considered to be open to medium dense vegetation. Moreover, the Heuweltjies are not conspicuous. It differs from other Rûens renosterveld types due to the absence of Hermannia flammea and rare occurrence of Aloe ferox and Acacia karroo complex. Also, subsequent erosion occurs as a result of an increase of shrubby Asteraceae as the grazing decreases the palatable grass component, which is mostly Hyparrhenia hirta.

Geology and Soils The Bokkeveld Group shales, belonging to the Ceres Subgroup, tend to give rise to clays and loams. The forms mostly predominant are the Mispah and Glenrosa and the land types are essentially Fb and Fa.

Conservation This species is considered critically endangered, with a respective target of 27%. In addition, no part of the area is conserved statutorily and only 1% of this vegetation type is conserved in the Witdraai Private Nature Reserve. Furthermore, a large portion of this vegetation has been transformed due to cultivation, more specifically 86% (thus the target in unattainable). In terms of erosion, it is considered to be low and very low, also only the steepest slopes are capable to carry remnant of the natural vegetation.

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Central Rûens Shale Renosterveld:

Distribution This type of vegetation can be found within the Western Cape Province from Greyton to Stormsvlei and Bromberg located in the central area of Overberg (Rûens Region), to Bredasdorp, Napier and centred on Klipdale and Protem. Moreover, it can also be spotted on the coastal flats of Bredasdorp, located in the southeast region, towards Arniston, and disjointed outliers are found between Soetendalsvlei and Waskraalsvlei, located in the southern portion of the Agulhas Plain, with an altitude of 20-340m.

Vegetation and Landscape Features The surrounding landscape comprises of moderately undulating plains, as well as pans. The vegetation is considered to be low to moderately tall shrubland, with open to medium dense cupressoid with small leaves, usually dominated by renosterbos. Additionally, this species differs from the Eastern Rûens Shale Renosterveld due to the absence of Aloe ferox. Also, subsequent erosion occurs as a result of an increase of shrubby Asteraceae as the grazing decreases the palatable grass component, which is mostly Hyparrhenia hirta. The Heuweltjies are not conspicuous except in the south of Bredasdorp, where this type is restricted and replaced by FFf 1 Elim Ferricrete Fynbos in wetter areas.

Geology and Soils The Bokkeveld Group shales gives origin to clays and loams, with dominant Glenrosa and Mispah forms and land type being mainly the Fb.

Conservation This species is considered critically endangered, with a respective target of 27% that cannot be attained since most of the area already has been transformed to cultivated land, with a respective figure of 87%. Only very small fractions are conserved in the Agulhas National Park. In terms of erosion, it is classified as low to very low and remnants are mainly found on the sides of steeper slopes. Additionally, there is a noticeable absence of alien woody plants.

Summary The largest portions of the project fall under the Western Rûens Shale Renosterveld and Central Rûens Shale Renosterveld respectively, as these two represents the less steep portions and the only two vegetation types after Swartberg encountered immediately outside Caledon. In contract, the least vulnerable of the project vegetation types are the least represented, comprising the vegetation the Swartberg Caledon, which has very limited exposure to the N2 due to the greater elevation. It is important to note that while the vegetation types within this region is Renosterveld and Fynbos, the actual state of the vegetation within the road reserve is highly degraded, due to mowing and clearing of vegetation for the road shoulders. As such, while the overall region sensitivity might be elevated, the project specific vegetation communities are likely to be very low in conservation potential.

HYDROLOGY

Figure 1.5 indicates the location of the rivers and wetlands within the project area. No dams were found within the region, thus their exclusion. The main river in the region is the Riviersonderend River, which is a tributary of the (the largest river within the catchment, after which the catchment is named).

The project area thus encompasses various wetlands and river crossings, most notably that of the ‘Droogas’ and ‘Maandagsout’ tributaries to the Riviersonderend.

DWAF (2005) indicates a minimum buffer distance of 20m to be placed around temporary boundaries of wetlands, within which no development may occur. GDARD requirements state a 30m buffer distance is sufficient (GDARD 2014). EIA regulations trigger certain activities within 32m of watercourses, and as such have been added to the Figure 1.5 below.

An additional consideration is the general water use licence requirements of the Department of Water Affairs, regarding wetland regions. Should a wetland exist, all developments within a 500m radius of this wetland should proceed with a water use licence process, if water uses 21c and 21i are applicable. Furthermore, should any additional water use be required for that particular property, no general authorisations would apply. In the context of this development, water use licence applications will be required, as numerous wetlands are located within close proximity (certainly closer than 500m)

11 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT of various proposed works for the road upgrade (Figure 1.5).

Figure 1.5. Rivers and wetland within the study area.

LAND USE

The primary land use within the project region (Figure 1.6) is thus that of agriculture, mainly of commercial orchards, vines and fields, with some subsistence farming. The only two major urban centres are that of Caledon and Riviersonderend, which are regions of high density. Throughout the majority of the works, however, low-density agricultural settlements are scatted fairly uniformly. The likelihood of the agricultural sector growing in this region is also quite high, as there is sufficient potential, with as much as R 2, 5 million investment planned through the district municipality (Overberg IDP 2012/16).

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Figure 1.6: Land use of the study area.

The Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (2010) integrates key biodiversity information relevant to land-use. The Overberg Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA) and Ecological Support Area (ESA) shape file layer of 2014 was used to determine the location of critical biodiversity areas within the project area (Figure 1.7). Descriptions of the desired management objectives are presented in Table 1.2.

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Table 1.2: CBA Map Categories

Source: Holness & Bradshaw (2010: 23)

From the CBA and ESA spatial tools and data available, it is clear that the project area falls within both ESA and CBA regions. In terms of the CBA, the management objective is “Maintain natural land. Rehabilitate degraded to natural or near natural and manage for no further degradation.” CBA regions coincide with the occurrence of rivers and wetlands, and as such would require to be managed through the water use licencing application process.

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Figure 1.7: CBA, ESA and Protected Areas within the study area.

b) Provide a detailed description of the listed activities associated with the project as applied for

Listed activity as described in GN 734, 735 and 736 Description of project activity Example:

GN 734 Item xx xx): The construction of a bridge where such A bridge measuring 5 m in height construction occurs within a watercourse or within 32 metres of a and 10m in length, no wider than 8 watercourse, measured from the edge of a watercourse, meters will be built over the excluding where such construction will occur behind the Orange river development setback line. GNR 983 Item 24: The development of— (i) a road for which an environmental authorization was obtained for the route determination in terms of activity 5 in the Government Notice 387 of 2006 or activity 18 in Government Notice 545 of Where climbing lanes are placed on 2010; or both sides of the road (at corresponding (ii) a road with reserve wider than 13,5 metres, or where no reserve locations), the entire road reserve will exists where the road is wider than 8 metres; exceed threshold provided. but excluding— (a) roads which are identified and included in the activity 27 in Listing Notice 2 of 2014; or

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(b) roads where the entire road falls within urban area. GNR 983 Item 27: The widening of a road by more than 6 metres, or the lengthening of a road by more than 1 kilometre— Addition of 2 climbing lanes at certain corresponding locations will increase the (i) where the existing reserve is wider than 13.5 metres; or road width by more than 6 meters. (ii) Where no reserve exists, where the existing road is wider than 8 metres; excluding where widening or lengthening occur inside urban areas. GNR 985 Item 4, No (f): The development of a road wider than 4 meters with a reserve less than 13,5 meters

(f) In Western Cape: i. Areas outside urban areas; The proposed development includes the construction of roads wider than 4m (aa) Areas containing indigenous vegetation; collectively (due to certain sections

(bb) Areas on the estuary side of the development setback line or in an containing two corresponding climbing estuarine functional zone where no such setback line has been determined; lanes). Construction will occur within the or road verge, which is regarded as indigenous vegetation. ii. In urban areas:

(cc) Areas zoned for conservation use; or

(dd) Areas designated for conservation use in Spatial Development Frameworks adopted by the competent authority. GNR 985 Item 12, No (a): 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 Construction will occur within critical terms of section 52 of the NEMBA or prior to the publication of such list, biodiversity areas, as numerous within an area that has been identified as critically endangered in the wetlands are located adjacent to the National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment 2004; road where certain sections will be ii. Within critical biodiversity areas identified in bioregional plans; upgraded. iii. 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 iv. 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. GNR 985 Item 18, No (f): The widening of a road by more than 4 metres; or the lengthening of a road The proposed development includes the by more than 1 kilometre. widening of roads by more than 4m (due (f) In Western Cape: to certain sections being upgraded to i. All areas outside urban areas: contain two climbing lanes). Construction will occur within the road (aa) Areas containing indigenous vegetation; verge, which is regarded as indigenous (bb) Areas on the estuary side of the development setback line or in an vegetation. estuarine functional zone where no such setback line has been determined;

16 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT or ii. In urban areas:

(aa) Areas zoned for conservation use; or

(bb) Areas designated for conservation use in Spatial Development Frameworks adopted by the competent authority.

2. FEASIBLE AND REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES

“alternatives”, in relation to a proposed activity, means different means of meeting the general purpose and requirements of the activity, which may include alternatives to—

(a) the property on which or location where it is proposed to undertake the activity; (b) the type of activity to be undertaken; (c) the design or layout of the activity; (d) the technology to be used in the activity; (e) the operational aspects of the activity; and (f) the option of not implementing the activity.

Describe alternatives that are considered in this application as required by Appendix 1 (3)(h), Regulation 2014. Alternatives should include a consideration of all possible means by which the purpose and need of the proposed activity (NOT PROJECT) could be accomplished in the specific instance taking account of the interest of the applicant in the activity. The no-go alternative must in all cases be included in the assessment phase as the baseline against which the impacts of the other alternatives are assessed.

The determination of whether site or activity (including different processes, etc.) or both is appropriate needs to be informed by the specific circumstances of the activity and its environment. After receipt of this report the, competent authority may also request the applicant to assess additional alternatives that could possibly accomplish the purpose and need of the proposed activity if it is clear that realistic alternatives have not been considered to a reasonable extent.

The identification of alternatives should be in line with the Integrated Environmental Assessment Guideline Series 11, published by the DEA in 2004. Should the alternatives include different locations and lay-outs, the co-ordinates of the different alternatives must be provided. The co-ordinates should be in degrees, minutes and seconds. The projection that must be used in all cases is the WGS84 spheroid in a national or local projection. a) Site alternatives

No site alternatives have been assessed as the upgrade takes place on an existing road. Road alignment deviations will only increase the environmental and project cost associated with the upgrade, and would thus be a less ideal solution, and were thus not considered. No road alignment deviations will occur.

Alternative 1 (preferred alternative) Description Lat (DDMMSS) Long (DDMMSS) Existing site is used, no alternative site required 34º11'02.99''S 19º43'03.96''E Alternative 2 Description Lat (DDMMSS) Long (DDMMSS)

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Alternative 3 Description Lat (DDMMSS) Long (DDMMSS)

In the case of linear activities:

Alternative: Latitude (S): Longitude (E): Alternative S1 (preferred)  Starting point of the activity 34º13'38.47''S 19º25'44.06''E  Middle/Additional point of the activity 34º11'02.99''S 19º43'03.96''E  End point of the activity 34º08'59.94''S 19º54'40.74''E Alternative S2 (if any)  Starting point of the activity Not applicable Not applicable  Middle/Additional point of the activity Not applicable Not applicable  End point of the activity Not applicable Not applicable Alternative S3 (if any)  Starting point of the activity Not applicable Not applicable  Middle/Additional point of the activity Not applicable Not applicable  End point of the activity Not applicable Not applicable

For route alternatives that are longer than 500m, please provide an addendum with co-ordinates taken every 250 meters along the route for each alternative alignment. No route deviations are proposed, as the upgrade activities can only occur on an existing road. Please see table 2.1 for coordinates every 250m.

Table 2.1. Decimal Degree Coordinates of the proposed road upgrade, starting from the intersection of the R316 and the N2 in Caledon (project start), heading towards the intersection of the N2 and the Riviersonderend municipal boundary (project end).

Point every 250m Longitude Latitude 0 19.42899 -34.2274 250 19.43167 -34.2271 500 19.43422 -34.2264 750 19.43571 -34.2246 1000 19.43759 -34.223 1250 19.44026 -34.2227 1500 19.44295 -34.2224 1750 19.44564 -34.2221 2000 19.44828 -34.2226 2250 19.45088 -34.2233 2500 19.45347 -34.224 2750 19.45616 -34.2242 3000 19.45887 -34.2242 3250 19.46159 -34.2243

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Point every 250m Longitude Latitude 3500 19.4643 -34.2243 3750 19.46701 -34.2243 4000 19.46973 -34.2244 4250 19.47242 -34.2246 4500 19.47494 -34.2254 4750 19.4774 -34.2264 5000 19.47984 -34.2274 5250 19.48229 -34.2283 5500 19.48474 -34.2293 5750 19.48737 -34.2298 6000 19.49005 -34.2296 6250 19.49248 -34.2286 6500 19.49467 -34.2272 6750 19.49721 -34.2266 7000 19.49982 -34.2271 7250 19.50176 -34.2286 7500 19.50365 -34.2302 7750 19.50627 -34.2305 8000 19.50868 -34.2295 8250 19.51105 -34.2283 8500 19.51315 -34.2269 8750 19.51454 -34.225 9000 19.51657 -34.2236 9250 19.51919 -34.2238 9500 19.52116 -34.2254 9750 19.52344 -34.2265 10000 19.52612 -34.2265 10250 19.5286 -34.2256 10500 19.53108 -34.2247 10750 19.53365 -34.224 11000 19.53632 -34.2243 11250 19.53896 -34.2248 11500 19.54161 -34.2253 11750 19.54432 -34.2253 12000 19.54693 -34.2247 12250 19.54931 -34.2237 12500 19.55159 -34.2224 12750 19.55367 -34.221 13000 19.55453 -34.2189 13250 19.55595 -34.217 13500 19.55785 -34.2154 13750 19.5603 -34.2147

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Point every 250m Longitude Latitude 14000 19.56297 -34.215 14250 19.56537 -34.214 14500 19.56749 -34.2127 14750 19.56931 -34.211 15000 19.57101 -34.2093 15250 19.57302 -34.2078 15500 19.57524 -34.2066 15750 19.57792 -34.2067 16000 19.58059 -34.2071 16250 19.58327 -34.2074 16500 19.58594 -34.2072 16750 19.58828 -34.2061 17000 19.59048 -34.2048 17250 19.59303 -34.204 17500 19.5957 -34.2043 17750 19.59835 -34.2047 18000 19.60101 -34.2044 18250 19.60329 -34.2032 18500 19.60528 -34.2016 18750 19.60762 -34.2005 19000 19.61029 -34.2006 19250 19.61282 -34.2014 19500 19.61548 -34.2017 19750 19.61812 -34.2013 20000 19.62065 -34.2005 20250 19.62318 -34.1996 20500 19.62579 -34.1991 20750 19.62848 -34.1988 21000 19.63118 -34.1986 21250 19.63388 -34.1984 21500 19.63658 -34.1981 21750 19.63928 -34.1979 22000 19.64191 -34.1974 22250 19.64414 -34.1962 22500 19.64602 -34.1945 22750 19.6479 -34.1929 23000 19.64991 -34.1914 23250 19.6522 -34.1902 23500 19.65449 -34.189 23750 19.65678 -34.1878 24000 19.65907 -34.1866 24250 19.66136 -34.1854

20 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Point every 250m Longitude Latitude 24500 19.66366 -34.1842 24750 19.66596 -34.183 25000 19.66841 -34.182 25250 19.6711 -34.1819 25500 19.6737 -34.1825 25750 19.67627 -34.1833 26000 19.67886 -34.1839 26250 19.68147 -34.1845 26500 19.68414 -34.1842 26750 19.68662 -34.1833 27000 19.68915 -34.1825 27250 19.69182 -34.1826 27500 19.69433 -34.1835 27750 19.69685 -34.1843 28000 19.69937 -34.1852 28250 19.70199 -34.1857 28500 19.7047 -34.1857 28750 19.70739 -34.1854 29000 19.71007 -34.1851 29250 19.71276 -34.1848 29500 19.71545 -34.1844 29750 19.71814 -34.1841 30000 19.72082 -34.1838 30250 19.72351 -34.1835 30500 19.7262 -34.1832 30750 19.72889 -34.1829 31000 19.73157 -34.1826 31250 19.73426 -34.1823 31500 19.73695 -34.182 31750 19.73964 -34.1817 32000 19.74232 -34.1814 32250 19.74501 -34.1811 32500 19.74742 -34.1801 32750 19.74956 -34.1787 33000 19.7517 -34.1773 33250 19.75385 -34.1759 33500 19.75599 -34.1746 33750 19.75813 -34.1732 34000 19.76042 -34.172 34250 19.76309 -34.1718 34500 19.76569 -34.1724 34750 19.76835 -34.1728

21 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Point every 250m Longitude Latitude 35000 19.77064 -34.174 35250 19.77297 -34.1751 35500 19.77561 -34.1756 35750 19.7783 -34.1754 36000 19.78087 -34.1747 36250 19.78343 -34.174 36500 19.78598 -34.1732 36750 19.78854 -34.1725 37000 19.79109 -34.1717 37250 19.79364 -34.1709 37500 19.79619 -34.1702 37750 19.79877 -34.1695 38000 19.80143 -34.169 38250 19.80409 -34.1686 38500 19.80675 -34.1681 38750 19.80941 -34.1677 39000 19.81207 -34.1673 39250 19.81472 -34.1668 39500 19.81738 -34.1664 39750 19.82004 -34.1659 40000 19.8227 -34.1655 40250 19.82536 -34.165 40500 19.82802 -34.1646 40750 19.83068 -34.1641 41000 19.83334 -34.1637 41250 19.836 -34.1633 41500 19.83865 -34.1628 41750 19.84131 -34.1624 42000 19.84397 -34.1619 42250 19.84663 -34.1615 42500 19.84929 -34.161 42750 19.85195 -34.1606 43000 19.85461 -34.1602 43250 19.85727 -34.1597 43500 19.85993 -34.1593 43750 19.86258 -34.1588 44000 19.86524 -34.1584 44250 19.8679 -34.1579 44500 19.87056 -34.1575 44750 19.87322 -34.157 45000 19.87588 -34.1566 45250 19.87853 -34.1561

22 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Point every 250m Longitude Latitude 45500 19.88119 -34.1557 45750 19.88385 -34.1553 46000 19.88651 -34.1548 46250 19.88917 -34.1544 46500 19.89183 -34.1539 46750 19.89449 -34.1535 47000 19.89714 -34.153 47250 19.8998 -34.1526 47500 19.90246 -34.1522 47750 19.90494 -34.1513 48000 19.90715 -34.15 48250 19.90977 -34.1498 48500 19.91245 -34.1502 48615.614 19.91369 -34.1503

In the case of an area being under application, please provide the co-ordinates of the corners of the site as indicated on the lay-out map provided in Appendix A of this form. Not applicable – linear activity. See coordinates above. b) Lay-out alternatives

No layout alternatives have been assessed as the upgrade takes place on an existing road.

Alternative 1 (preferred alternative) Description Lat (DDMMSS) Long (DDMMSS) Existing layout and road alignment is utilised, no layout or 34º11'02.99''S 19º43'03.96''E routing alternatives are deemed feasible. Alternative 2 Description Lat (DDMMSS) Long (DDMMSS)

Alternative 3 Description Lat (DDMMSS) Long (DDMMSS)

c) Technology alternatives No technology alternatives have been assessed as the upgrade takes place on an existing road.

Alternative 1 (preferred alternative) No technology alternatives have been assessed as the upgrade takes place on an existing road using acceptable standard road construction technologies. Alternative 2

Alternative 3

23 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT d) Other alternatives (e.g. scheduling, demand, input, scale and design alternatives)

Alternative 1 (preferred alternative) None Alternative 2

Alternative 3

e) No-go alternative

The no-go alternative refers to the cessation of the project. This would mean the benefits of the project will not materialise (i.e. no job creation, no improved safety), while the negative impacts (biodiversity impacts) will also not materialise. The expectation of increased future traffic along that route, in addition to the benefits obtained through the project, has been evaluated as greater in importance than the expected biodiversity impacts (after mitigation). The no-go alternative is thus not considered the preferred alternative in terms of this development.

Paragraphs 3 – 13 below should be completed for each alternative.

3. PHYSICAL SIZE OF THE ACTIVITY a) Indicate the physical size of the preferred activity/technology as well as alternative activities/technologies (footprints):

Alternative: Size of the activity: Alternative A11 (preferred activity alternative) m2 Alternative A2 (if any) m2 Alternative A3 (if any) m2 or, for linear activities:

Alternative: Length of the activity: Alternative A1 (preferred activity alternative) 48 615.61 m Alternative A2 (if any) 0m Alternative A3 (if any) 0m b) Indicate the size of the alternative sites or servitudes (within which the above footprints will occur):

Alternative: Size of the site/servitude: Alternative A1 (preferred activity alternative) m2 Alternative A2 (if any) m2 Alternative A3 (if any) m2

1 “Alternative A..” refer to activity, process, technology or other alternatives.

24 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

4. SITE ACCESS

Does ready access to the site exist? YES NO If NO, what is the distance over which a new access road will be built 0m

Describe the type of access road planned:

N/A. No access roads are required, as the road is accessible directly. Existing side roads will be used for construction vehicles where the N2 itself will not suffice for access.

Include the position of the access road on the site plan and required map, as well as an indication of the road in relation to the site. Please see Appendix A for a map indicating the access roads to the site.

5. LOCALITY MAP

An A3 locality map must be attached to the back of this document, as Appendix A. The scale of the locality map must be relevant to the size of the development (at least 1:50 000. For linear activities of more than 25 kilometres, a smaller scale e.g. 1:250 000 can be used. The scale must be indicated on the map.). The map must indicate the following:

 an accurate indication of the project site position as well as the positions of the alternative sites, if any;  indication of all the alternatives identified;  closest town(s;)  road access from all major roads in the area;  road names or numbers of all major roads as well as the roads that provide access to the site(s);  all roads within a 1km radius of the site or alternative sites; and  a north arrow;  a legend; and  locality GPS co-ordinates (Indicate the position of the activity using the latitude and longitude of the centre point of the site for each alternative site. The co-ordinates should be in degrees and decimal minutes. The minutes should have at least three decimals to ensure adequate accuracy. The projection that must be used in all cases is the WGS84 spheroid in a national or local projection).

Please see Appendix A for the locality map.

6. LAYOUT/ROUTE PLAN

A detailed site or route plan(s) must be prepared for each alternative site or alternative activity. It must be attached as Appendix A to this document.

The site or route plans must indicate the following:

 the property boundaries and numbers of all the properties within 50 metres of the site;  the current land use as well as the land use zoning of the site;  the current land use as well as the land use zoning each of the properties adjoining the site or sites;

25 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

 the exact position of each listed activity applied for (including alternatives);  servitude(s) indicating the purpose of the servitude;  a legend; and  a north arrow.

Please see Appendix A for the layout map indicating properties within the 50m buffer.

7. SENSITIVITY MAP

The layout/route plan as indicated above must be overlain with a sensitivity map that indicates all the sensitive areas associated with the site, including, but not limited to:

 watercourses;  the 1:100 year flood line (where available or where it is required by DWS);  ridges;  cultural and historical features;  areas with indigenous vegetation (even if it is degraded or infested with alien species); and  critical biodiversity areas.

The sensitivity map must also cover areas within 100m of the site and must be attached in Appendix A.

Please see Appendix A for sensitivity maps for the study area.

SENSITIVITY

The sensitivity of the environment surrounding the proposed road construction was categorised as either low, moderate or high as indicated in Table 1.3. The sensitivity was determined using the following spatial layers:

Source of sensitivity allocation Source reference The existing road and road reserve footprint Aerial imagery & site visit photos (Appendix B) SANBI Vegetation conservation status Section A (1.a) of this report Ecological Support Areas (ESAs); Section A (1.a) of this report Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs); Section A (1.a) of this report National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas Section A (1.a) of this report (NFEPA) wetlands; National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas Section A (1.a) of this report (NFEPA) rivers; and Information from Interested and Affected Parties, such Section C (3) of this report as the patch of Agathosma orbicularis within the road reserve. Ecological Report Appendix D of this report Aquatic Report Appendix D of this report

Please note: No cultural and historical features present;

Table 7.3: Road construction sensitivity Section of proposed Type of low Type of moderate Type of high sensitivity road construction sensitivity sensitivity 1. KM 0.0 – KM 8.5 Existing road and Vulnerable Critical Biodiversity Area 2. KM 8.5 – KM 17.0 road reserve. vegetation: Greyton (CBA)

26 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Section of proposed Type of low Type of moderate Type of high sensitivity road construction sensitivity sensitivity Refer to Appendix Transformed land Shale Fynbos A-5 for large A1 (agriculture). size map Critically endangered Least threatened vegetation: Western Rûens vegetation: Ecological Support Shale Renosterveld Overberg Sandstone Area (ESA) Natural Wetlands Fynbos Agathosma orbicularis

Section of proposed Type of low Type of moderate Type of high sensitivity road construction sensitivity sensitivity 3. KM 17.0 – KM Vulnerable Existing road and Critical Biodiversity Area 23.50 vegetation: Greyton road reserve (CBA) 4. KM23.50 – KM Shale Fynbos

27 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Section of proposed Type of low Type of moderate Type of high sensitivity road construction sensitivity sensitivity 32.50 Natural Wetlands Critically endangered Refer to Appendix A-6 vegetation: Central Rûens for large A1 size map Transformed land Ecological Support (agriculture). Area (ESA) Shale Renosterveld Critically endangered vegetation: Western Rûens Shale Renosterveld

Section of proposed Type of low Type of moderate Type of high sensitivity road construction sensitivity sensitivity

28 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Section of proposed Type of low Type of moderate Type of high sensitivity road construction sensitivity sensitivity Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA) 5. KM 32.50 – KM 41.0 Existing road and Natural Wetlands 6. KM41.0 – road reserve River KM48.67 None Critically endangered Transformed land vegetation: Central Rûens Refer to Appendix A-7 (agriculture). Shale Renosterveld for large A1 size map Critically endangered vegetation: Western Rûens Shale Renosterveld

Please refer to Appendix A (A-5 to A-7) for maps of the sensitivity of each section of road.

8. SITE PHOTOGRAPHS

Colour photographs from the centre of the site must be taken in at least the eight major compass directions with a description of each photograph. Photographs must be attached under Appendix B to this report. It must be supplemented with additional photographs of relevant features on the site, if applicable.

Please refer to Appendix B for site photographs.

29 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

9. FACILITY ILLUSTRATION

A detailed illustration of the activity must be provided at a scale of at least 1:200 as Appendix C for activities that include structures. The illustrations must be to scale and must represent a realistic image of the planned activity. The illustration must give a representative view of the activity.

While the design of the project has not yet been completed and is still further to be refined, a preliminary facility illustration has been attached to Appendix C. While further changes are likely, these are the intended design plans for the proposed project.

10. ACTIVITY MOTIVATION

Motivate and explain the need and desirability of the activity (including demand for the activity):

1. Is the activity permitted in terms of the property’s existing YES NO Please explain land use rights? Upgrades and maintenance on a major regional road is a South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) mandate (SANRAL takes responsibility for upgrades and maintenance of regional routes). As this road is currently under their jurisdiction, it is their sole mandate to ensure the proper functioning and maintenance of this road, amongst others. 2. Will the activity be in line with the following? (a) Provincial Spatial Development Framework (PSDF) YES NO Please explain Road improvements are stipulated in the Western Cape PSDF to improve quality of service on existing roads such as relieving traffic congestion, improve road safety, improve overtaking opportunities, general maintenance. The PSDF also indicated that ongoing maintenance is required in order to address the maintenance backlog of road upgrades throughout the province. (b) Urban edge / Edge of Built environment for the area YES NO Please explain The activity is on an existing road and takes place within an existing road reserve. (c) Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Spatial Development Framework (SDF) of the Local Municipality (e.g. would the approval of this application compromise YES NO Please explain the integrity of the existing approved and credible municipal IDP and SDF?). Upgrades and maintenance on a major regional road is a South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) mandate (SANRAL takes responsibility for upgrades and maintenance of regional routes). This project does not conflict with the SDF and IDP for the broader region. (d) Approved Structure Plan of the Municipality YES NO Please explain Upgrades and maintenance on a major regional road is a South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) mandate (SANRAL takes responsibility for upgrades and maintenance of regional routes).

30 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

(e) An Environmental Management Framework (EMF) adopted by the Department (e.g. Would the approval of this application compromise the integrity of the existing YES NO Please explain environmental management priorities for the area and if so, can it be justified in terms of sustainability considerations?) An Environmental Management Framework (EMF) has not been adopted by the Theewaterskloof Municipality. Maintenance of the N2 through the municipality will not conflict with the EMF. (f) Any other Plans (e.g. Guide Plan) YES NO Please explain None. 3. Is the land use (associated with the activity being applied for) considered within the timeframe intended by the existing approved SDF agreed to by the relevant environmental YES NO Please explain authority (i.e. is the proposed development in line with the projects and programmes identified as priorities within the credible IDP)? The road currently has unacceptable quality of service. Improvements are normally applied to roads to improve quality of service on existing roads such as relieving traffic congestion, improve road safety, improve overtaking opportunities, etc. The PSDF indicated that the condition of roads in the province is general fair to poor, with recognition of the increased freight traffic representing an elevated measure of usage for this section of road. 4. Does the community/area need the activity and the associated land use concerned (is it a societal priority)? (This refers to the strategic as well as local level (e.g. development is a YES NO Please explain national priority, but within a specific local context it could be inappropriate.) Road safety improvements may result in fewer accidents, especially around urban areas where road accidents are more frequent. 5. Are the necessary services with adequate capacity currently available (at the time of application), or must additional capacity be created to cater for the development? YES NO Please explain (Confirmation by the relevant Municipality in this regard must be attached to the final Basic Assessment Report as Appendix I.) The development is not a municipal competency. No water/ sewerage infrastructure is required. 6. Is this development provided for in the infrastructure planning of the municipality, and if not what will the implication be on the infrastructure planning of the municipality (priority and placement of services and YES NO Please explain opportunity costs)? (Comment by the relevant Municipality in this regard must be attached to the final Basic Assessment Report as Appendix I.) Yes, the Theewaterskloof IDP identifies infrastructure development as an ongoing area of concern in order to maintain services and transport routes. Upgrades and maintenance on a major regional road is a South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) mandate (SANRAL takes responsibility for upgrades and maintenance of regional routes).

31 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

7. Is this project part of a national programme to address an YES NO Please explain issue of national concern or importance? SANRAL is currently busy with major upgrades on our national roads, including section 5 of the N2 (from onwards). The Western Cape provincial and municipal road authorities are improving cooperation, and are working towards joint planning and prioritisation of roads through service level agreements. The Theewaterskloof Municipality has approximately 160.6 km surfaced and 98.8km gravel roads which required maintenance, with an estimated resurfacing budget for the next two years at R10.4 million. It is evident that road maintenance is regarded as a priority for the Theewaterskloof Municipality, and reflects in their planning. 8. Do location factors favour this land use (associated with the activity applied for) at this place? (This relates to the YES NO Please explain contextualisation of the proposed land use on this site within its broader context.) The project involves the upgrade of an existing national road therefore land use will not change.

9. Is the development the best practicable environmental option YES NO Please explain for this land/site? The development consists of the upgrade of an existing national road.

10. Will the benefits of the proposed land use/development YES NO Please explain outweigh the negative impacts of it? The road upgrade will improve road safety and reduce road accidents, while contributing to short term employment, maintenance and development goals and assist in the provision of increasing transport requirements (for example, through road freight). The negative impacts include a minimal loss of biodiversity, and some traffic disruptions during construction.

11. Will the proposed land use/development set a precedent for YES NO Please explain similar activities in the area (local municipality)? The development consists of the upgrade of an existing national road, which has existed for near on 30 years already. This project will not contribute to a precedent in the region that has not already been set years prior, if at all.

12. Will any person’s rights be negatively affected by the YES NO Please explain proposed activity/ies? No. The development consists of the upgrade of an existing national road, which has been in existence for many years prior.

13. Will the proposed activity/ies compromise the “urban edge” YES NO Please explain as defined by the local municipality? The activity is on an existing road and takes place within an existing road reserve. The road reserve may only be exceeded in the rural region of the road, and not within the urban setting.

14. Will the proposed activity/ies contribute to any of the 17 YES NO Please explain Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPS)? The proposed activity forms part of the infrastructure – transport (ports, rail and road) SIP.

32 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

15. What will the benefits be to society in general and to the local Please explain communities? There will be job creation during the construction phase for skilled and semi-skilled workers as well as skills development. Approximately 250 temporary (construction) and 27 permanent (operation) jobs will be created. The road upgrade will result in a safer and better quality road for its users. Greater road safety may increase road traffic experience on that particular road, and will allow for a greater influx of tourists and travellers through Caledon and Riviersonderend respectively. This in turn may stimulate the local economy through increased expenditure from these travellers. In addition, development such as this contributes to the long-term sustainability and road use potential of the road, thus creating the necessary lanes, intersections and drainage structures to allow for anticipated future demand.

16. Any other need and desirability considerations related to the proposed Please explain activity? The aim of the proposed N2 road upgrade is to improve the quality of the road section which may have an adequate remaining structural life but which has an unacceptable quality of service. Improvements are normally applied to roads to improve quality of service on existing roads such as relieving traffic congestion, improving road safety, improving overtaking opportunities, etc. 17. How does the project fit into the National Development Plan for 2030? Please explain Improved road safety and quality of service of provincial routes. 18. Please describe how the general objectives of Integrated Environmental Management as set out in section 23 of NEMA have been taken into account. The following provides an analysis of how the objectives of IEM have been considered in the current SANRAL N2 road upgrade. The general objective of integrated environmental management is to: (a) promote the integration of the principles of Alignment with NEMA principles described below environmental management set out in section 2 into (see Section 19 assessment below). the making of all decisions which may have a significant effect on the environment: (b) Identify, predict and evaluate the actual and Implicit in the current EIA process. potential impact on the environment, socio-economic conditions and cultural heritage, the risks and consequences and alternatives and options for mitigation of activities, with a view to minimizing negative impacts, maximizing benefits. and promoting compliance with the principles of environmental management set out in section 2; (c) ensure that the effects of activities on the Implicit in the current EIA process. environment receive adequate consideration before actions are taken in connection with them;

33 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

(d) ensure adequate and appropriate opportunity for The current EIA process has included a public participation in decisions that may affect the comprehensive PP process, including: environment  Publicised the project through visible signage, local and regional press adverts, identification of local stakeholders through engagement with Theewaterskloof LM and other government officials and parastatals.  Engagement with public at various public meetings (e) ensure the consideration of environmental A comprehensive assessment of the significance of attributes in management and decision-making which impacts has been conducted as part of the BAR. may have a significant effect on the environment; and 19. Please describe how the general objectives of Integrated Environmental Management as set out in section 2 of NEMA have been taken into account. 2. (1) The principles set out in this Not Applicable Not Applicable section apply throughout the Republic to the actions of all organs of state that may significantly affect the environment and: (a) shall apply alongside all other The onus is on the proponent to Complies appropriate and relevant considerations, demonstrate to the authorizing including the State’s responsibility to agency (DEA) that the State will The EIA process has been respect, protect, promote and fulfil the not be abrogating its undertaken in order to provide social and economic rights in Chapter 2 responsibility by authorizing the the relevant decision-makers of the Constitution and in particular the proposed development. with the required information. basic needs of categories of persons disadvantaged by unfair discrimination; The required EIA should provide sufficient information for the relevant authority to make a defendable and informed decision. (b) serve as the general framework within The onus is on the proponent to Complies which environmental management and demonstrate to DEA that the implementation plans must be NEMA principles will not It is the opinion of this review formulated; compromised. that the proposed project does not conflict with NEMA principles in such a manner that it places undue risks on the natural or socio-economic environment.

Mitigation measures must be effectively implemented

34 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

(c) serve as guidelines by reference to The onus is on the proponent to Complies which any organ of state must exercise demonstrate to the authorizing any function when taking any decision in agency (DEA) that in providing The EIA process has been terms of this Act or any statutory environmental authorisation the undertaken in order to provide provision concerning the protection of the principles of NEMA are duly the relevant decision-makers environment; addressed. with the required information.

The required EIA should provide sufficient information for the relevant authority to make a defendable and informed decision. (d) serve as principles by reference to Not Applicable Not Applicable which a conciliator appointed under this Act must make recommendations; and (e) guide the interpretation, Not Applicable Not Applicable administration and implementation of this Act, and any other law concerned with the protection or management of the environment. (2) Environmental management must The EIA process must Complies place people and their needs at the demonstrate that the needs of forefront of its concern, and serve their local people will be adequately The proposed project will not physical, psychological, developmental, addressed and that the result in any undue or cultural and social interests equitably. development will serve the unacceptable impacts on the interests of the public equitably. local socio-economic environment. Nor will any impacts be unfairly distributed.

Recommendations made in the BAR must be adopted (3) Development must be socially, The EIA process must Complies environmentally and economically demonstrate that the sustainable. development is socially, There is no indication that the environmentally and proposed project would result economically sustainable. in undue or environmental, social and economic impacts that would place at the risk the sustainability of local natural systems or the project.

Recommendations made in the BAR must be adopted (4) (a) Sustainable development requires the consideration of all relevant factors including the following:

35 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

(i) that the disturbance of ecosystems The development should not Complies and loss of biological diversity are result in a significant loss of avoided, or, where they cannot be biodiversity. Should any loss Disturbance of local altogether avoided, are minimised and occur then the project should ecosystems must be avoided remedied; seek to minimise or remedy the or impacts must be mitigated. impact or provide suitable off- sets. A rehabilitation plan will assist in reducing the impact and providing benefits in terms of the re-establishment of natural vegetation.

The recommendations made in the Ecological Assessment must be adopted. (ii) that pollution and degradation of the Certain activities associated with Complies environment are avoided, or, where they the project carry risks in terms of cannot be altogether avoided, are pollution and environmental The BAR notes that impacts minimised and remedied; degradation. This includes: with regard to pollution and  Storm water run-off from the degradation of the new road surfaces environment can be managed and will not result in an unacceptable impact on the local environment.

The recommendations made in the BAR must be adopted.

Particular focus must be given to the Environmental Management Programme with regard to:  Monitoring of stormwater

(iii) that the disturbance of landscapes The proponent would need to Complies and sites that constitute the nation’s demonstrate that it would not cultural heritage is avoided, or where it impact on sites of valuable Heritage Impact Screener cannot be altogether avoided, is cultural and historical heritage. applied and HIA ruled out, due minimised and remedied; to lack of sensitivite regions along the route.

Recommendations made in the Heritage Screener must be adopted.

36 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

(iv) that waste is avoided, or where it Certain activities associated with Complies cannot be altogether avoided, minimised the project carry risks in terms of and re-used or recycled where possible pollution and environmental The BAR notes that impacts and otherwise disposed of in a degradation. with regard to pollution and responsible manner; degradation of the environment can be managed and will not result in unacceptable impact on the local environment.

The recommendations made in the BAR must be adopted.

Particular focus must be given to the Environmental Management Programme.

(v) that the use and exploitation of non- NA - the project does not involve Not Applicable renewable natural resources is the exploitation of non- responsible and equitable, and takes into renewable resources. account the consequences of the depletion of the resource (vi) that the development, use and The project should not involve Complies exploitation of renewable resources and the unsustainable use or the ecosystems of which they are part do renewable resources and The proponent does not intend not exceed the level beyond which their ecosystems, nor should any nor will support the over-use of integrity is jeopardised; related secondary impacts result groundwater as a renewable in increased resource use. resource.

Mitigation measures must be effectively implemented, especially on-going monitoring of groundwater levels.

11. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION, POLICIES AND/OR GUIDELINES

List all legislation, policies and/or guidelines of any sphere of government that are applicable to the application as contemplated in the EIA regulations, if applicable:

37 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Title of legislation, policy or Applicability to the project Administering Date guideline authority National Environmental The activity triggers activities Department of Management Act (No 107 of listed in NEMA GN R983 (EIA Environmental Affairs 1998 1998) regulations 2014) (DEA) Constitution Act (No. 108 of Constitution Assembly 1996 1996) The project will require sections of National Environmental Department of vegetation to be removed which Management: Biodiversity Act Environmental Affairs 2004 will impact on the biodiversity of (Act No 10 of 2004) (DEA) the area National Water Act (No. 36 of The project occurs within 32 Department of Water and 1998 1998) metres of a watercourse Sanitation (DWS) Minerals and Petroleum The project will make use of Department of Mineral Resources Development Act mineral resources for the upgrade 2002 Resources (DMR) (No. 93 of 1996) of the road The project occurs on a national National Road Traffic Act (No. road route which will have an Department of Transport 1996 93 of 1996) impact on traffic Western Cape Biodiversity Defines CBA, ESA and Protected SANBI 2010 Framework (WCB) Areas boundaries Overberg District Municipality Delineates bioregions and Overberg DM 2013 SDF prioritises regional development 2012- Overberg DM IDP Prioritises regional development Overberg DM 2016

12. WASTE, EFFLUENT, EMISSION AND NOISE MANAGEMENT a) Solid waste management

Will the activity produce solid construction waste during the YES NO construction/initiation phase? If YES, what estimated quantity will be produced per month? An allowance will be made for 5000m3 of unsuitable clayey material generated from new cuttings. Approximately 350m3 of concrete from existing drainage structures will be generated by their removal, to allow for widening or lengthening of the road.

How will the construction solid waste be disposed of (describe)?

All solid waste (inert earth material) or construction camp wastes (domestic wastes) will be collected at a central location and will be stored temporarily until it can be removed to an appropriately permitted landfill site near the construction site. Currently, the following site is envisaged: Caledon landfill (licence 16/2/7/B399/D58/Z1/259), operated by Caledon Municipality, P. O. Box 24, Caledon, 7230.

Where will the construction solid waste be disposed of (describe)?

38 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Solid waste to be removed to an appropriately permitted landfill site near the construction site. Currently, the following site is envisaged: Caledon landfill (licence 16/2/7/B399/D58/Z1/259), operated by Caledon Municipality, P. O. Box 24, Caledon, 7230.

Will the activity produce solid waste during its operational phase? YES NO If YES, what estimated quantity will be produced per month? 0m3 How will the solid waste be disposed of (describe)? Not Applicable If the solid waste will be disposed of into a municipal waste stream, indicate which registered landfill site will be used. The construction camp will produce both sewage and domestic waste for the duration of the construction phase. This waste requires disposal, and will be disposed of at the Caledon landfill (general waste) and Caledon waste water treatment plant (for the sewage).

The following amounts are estimated according to the Wold Bank standards2, as a means of estimating maximum waste production possible. Please note, while these figures are estimated, they rely upon values based on persons visiting office buildings or workplaces, which are fully sewered. Construction crews will not have a similar circumstances, and their estimated generation will likely be much less, due to the use of portable toilets (no flush system), and the absence of showering and bathing (two large contributors to domestic effluent). These values are thus for guidance only, as they represent a worst (and highly overestimated) case scenario of the likely real- world scenario.

Sewage = 0.025m3/person/day. Solid waste = 0.5kg/person/day at an estimated density of 151kg/m3.

Construction Phase:

Type Persons Daily Monthly Phase (30 months) Effluent 280 7 m3 210 m3 6 300 m3 Solid wastes 280 140 kg 4200 kg 126 000 kg

Both estimated quantities of effluent discharge and solid waste disposal are currently being investigated with the local municipality, in order to establish the potential of the local landfill.

Where will the solid waste be disposed of if it does not feed into a municipal waste stream (describe)? Not Applicable – No waste is produced during operation. If the solid waste (construction or operational phases) will not be disposed of in a registered landfill site or be taken up in a municipal waste stream, then the applicant should consult with the competent authority to determine whether it is necessary to change to an application for scoping and EIA.

Can any part of the solid waste be classified as hazardous in terms of the NEM:WA? YES NO If YES, inform the competent authority and request a change to an application for scoping and EIA. An application for a waste permit in terms of the NEM:WA must also be submitted with this application.

2 World Bank Technical Paper No. 426 (Rushbrook and Pugh, 1999).

39 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Is the activity that is being applied for a solid waste handling or treatment facility? YES NO If YES, then the applicant should consult with the competent authority to determine whether it is necessary to change to an application for scoping and EIA. An application for a waste permit in terms of the NEM:WA must also be submitted with this application. b) Liquid effluent

Will the activity produce effluent, other than normal sewage, that will be disposed of YES NO in a municipal sewage system? If YES, what estimated quantity will be produced per month? 0m3 Will the activity produce any effluent that will be treated and/or disposed of on site? YES NO If YES, the applicant should consult with the competent authority to determine whether it is necessary to change to an application for scoping and EIA.

Will the activity produce effluent that will be treated and/or disposed of at another YES NO facility? If YES, provide the particulars of the facility: Facility name: Contact person: Postal address: Postal code: Telephone: Cell: E-mail: Fax:

Describe the measures that will be taken to ensure the optimal reuse or recycling of waste water, if any:

Not Applicable – waste water will not be produced by this activity. c) Emissions into the atmosphere

Will the activity release emissions into the atmosphere other than exhaust emissions YES NO and dust associated with construction phase activities? If YES, is it controlled by any legislation of any sphere of government? YES NO If YES, the applicant must consult with the competent authority to determine whether it is necessary to change to an application for scoping and EIA. If NO, describe the emissions in terms of type and concentration: Nuisance dust as a result of construction activities; General smoke emissions from construction vehicles. These levels are not anticipated to exceed acceptable norms, taking into account the relatively short term of the construction period and the existing use of the site, which accommodated vehicular traffic with similar emissions. d) Waste permit

Will any aspect of the activity produce waste that will require a waste permit in terms YES NO of the NEM:WA?

40 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

If YES, please submit evidence that an application for a waste permit has been submitted to the competent authority e) Generation of noise

Will the activity generate noise? YES NO If YES, is it controlled by any legislation of any sphere of government? YES NO

Describe the noise in terms of type and level: Noise generated will be typical construction noise as a result of the movement of hauling trucks and graders. The noise nuisance will be managed in terms of the CEMP and the applicable sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and relevant Construction Regulations (CR). Normal road construction equipment (trucks, graders, bulldozers, compactors etc) will be used primarily. Noise levels may reach between 80-85 dBA per 15m at an anticipated maximum. In the rural environment, such noise levels are expected to be negligible.

13. WATER USE

Please indicate the source(s) of water that will be used for the activity by ticking the appropriate box(es):

River, stream, The activity will Municipal Water board Groundwater Other dam or lake not use water

If water is to be extracted from groundwater, river, stream, dam, lake or any other Currently natural feature, please indicate the volume that will be extracted per month: unknown. Arrangements will be required for each source, with variable abstraction. Does the activity require a water use authorisation (general authorisation or water YES NO use license) from the Department of Water Affairs? If YES, please provide proof that the application has been submitted to the Department of Water Affairs.

A WULA has not yet been submitted to the department, although a pre-application meeting was conducted and various communication between the relevant authorities occurred. The application will be submitted after the public disclosure period for the draft Basic Assessment report. The case officer for the water use licence application is Mr. Patrick van Coller. Contact details below:

Patrick van Coller Water Use Specialist Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency Private Bag X 3055, Worcester, 6850 51 (a) Baring Street, Worcester, 6849

Tel. no. : +27 (0) 23 346 8018 Fax no. : +27 (0) 86 511 0415

41 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

e-mail: [email protected]

14. ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Describe the design measures, if any, which have been taken to ensure that the activity is energy efficient:

Not Applicable - The facility itself does not require energy for operation. Energy efficiency has been incorporated into the construction activities through the use of appropriate machinery for construction.

Describe how alternative energy sources have been taken into account or been built into the design of the activity, if any:

Not Applicable – The facility itself does not require energy for operation.

42 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

SECTION B: SITE/AREA/PROPERTY DESCRIPTION

Important notes: 1. For linear activities (pipelines, etc) as well as activities that cover very large sites, it may be necessary to complete this section for each part of the site that has a significantly different environment. In such cases please complete copies of Section B and indicate the area, which is covered by each copy No. on the Site Plan.

Section B Copy No. (e.g. A):

2. Paragraphs 1 - 6 below must be completed for each alternative.

3. Has a specialist been consulted to assist with the completion of this section? YES NO If YES, please complete the form entitled “Details of specialist and declaration of interest” for each specialist thus appointed and attach it in Appendix I. All specialist reports must be contained in Appendix D. Please see Appendix D for specialist reports.

Property Province Western Cape description/physi District Overberg DM cal address: Municipality Local Municipality Theewaterskloof LM Ward Number(s) Wards 1,3 & 4 Farm name and Please see list below number Portion number Please see list below SG Code Please see list below

Where a large number of properties are involved (e.g. linear activities), please attach a full list to this application including the same information as indicated above. Please see list below for these details.

43 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Farm Erf Postal Portion Owner Contact Person Contact Address 2862 . Century Casinos Caledon Pty Ltd (Aquired by Tsogo Sun Gaming) 2843 . Consolidated into ERF 2862 Paul Campbell 1 Nerina Avenue Caledon 7230 PO Box 480, Caledon 7230 2843 . Consolidated into ERF 2862 1 . Theewaterskloof Municipality Judy van Rhyn 6 Plein Street Caledon 7230 P O Box 24 Caledon 7230 . 401 Voorhoede Plase Pty Ltd (1967/001715/07) Farm Voorhoede Jan Fick P O Box 148 Caledon 7230 Theunissen Boerdery Pty Ltd (1980/001698/07) Farm (Roode Bloms Kraal) . 400/2 Marthinus Theunissen P O Box 820 Caledon 7230 Drayton Transnet SOC LTD T/A Transnet Freight Rail Deon van Niekerk . 400/4 Transnet Ltd Farm- Roode Bloms Kraal Property Management P O Box 36 Cape (property) Town Transnet SOC LTD T/A Transnet Freight Rail Deon van Niekerk . 400/5 Transnet Ltd Farm- Roode Bloms Kraal Property Management P O Box 36 Cape (property) Town . 400/3 Overberg Agri Bedrywe Pty Ltd (1997/021082/07) (Roode Bloms Kraal) Francois Joubert 11 Donkin Street Caledon 7230 Posbus 50m Caldeon, 7230 Hoffman Trust (4147/98) (Kaap Kerk) 399- Speelsman Rivier/ NG Kerk in Suid Afrika Privaatsak X8 Bellville . 399/0 Kobus Odendaal 374- Boven Speelmans Rivier 7535 Hoffman Trust (4147/98) (Kaap Kerk) 399- Speelsman Rivier/ NG Kerk in Suid Afrika Privaatsak X8 Bellville . 399/1 Kobus Odendaal 374- Boven Speelmans Rivier 7535 Hoffman Trust (4147/98) (Kaap Kerk) 399- Speelsman Rivier/ NG Kerk in Suid Afrika Privaatsak X8 Bellville . 374/1 Kobus Odendaal 374- Boven Speelmans Rivier 7535 . 381/1 Connecticut Inv Pty Ltd (63/06205/07) Farm Zandfontyn Beverli Steenkamp P O Box 219 Caledon 7230 Copper Bridge Trading 5 Pty Ltd (2006/005201/07) Farm Zandfontyn . 381/11 Hein Schoonfeldt P/A Heuningneskloof Caledon 7230 (Krige Noord) 804 De Kock Sandfontein cc (2008/157001/23) Farm 804 Japie de Kock Sandfontein P O Box 233 Caledon 7230 . 804 De Kock Sandfontein cc (2008/157001/23) Farm 804 Japie de Kock Sandfontein P O Box 233 Caledon 7230 D K Eiendomsbeherend Pty Ltd (2012/117337/07) 386-Farm Driefontein 458- . 386/1 George de Kock P O Box 206 Caledon 7230 Farm Driefontein Boven D K Eiendomsbeherend Pty Ltd (2012/117337/07) 386-Farm Driefontein 458- . 458 George de Kock P O Box 206 Caledon 7230 Farm Driefontein Boven G J De Kock Testamentere Trust - Trustees Farm D'Grauwe Sas de Kock-Baden (J.J de . 922 P O Box 234 Caledon 7230 Heuwel Kock) G J De Kock Testamentere Trust - Trustees Farm D'Grauwe Sas de Kock-Baden (J.J de . 389/5 P O Box 234 Caledon 7230 Heuwel Kock) . 389/10 Mierkraal Trust (1167/2002) Farm D'Grauwe Heuwel Mr Wessel Fourie P O Box 603 Caledon 7230 . 869(389/0) De Fontein Trust (71/95) Farm 869 Mr Wessel Fourie P O Box 603 Caledon 7230 . 209/1 Bet El Trust (2037/2002) Farm Kralingen Mr Boetie Beukes Kralegin Boerdery P O Box 65 Caledon 7230 Groenewald Josias Servaas Trustees 209- Farm Kralingen 208- Farm Mr JS Groenewald/ . 209/5 25 Demper Street Caledon 7230 Posbus 808, Caledon, 7230 Voorspoed Barendes Groenewald Josias Servaas Trustees 209- Farm Kralingen 208- Farm Mr JS Groenewald/ . 208/1 25 Demper Street Caledon 7230 Posbus 808, Caledon, 7230 Voorspoed Barendes . 208/5 Joens Trust (254/94) 208- Farm Voorspoed 735- Farm Bovrede P G Viljoen P O Box 80 Riviersonderend 7250 . 735 Joens Trust (254/94) 208- Farm Voorspoed 735- Farm Bovrede P G Viljoen P O Box 80 Riviersonderend 7250 Wagenmakers Kloof Landgoed cc (2006/059350/23) Farm Waagen Makers . 734 Mr Geo Muller P O Box 108 Riviersonderend 7250 Kloof A . 167/6 Beyers Trust (7467/76) 167- Farm Lindeshof 860- Farm 860 Dr Beyers Plein Street 20 / 7600 P O Box 103 Stellenbosch, 7599 . 860 Beyers Trust (7467/76) 167- Farm Lindeshof 860- Farm 860 Dr Beyers Plein Street 20 Stellenbosch/ 7600 P O Box 103 Stellenbosch, 7599

44 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

. 197/3 P W Human Trust (473/93) Farm Langverwacht Wouter Human P O Box 5 Riviersonderend 7250 Blydskap Trust (3355/95) 194- Farm Drooge Boom . 194/5 Wessel-Jan van Deventer Blydskap Farm Posbus 82 Riviersonderend 7250 189- Farm 189 Blydskap Trust (3355/95) 194- Farm Drooge Boom . 194/4 Wessel-Jan van Deventer Blydskap Farm Posbus 82 Riviersonderend 7250 189- Farm 189 Blydskap Trust (3355/95) 194- Farm Drooge Boom . 189/2 Wessel-Jan van Deventer Blydskap Farm Posbus 82 Riviersonderend 7250 189- Farm 189 . 184/6 Provincial Government Western Cape Mr Andre Roux Private Bag X1 Elsenburg 7607 . 184/2 Provincial Government Western Cape Mr Andre Roux Private Bag X1 Elsenburg 7607 . 184/2 Provincial Government Western Cape Mr Andre Roux Private Bag X1 Elsenburg 7607 . 186/5 Provincial Government Western Cape Mr Andre Roux Private Bag X1 Elsenburg 7607 . 186/5 Provincial Government Western Cape Mr Andre Roux Private Bag X1 Elsenburg 7607 2862/0; 2843/0; 2843/0; 001/0; 401/0; 400/02; 400/04; 400/05; 400/03; 399/0; 399/01; 374/1; 381/1; 381/11; 804/0; 386/1; 458/0; 922/0; Private Bag X19, Bellville 7535 . SANRAL SOC LTD Nicole Abrahams SANRAL enviro coordinator 389/5; 1 Havenga street, Oakdale, Bellville 7530 389/10; 869/0; 209/1; 209/5; 208/1; 208/5; 735/0; 734/0; 167/6; 86/0; 197/3; 194/5; 194/4; 189/2; 184/6; 184/2; 184/5

45 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

List of SG 21 digit ID's for the abovementioned properties:

C 0 1 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 2 8 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 2 8 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 2 8 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 9 0 0 0 0 1 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 4 0 0 0 0 1 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 1 0 0 0 0 1 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 1 0 0 0 1 1 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 7 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 2 7 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 6 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 1 8 0 0 0 0 1 6 7 6 0 0 0 0 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 7 0 0 0 0 7 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 4 0 0 0 0 9 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 4 0 0 0 1 0 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 9 0 0 0 0 3 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 9 0 0 0 0 5 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 9 0 0 0 0 6 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 2 0 0 0 0 9 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 4 0 0 0 2 1 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 4 0 0 0 2 2 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 4 0 0 0 2 3 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 4 0 0 0 2 4 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 4 0 0 0 2 6 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 4 0 0 0 2 7 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 4 0 0 0 2 8 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 7 0 0 0 1 2 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 7 0 0 0 1 3 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 7 0 0 0 1 4 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 8 0 0 0 0 7 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 8 0 0 0 0 8 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 9 0 0 0 0 6 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 9 0 0 0 0 7 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 9 0 0 0 1 1 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 3 5 0 0 0 0 1 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 3 5 0 0 0 0 2 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 6 9 0 0 0 0 1 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 3 4 0 0 0 0 1

46 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 9 0 0 0 0 4 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 4 0 0 0 0 2 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 6 0 0 0 0 1 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 1 0 0 0 2 6 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 1 0 0 0 2 5 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 4 0 0 0 0 2 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 9 0 0 0 0 5 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 9 0 0 0 1 2 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 6 0 0 0 0 4 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 8 0 0 0 0 7 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 2 2 0 0 0 0 4 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 6 0 0 0 0 8 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 6 0 0 0 0 7 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 C 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 3 4 5

Current land-use Affected land: Road Reserve. zoning as per Surrounding land: Agriculture and urban (not affected by the proposed road local municipality upgrade development). IDP/records: In instances where there is more than one current land-use zoning, please attach a list of current land use zonings that also indicate which portions each use pertains to, to this application.

Is a change of land-use or a consent use application required? YES NO

47 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

1. GRADIENT OF THE SITE

Indicate the general gradient of the site.

Gradient profile of the site starting in Caledon and ending in Riviersonderend:

Alternative S1: Flat 1:50 – 1:20 1:20 – 1:15 1:15 – 1:10 1:10 – 1:7,5 1:7,5 – 1:5 Steeper than 1:5 Alternative S2 (if any): Flat 1:50 – 1:20 1:20 – 1:15 1:15 – 1:10 1:10 – 1:7,5 1:7,5 – 1:5 Steeper than 1:5 Alternative S3 (if any): Flat 1:50 – 1:20 1:20 – 1:15 1:15 – 1:10 1:10 – 1:7,5 1:7,5 – 1:5 Steeper than 1:5

2. LOCATION IN LANDSCAPE

Indicate the landform(s) that best describes the site:

2.1 Ridgeline 2.4 Closed valley 2.7 Undulating plain / low hills X 2.2 Plateau 2.5 Open valley 2.8 Dune 2.3 Side slope of hill/mountain 2.6 Plain 2.9 Seafront 2.10 At sea

3. GROUNDWATER, SOIL AND GEOLOGICAL STABILITY OF THE SITE

Is the site(s) located on any of the following?

Alternative S1: Alternative S2 Alternative S3 (if any): (if any): Shallow water table (less than 1.5m deep) YES NO YES NO YES NO Dolomite, sinkhole or doline areas YES NO YES NO YES NO Seasonally wet soils (often close to water YES NO YES NO YES NO bodies) Unstable rocky slopes or steep slopes with YES NO YES NO YES NO loose soil Dispersive soils (soils that dissolve in water) YES NO YES NO YES NO Soils with high clay content (clay fraction more YES NO YES NO YES NO than 40%)

48 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Any other unstable soil or geological feature YES NO YES NO YES NO An area sensitive to erosion YES NO YES NO YES NO

If you are unsure about any of the above or if you are concerned that any of the above aspects may be an issue of concern in the application, an appropriate specialist should be appointed to assist in the completion of this section. Information in respect of the above will often be available as part of the project information or at the planning sections of local authorities. Where it exists, the 1:50 000 scale Regional Geotechnical Maps prepared by the Council for Geo Science may also be consulted.

4. GROUNDCOVER

Indicate the types of groundcover present on the site. The location of all identified rare or endangered species or other elements should be accurately indicated on the site plan(s).

Natural veld with Natural veld - Natural veld with Veld dominated by heavy alien Gardens good conditionE scattered aliensE alien speciesE infestationE Building or other Sport field Cultivated land Paved surface Bare soil structure

If any of the boxes marked with an “E “is ticked, please consult an appropriate specialist to assist in the completion of this section if the environmental assessment practitioner doesn’t have the necessary expertise.

5. SURFACE WATER

Indicate the surface water present on and or adjacent to the site and alternative sites?

Perennial River YES NO UNSURE Non-Perennial River YES NO UNSURE Permanent Wetland YES NO UNSURE Seasonal Wetland YES NO UNSURE Artificial Wetland YES NO UNSURE Estuarine / Lagoonal wetland YES NO UNSURE

If any of the boxes marked YES or UNSURE is ticked, please provide a description of the relevant watercourse.

The N2 crosses the Droogas River (H60H010000), and the Maandagsout River (H60J020000), both Strahler Order 1, non-perennial tributaries to The Riviersonderend River, which itself is a tributary of the Breede River. According to the NFEPA wetlands information, the N2 Section 3 crosses various unnamed, seasonal and permanent wetlands occurring generally north to south along its path between Caledon and Riviersonderend. Numerous farm dams and seeps are representative of the artificial wetlands within the project region. More detail is presented in the Aquatic Ecological Impact Assessment.

49 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

6. LAND USE CHARACTER OF SURROUNDING AREA

Indicate land uses and/or prominent features that currently occur within a 500m radius of the site and give description of how this influences the application or may be impacted upon by the application:

Natural area Dam or reservoir Polo fields Low density residential Hospital/medical centre Filling station H Medium density residential School Landfill or waste treatment site High density residential Tertiary education facility Plantation Informal residentialA Church Agriculture Retail commercial & warehousing Old age home River, stream or wetland Light industrial Sewage treatment plantA Nature conservation area Medium industrial AN Train station or shunting yard N Mountain, koppie or ridge Heavy industrial AN Railway line N Museum Power station Major road (4 lanes or more) N Historical building Office/consulting room Airport N Protected Area Military or police Harbour Graveyard base/station/compound Spoil heap or slimes damA Sport facilities Archaeological site Quarry, sand or borrow pit Golf course Other land uses (describe)

If any of the boxes marked with an “N “are ticked, how will this impact / be impacted upon by the proposed activity? Specify and explain:

Not Applicable – none ticked

If any of the boxes marked with an "An" are ticked, how will this impact / be impacted upon by the proposed activity? Specify and explain:

Not Applicable – none ticked

If any of the boxes marked with an "H" are ticked, how will this impact / be impacted upon by the proposed activity? Specify and explain:

Not Applicable – none ticked

Does the proposed site (including any alternative sites) fall within any of the following:

Critical Biodiversity Area (as per provincial conservation plan) YES NO Core area of a protected area? YES NO Buffer area of a protected area? YES NO Planned expansion area of an existing protected area? YES NO Existing offset area associated with a previous Environmental Authorisation? YES NO Buffer area of the SKA? YES NO

If the answer to any of these questions was YES, a map indicating the affected area must be included in Appendix A. - Please see Appendix A for attached CBA & Protected areas map.

50 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

7. CULTURAL/HISTORICAL FEATURES

Are there any signs of culturally or historically significant elements, as defined in YES NO section 2 of the National Heritage Resources Act, 1999, (Act No. 25 of 1999), including Archaeological or paleontological sites, on or close (within 20m) to the Uncertain site? If YES, explain: Heritage character of the area Several assessments for linear developments along the N2 have been undertaken in 2011 for the laying of fibre optic cables from Johannesburg to Yzerfontein. The section of the N2 between Riviersonderend and Caledon has been continuously upgraded (de Jong 2011) and no significant heritage resources were identified along this route by Clift & Webley (2011). They have noted that previous studies have identified E SA and MSA occurrences (...) “on a number of farms between and Caledon, but rarely in undisturbed contexts.”

The Heritage and Scenic Resources Inventory and Policy Framework: A Study prepared for the Western Cape Provincial Spatial Development Framework by Winter and Oberholzer (2013) suggests that the Riviersonderend Valley is a cultural landscape with a Grade II rating. Construction activities will definitely have a temporary impact on the scenic experience of the valley but, once completed, the N2 upgrade will not permanently impact this heritage resource in a negative way.

The historic core of the town of Caledon on the western end of this proposal has a number of Provincial Heritage Sites. None of these are in the immediate vicinity of the proposed road upgrades and we foresee that there will be minimal impact on the visual sensitivity of the town. No Visual Impact Assessment is therefore recommended.

Most of the proposed climbing lanes are located along agricultural land which has been extensively cultivated right up to the existing road reserve. The road reserve itself has also been disturbed by maintenance activities. It is therefore highly unlikely that in situ heritage resources of significance will be identified.

Certain sections of proposed climbing lane # 10 are relatively undisturbed. Possible Stone Age artefact scatters may be located in this area, but given the very limited overall extent of roadworks in this section, we do not anticipate any significant impact on these resources. Therefore, no Archaeological Impact Assessment is recommended.

No structures older than 60 years are expected to be impacted by the proposed upgrade of the N2.

Palaeontological character of the area This section of the N2 is underlain by formations of very high palaeontological sensitivity, including the the Lower Bokkeveld Group, Ceres Subgroup (e.g. Gydo, Voorsthoek, Hexrivier, Tra Tra, Gamka Formations) and Traka and Bidouw Subgroup (Karies Formation). Only a few kilometres are underlain by formations of unknown fossil sensitivity or by alluvium. Dr John Almond undertook a desktop study (2012) for the Optic Fibre Data Cable Project from GraaffReinet to Yzerfontein. He did not identify any areas which would have required a field assessment along the route between Riviersonderend and Caledon. Therefore, no Palaeontological Impact Assessment is recommended.

If excavations are going to impact on bedrock of the Lower Bokkeveld Group, a palaeontologist should be contracted to inspect the newly exposed bedrock.

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If uncertain, conduct a specialist investigation by a recognised specialist in the field (archaeology or palaeontology) to establish whether there is such a feature(s) present on or close to the site. Briefly explain the findings of the specialist: N/A

Will any building or structure older than 60 years be affected in any way? YES NO Is it necessary to apply for a permit in terms of the National Heritage Resources YES NO Act, 1999 (Act 25 of 1999)? If YES, please provide proof that this permit application has been submitted to SAHRA or the relevant provincial authority. A Notice of Intent to Declare (NID) was submitted to Heritage Western Cape on the 29th of June 2016. Their response will be available upon request at the submission of the final Basic Assessment Report.

8. SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTER a) Local Municipality

Please provide details on the socio-economic character of the local municipality in which the proposed site(s) are situated.

Level of unemployment:

The proposed project is located within the Theewaterskloof Local Municipality, which falls within the Overberg District Municipality in the Western Cape Province of .

Theewaterskloof Local Municipality

Of the population of 108 790, the official unemployment rate is 14.90%.

Economic profile of local municipality:

Theewaterskloof Local Municipality

The Theewaterskloof Local Municipality, with a total area of 3 232km2, is situated within the Overberg District Municipality in the Western Cape. The local municipality has a population of 108 790 with 25.5% of the population below 15 years of age, 69.4% between the ages of 15 and 64 and 5.1% of the population over 65 years of age. The population growth is 1.54% per annum.

Cities or Town within the Municipality include: - Caledon/Myddleton, - Genadendal, - , - Greyton, - Riviersonderend, - Theewaterskloof and - Villiersdorp.

Household statistics: There are a total of 28 884 recorded households in the municipality with an average household size of 3.5 members per household. 80.3% of the households are classified as formal dwellings while

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42.1% of the households are owned by the household member(s).

Basic Services: 80.2% of all households are reported to have flush toilets facilities connecting to sewerage systems with 18 139 households receiving municipal sewerage and sanitation services and 17 394 households receiving municipal solid waste services, 3 375 of which receive access to free basic service, in 2013/2014. 11 694 households have flush toilets using public sewerage and 5 707 using septic tanks. 18 099 households receive municipal water in 2013/2014 while 73.3% have access to piped water inside the dwelling. 79.5% of households received weekly refuse removal. 89% of the households have access to electricity for lighting and 19 463 households receive municipal electricity in 2013/2014.

Economic Sectors:

The main sectors driving the economy of the Theewaterskloof Municipality includes: - Finance, insurance, real estate and business services (30.1%); - Agriculture, forestry and fishing (21.3%); - Manufacturing (15.4%); - Wholesale and retail trade, catering and accommodation (8.8%); - General government (7.7%); - Construction (6%); - Transport, storage and communication (5.8%); and - Community, social and personal services (3.4%).

Economic Development Initiatives

The core development initiate driven by the municipality is the 2030 Local Economic Development (LED) Strategy. The LED Strategy highlights five (5) focus areas, namely agriculture, tourism, agricultural product processing and industries. These sectors are supported through various municipal programmes aimed at improving infrastructure and bettering product development and service delivery.

The Integrated Development Programme (IDP) for the municipality was compiled in collaboration with local businesses, communities and key stakeholders. In order to align municipal service delivery with community needs, the municipality has implemented Service Agreements in all the towns under the jurisdiction of the municipality with focus on quality developments such as sewerage removal services, quality of the water provided, housing, improved communication, better waste removal services and continued infrastructural maintenance. The municipality furthermore advocates safety and security in the area, placing high values on the safety of women and children.

To ensure cooperative governance the municipality has implemented a town management model that aims to improve cooperation across authorities, enhance communication with local government and the local communities as well as promote democracy throughout the municipality.

Level of education:

According to the 2011 Census data, published in the Municipal fact sheet by Statistic South Africa, the level of education for the Theewaterskloof Local Municipality comprises of:

- 5% of the population that has received no schooling;

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- 7.3% that have attended higher education institutions; and - 20.2% that have attained a matric. b) Socio-economic value of the activity

What is the expected capital value of the activity on completion? R 425 million (VAT Included) What is the expected yearly income that will be generated by or as a result of the Nil activity? Will the activity contribute to service infrastructure? YES NO Is the activity a public amenity? YES NO How many new employment opportunities will be created in the development and Temporary : 250 construction phase of the activity/ies? Permanent :27 What is the expected value of the employment opportunities during the R30 million (Vat development and construction phase? included) What percentage of this will accrue to previously disadvantaged individuals? 6% minimum to local labour 12% to targeted enterprises How many permanent new employment opportunities will be created during the +/- 27 operational phase of the activity? What is the expected current value of the employment opportunities during the R9 million first 10 years? What percentage of this will accrue to previously disadvantaged individuals? 70%

9. BIODIVERSITY

Please note: The Department may request specialist input/studies depending on the nature of the biodiversity occurring on the site and potential impact(s) of the proposed activity/ies. To assist with the identification of the biodiversity occurring on site and the ecosystem status consult http://bgis.sanbi.org or [email protected]. Information is also available on compact disc (cd) from the Biodiversity-GIS Unit, Ph (021) 799 8698. This information may be updated from time to time and it is the applicant/ EAP’s responsibility to ensure that the latest version is used. A map of the relevant biodiversity information (including an indication of the habitat conditions as per (b) below) and must be provided as an overlay map to the property/site plan as Appendix D to this report. Please see Appendix A for maps regarding the biodiversity information. Additionally, please refer to the attached specialist reports in Appendix D for further maps and information. a) Indicate the applicable biodiversity planning categories of all areas on site and indicate the reason(s) provided in the biodiversity plan for the selection of the specific area as part of the specific category)

If CBA or ESA, indicate the reason(s) for its Systematic Biodiversity Planning Category selection in biodiversity plan

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The project area falls within both a CBA and ESA.

The CBA has a recommended land use management involving maintaining the Ecological Other No Natural biodiversity in a natural state. The objective is Critical Support Natural Area to rehabilitate degraded areas to a natural or Biodiversity Area Area Remaining near natural state and to manage to the area Area (CBA) (ESA) (ONA) (NNR) so as to ensure no further degradation.

CBA regions coincide with the occurrence of rivers and wetlands, and as such would require to be managed through the water use licencing application process. b) Indicate and describe the habitat condition on site

Percentage of Description and additional Comments and habitat Observations Habitat Condition condition (including additional insight into condition, e.g. poor class (adding land management practises, presence of quarries, up to 100%) grazing, harvesting regimes etc). Natural regions within the project region are virtually non- Natural 5% existent due to large amounts of impacts experienced within the project region. Near Natural Near natural areas make up a small area of the road (includes areas with reserve, as these are regions that have escaped low to moderate level 10% cultivation or frequent disturbance by being either very of alien invasive steep or inaccessible. plants) The second largest category of vegetation and habitat is Degraded ‘degraded’, as large areas of the road reserve has been (includes areas 35% severely occupied by invasive species (mostly Acacia and heavily invaded by Eucalyptus), and as such the general ecological rigour has alien plants) decreased. The majority of the project area falls within cultivated area, Transformed such as Canola and Wheat fields dominating the area (includes cultivation, between Caledon and Riviersonderend. Additionally, large 50% dams, urban, regions of the road reserve have been impacted by the plantation, roads, etc) maintenance mowing of the reserve, as is normal for SANRAL roads.

55 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT c) Complete the table to indicate: (i) the type of vegetation, including its ecosystem status, present on the site; and (ii) whether an aquatic ecosystem is present on site.

Terrestrial Ecosystems Aquatic Ecosystems Ecosystem threat Critical Wetland (including rivers, status as per the Endangered depressions, channelled and National unchanneled wetlands, flats, Estuary Coastline Environmental Vulnerable seeps pans, and artificial Management: Least wetlands) Biodiversity Act (Act Threatened YES NO UNSURE YES NO YES NO No. 10 of 2004) d) Please provide a description of the vegetation type and/or aquatic ecosystem present on site, including any important biodiversity features/information identified on site (e.g. threatened species and special habitats)

Vegetation Types: According to SANBI (Mucina and Rutherford, 2006) the vegetation types, all of the Fynbos biome, found in the area include : - Western Rûens Shale Renosterveld (Critically Endangered); - Greyton Shale Fynbos (Vulnerable); - Overberg Sandstone Fynbos (Least Threatened); and - Central Rûens Shale Renosterveld (Critically Endangered). Aquatic Features: The aquatic ecosystems present in the project area are summaries below. - There were, man-made dams found in the periphery of the road reserve. - The project area encompasses various wetlands and river crossings, most notably that of the ‘Droogas’ and ‘Maandagsout’ tributaries to the Riviersonderend.

Please refer to Biophysical Environment section in Section A for more detail, as well as the Aquatic Ecology specialist report (Appendix D) and Ecological Impact Assessment report (Appendix D).

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SECTION C: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) play an important role in the BA process, as many of their concerns and issues can be included in the project proposal, to ensure a development which is as environmentally and socially acceptable as possible. There are four key steps in the PPP to ensure that I&APs are informed of the proposed development and afforded sufficient opportunity to raise comments and or concerns. These include:

a. Identifying potential I&APs; b. Notifying I&APs through: i. Advertisement and site notices; ii. Written notices; iii. Public meeting; c. Making provision for I&APs to review and comment on all draft reports before they are finalised and submitted to the competent authority; and d. Compiling a record of responses to any comments and concerns provided by the I&APs and including and addressing these concerns in final reports.

1. ADVERTISEMENT AND NOTICE

Publication name Theewaterskloof Gazette Date published Tuesday 24th May 2016 Site notice position Latitude Longitude 34º 13' 28.57'' S 19º 26' 06.98'' E 34º 09' 02.86'' S 19º 54' 21.79'' S Date placed 28th May 2016

Publication name Die Burger Date published Tuesday 24th May 2016 Site notice position Latitude Longitude 34º 13' 28.57'' S 19º 26' 06.98'' E 34º 09' 02.86'' S 19º 54' 21.79'' S Date placed 28th May 2016

Include proof of the placement of the relevant advertisements and notices in Appendix E1. Please find proof of advertisements in Appendix E1.

2. DETERMINATION OF APPROPRIATE MEASURES

Provide details of the measures taken to include all potential I&APs as required by Regulation 41(2)(e) and 41(6) of GN 733.

Initial PPP and BID circulation The public participation process to date included:  Erecting two site notices on-site (see Section C (1) above);  Identifying property owners and sending notifications of the proposed project to such land owners via email or mail (whichever most appropriate). A database comprising of all the relevant interested persons/ organisation was compiled together with their contact details to inform them of the initiation of the project;  One regional and one local newspaper advertisements were placed (see Section C (1) above);  Distribution of Background Information Documents and Notification letters to I&APs in English on 5

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July 2016.

A copy of the comments and responses report is included in Appendix E including all comments received to date along with responses from the EAP and applicant.

DBAR This Draft Basic Assessment Report (DBAR) was circulated for a 30-day comment period from 19 September 2016 – 20 October 2016 to allow all I&APs to comment. The report was made available as follows: 1. Placement of hard copies of the DBAR at the Caledon Public Library (26 Church Street, Caledon, 7230) and the Riviersonderend Public Library (Buitekant Street, Riviersonderend, 7250). 2. Hard/ electronic copies were circulated to organs of state to request comments. 3. Electronic copies were available from the link: http://www.cesnet.co.za/public-documents.html (under the SANRAL Caledon section).

A public meeting will also be held at the Caledon Public Library (26 Church Street, Caledon, 7230) on 6 October 2016, during the review period of the DBAR in order to provide feedback regarding the findings of the study. All identified I&APs will be invited to attend.

DEA Decision All registered I&APs will be informed through written notification of the DEA decision within 14 days from the date of the notification.

Key stakeholders (other than organs of state) identified in terms of Regulation 41(2)(b) of GN 733

Title, Name and Surname Affiliation/ key stakeholder status Contact details (tel number or e-mail address) Please see the I&AP database included in Appendix E.

Include proof that the key stakeholder received written notification of the proposed activities as Appendix E2. This proof may include any of the following:

 e-mail delivery reports;  registered mail receipts;  courier waybills;  signed acknowledgements of receipt; and/or  or any other proof as agreed upon by the competent authority.

Please refer to Appendix E for these details.

3. ISSUES RAISED BY INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTIES

All comments received during the BID review period are captured and recorded within the Comments and Response Report attached as Appendix E.

Summary of main issues raised by I&APs Summary of response from EAP Annette Theron (News Editor: Boland Media) Please note, the answers to your questions are requested information on the commencement highly dependent on a variety of project date, the timeframe for roadworks and the considerations, not least of which is the number of 'stop and go' operations. environmental authorisation, financing and contractor agreements, so there will in all likelihood be changes in this regard between now

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and then. The anticipated construction commencement is currently expected around March 2017. Construction is expected to take 30 months, and there will be three stop and go’s operating simultaneously (as currently anticipated). Rhett Smart from CapeNature has indicated an The patch of critically endangered vegetation will area within the existing road reserve where a not be touched by the construction works as patch of Critically Endangered Agathosma SANRAL are not widening the road in this area. orbicularis (Caledon buchu) occurs. They wish for this patch to be protected from future development Rudi Coetzee from the Caledon Casino has Wimpie Krügel from J&G has been in contact with indicated that they plan to construct a golf estate the landowner (Rudi Coetzee) regarding possible on erf 4031 and portion of the remainder of erf land acquisition. However, our design will not 2862 on the southern side of the N2 and would affect his properties and Wimpie will send him an like to know how this road upgrade will impact e-mail confirming this. this.

4. COMMENTS AND RESPONSE REPORT

The practitioner must record all comments received from I&APs and respond to each comment before the Draft BAR is submitted. The comments and responses must be captured in a comments and response report as prescribed in the EIA regulations and be attached to the Final BAR as Appendix E3.

Please see Appendix E3. All comments received during the DBAR review period will be captured and responded to before submission of the final BAR to DEA for decision-making. A copy of the CRR will be circulated to all IA&Ps that provided comments. All comments to date have been captured in this report (Section 3 above).

5. AUTHORITY PARTICIPATION

Authorities and organs of state identified as key stakeholders:

All authorities identified and recorded in the I&AP database were notified of the availability of the DBAR and requested to provide comments.

Please see Appendix E for proof of notification to Authorities and for a copy of the I&AP database.

Include proof that the Authorities and Organs of State received written notification of the proposed activities as appendix E4.

In the case of renewable energy projects, Eskom and the SKA Project Office must be included in the list of Organs of State.

6. CONSULTATION WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS

Note that, for any activities (linear or other) where deviation from the public participation requirements may be appropriate, the person conducting the public participation process may deviate from the requirements of that sub-regulation to the extent and in the manner as may be agreed to by the competent authority.

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Proof of any such agreement must be provided, where applicable. Application for any deviation from the regulations relating to the public participation process must be submitted prior to the commencement of the public participation process.

A list of registered I&APs must be included as appendix E5. Please see Appendix E5 for the I&AP database.

Copies of any correspondence and minutes of any meetings held must be included in Appendix E6.

All correspondence relating to the project have been included in Appendix E6.

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SECTION D: IMPACT ASSESSMENT

The assessment of impacts must adhere to the minimum requirements in the EIA Regulations, 2014 and should take applicable official guidelines into account. The issues raised by interested and affected parties should also be addressed in the assessment of impacts.

1. IMPACTS THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE PLANNING AND DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, OPERATIONAL, DECOMMISSIONING AND CLOSURE PHASES AS WELL AS PROPOSED MANAGEMENT OF IDENTIFIED IMPACTS AND PROPOSED MITIGATION MEASURES

Provide a summary and anticipated significance of the potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts that are likely to occur as a result of the planning and design phase, construction phase, operational phase, decommissioning and closure phase, including impacts relating to the choice of site/activity/technology alternatives as well as the mitigation measures that may eliminate or reduce the potential impacts listed. This impact assessment must be applied to all the identified alternatives to the activities identified in Section A(2) of this report.

The following table indicates the impact categories and severity rating: SIGNIFICANCE ISSUE IMPACTS PRE- MITIGATIONS MITIGATION PLANNING & DESIGN PHASE GENERAL Direct impacts: MODERATE-  The development must adhere If the proposed to the relevant legislation and/or development is not Legislation & policy policy, e.g. ECBCP, Municipal consistent with By-laws, SDFs, etc. compliance. relevant environmental policy During Planning & and legislation, the Design, the proposed environment may be development must adversely impacted comply with all relevant Indirect impacts : - - legislation. - Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: MODERATE -  Flood attenuation and storm Inappropriate road water management plans must design may result in be drawn up by a qualified traffic safety risks as a engineer and approved by DEA, result of inadequate Stormwater storm water drainage the ECO and DWS. Management planning.  The road engineer must ensure that appropriate stormwater During Planning & Indirect impacts : HIGH- structures are included in the Design, inappropriate May cause increased road design to manage road design will have an levels of erosion, stormwater and to minimise impact on stormwater sedimentation and erosion and sedimentation of conditions pollution of the watercourses. watercourses.  The road engineer must ensure that all road sections situated on slopes incorporate stormwater diversion.

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 The road engineer must ensure that all stormwater structures are designed in line with both SANRAL and DWS requirements.  If any planned construction takes place inside or within 50m of any watercourse, authorisation must be obtained from DWS. Cumulative impacts: HIGH - Identical mitigation measures as Combined indicated above (for direct and inappropriate design indirect impacts on waste water and erosion impacts management) must be employed to may exacerbate mitigate this impact. sedimentation into local rivers. Direct impacts: MODERATE-  Bridge design must not impede Inappropriate bridge the flow of water or cause designs can result in erosion in the rivers/streams. Bridge Design the flow of rivers  Proper drainage of stormwater being impeded and must be away from the bridges. During Planning & the disturbance and  The bridge design must comply Design, inappropriate erosion of the river with DWS standards and bridge design will have banks. WULAs must be submitted an impact on stream where necessary. conditions Indirect impacts : - - - Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: MODERATE-  A proper Waste Management The failure to plan Plan must be designed for waste Waste storage management storage can lead to During Planning & unsanitary Design, the failure to conditions & poor plan for waste storage waste management will have an impact on practices. the environment Indirect impacts : - - - Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: MODERATE-  Appropriate stormwater Inappropriate structures must be designed Soil erosion stormwater design and implemented. may lead to soil  All road sections situated on erosion issues. During the planning and slopes must incorporate design phase, stormwater diversions. inappropriate road Indirect impacts: MODERATE-  Flood attenuation and storm stormwater design may Inappropriate water management plans must have an impact on soil stormwater design be drawn up by a qualified conditions may lead to increased engineer and approved by DEA, soil erosion the ECO and DWS.  The road engineer must ensure

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that appropriate stormwater structures are included in the road design to manage stormwater and to minimise erosion and sedimentation of watercourses.  The road engineer must ensure that all road sections situated on slopes incorporate stormwater diversion.  The road engineer must ensure that all stormwater structures are designed in line with both SANRAL and DWS requirements.  If any planned construction takes place inside or within 50m of any watercourse, authorisation must be obtained from DWS. Cumulative impacts: MODERATE-  The same mitigations as above Valuable topsoil under indirect impacts must losses, sedimentation apply. of aquatic habitat, choking of wetlands may result from the combined erosion from poor stormwater design Direct impacts: MODERATE-  Hazardous Chemical Substances stored Substances Regulations onsite may pollute soil promulgated in terms of the should spillages or Occupational Health and Safety containment problems occur Act 85 of 1993 and the SABS Code of Practise must be adhered to. This applies to solvents and other chemicals Hazardous spillage possibly used during the

construction process. During planning &  Contaminated soil must either design, hazardous be excavated or treated on-site, waste that is generated, depending on the nature and such as used bitumen, extent of the spill. oils and offcuts could The ECO must determine the pollute surface and  precise method of treatment of groundwater resources polluted soil. This could involve if it is not contained the application of soil absorbent properly. materials or oil-digestive powders to the contaminated soil.  If a spill occurs on an impermeable surface such as cement or concrete, the surface spill must be contained using oil absorbent materials.

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 Contaminated remediation materials must be carefully removed from the area of the spill so as to prevent further release of petrochemicals to the environment, and stored in suitable containers until appropriate disposal. Indirect impacts : - - -

Cumulative impacts: - - -

CONSTRUCTION PHASE GENERAL IMPACTS Direct impacts: HIGH-  The site must be managed in a Contaminants such as manner that prevents pollution silt, sand and litter of drains, downstream could be transported watercourses or groundwater, offsite via surface Stormwater runoff and due to suspended solids, silt or Management contaminate the chemical pollutants. surrounding  Temporary cut-off drains and During construction, environment. berms may be required to inappropriate road capture storm water and design will have an promote infiltration. impact on stormwater  The area must be monitored by conditions an ECO on a regular basis. Indirect impacts : - - - Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: LOW -  Construction rubble should be Construction rubble disposed of in predetermined, left onsite may attract demarcate, licenced spoil dump vermin and encourage on a regular basis. the growth of opportunistic alien  Design and implement a waste vegetation. management plan.  Ensure sufficient waste disposal services are engaged for the Waste storage duration of the construction

phase; During construction, the  Incorporate penalties and fines failure to plan for waste are imposed on contractors storage will have an regarding undue litter and impact on the waste into the EMPr environment  Provide sufficient bins at regular intervals throughout the construction region and camp;  Implement a recycling programme and employ as few plastics as feasible in the construction camp and activities;

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Indirect impacts : LOW +  Introduce a litter clearance Ongoing litter impacts programme where litter is from current use of collected at the end of each highway will be working day within the reduced through cleaning operations by immediate vicinity of all staff. construction work for that day. Indirect impacts : LOW -  Ensure sufficient waste Stop and go areas will management is available at be prone to increased each stop and go to reduce and litter as motorists limit litter discarded at stop and congregate there, unless specific go site. attention to clean-up  Ensure litter collection focusses is provided. on stop and go zones, for collection each day. Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: MODERATE -  Dust control methods must be Dust impacts employed during clearing and associated with the construction, using appropriate construction phase techniques such as: sprinkling, impacting local communities and vegetation cover, calcium Dust generation agricultural activities chloride coverings, adhesives, cyclone or filter collectors, During construction, mulch, wind breaks, tillage and dust generated by stones or debris. clearing and grubbing,  Limit vegetation clearing to earthworks and use of areas only where and when temporary access roads necessary. will impair breathing for  Limit clearing and grubbing locally located fauna, as activities to days with low wind well as inhibit speeds; photosynthesis and  Limit vehicle speeds on-site; respiration of plants  Encourage use of paved routes under high as alternatives to unpaved concentration. roads Indirect impacts: - - -

Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: LOW -  Noise control methods shall be Machinery, employed where possible. construction activities These may include: Elevated noise levels and staff all contribute  Selecting quieter equipment to elevated noise where feasible; During construction, levels during the  Maintaining all equipment in activities will increase construction phase good working order; local noise levels and  Retro-fit selected equipment have an impact on with dampening measures; existing residential and business areas  Erect barriers around the construction camp or work areas;  Provide all labourers with the

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appropriate PPE during work hours;  Employ improved technology where volume gains can be achieved;  Construction activity close to residential and business areas, which includes the movement of construction vehicles, should be restricted to normal working hours (7:00am – 17:00pm) unless approval is obtained from the community to work later. Indirect impacts: - - - Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: MODERATE -  Hazardous Chemical Substances used for Substances Regulations construction may promulgated in terms of the pollute soil should Occupational Health and Safety spillages or containment problems Act 85 of 1993 and the SABS occur. Code of Practise must be Indirect impacts: MODERATE- adhered to. This applies to A reduction in water solvents and other chemicals quality as pollutants possibly used during the from current vehicle construction process. use is washed into  Contaminated soil must either rivers during rainfall be excavated or treated on-site, Hazardous spillage events. This impact depending on the nature and can only be mitigated extent of the spill. during the During construction, construction phase,  The ECO must determine the hazardous waste that is and is unavoidable precise method of treatment of generated, such as used during the operational polluted soil. This could involve bitumen, oils and offcuts phase. the application of soil absorbent could pollute surface materials or oil-digestive and groundwater powders to the contaminated resources if it is not soil. contained properly.  If a spill occurs on an impermeable surface such as cement or concrete, the surface spill must be contained using oil absorbent materials.  Contaminated remediation materials must be carefully removed from the area of the spill so as to prevent further release of petrochemicals to the environment, and stored in suitable containers until appropriate disposal.

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Cumulative impacts: - - -

Direct impacts: LOW -  Use lights only where and when Light pollution Construction crew, required; vehicles, construction  If any parts of site such as camps will increase During construction, construction camps must be lit light in an around the vehicles, camps and construction area at night, this should be done signage will increase temporarily during the with low-UV type lights (such as light levels in and construction phase. most LEDs), which do not around the construction Indirect impacts: LOW - attract insects and which should region. Should elevated Faunal disturbance be directed downwards. levels occur for from increased light prolonged periods associated with permanent relocation of construction activities. certain faunal Cumulative impacts: - - communities may occur. -

Direct impacts: HIGH -  Develop a stormwater Poor erosion control management plan to ensure and earthworks compliance with regulations and management will prevent off-site migration of result in increased runoff and siltation in contaminated stormwater and adjacent streams and sediment. rivers  The road engineer must ensure that appropriate stormwater structures are included in the road design to manage stormwater and to minimise erosion and sedimentation of Sedimentation watercourses. associated with  The road engineer must ensure earthworks that all road sections situated on slopes incorporate During construction, stormwater diversion. upgrading the N2 road  The road engineer must ensure as well as the bridges that all stormwater structures and culverts may cause are designed in line with both increase levels of SANRAL and DWS sedimentation and requirements. pollution into them.  Appropriate stormwater structures must be designed and implemented.  All road sections situated on slopes must incorporate stormwater diversions.

Indirect impacts: - - -

Cumulative impacts: - - -

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Direct impacts: MODERATE -  If excavations are going to Although no areas impact on bedrock of the Lower were found which Bokkeveld Group, a would have required a palaeontologist should be field assessment along the route contracted to inspect the newly between exposed bedrock. If human graves are exposed, Heritage impact Riviersonderend and  during the construction phase, Caledon, construction activities, where all work activity in the vicinity During construction, excavation to bedrock must cease immediately, and activities may result in levels occur, may the Western Cape Provincial the destruction and/or impact on the Heritage Resources Agency, a exposure of heritage paleontological Heritage Specialist and the sites like gravesites, sensitivity of the area. SAPS need to be informed. artefacts & fossils. Should any graves be found the mitigation measures must apply. Indirect impacts: - - - Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: LOW +  Recruit local labour as far as Employment will be possible; created during  Provide skills training schemes construction. in order to upskill staff; Indirect impacts: LOW + The local economy  Provide career counselling Social will be stimulated services, to assist with CV and through the influx of job profile creation for 1. During construction, workers for the appropriate employees as far temporary and medium project, as well as the as possible. term employment will be increase of income for created. those working on the project, who are thus able to spend locally to a greater degree than before. Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: LOW -  No open fires are to be allowed The influx of workers on site; and new, temporary  Designated smoking areas are residents generally to be demarcated for coincide with an increase in local levels construction workers;  Members of the construction Social of crime. An increase team should be easily in fire risk also falls within this category. identifiable (through the use of 2. During construction uniforms or name badges) local safety and security  No firearms, alcohol, drugs or conditions may be trade should be allowed on site; affected.  Fines should be given for not adhering to rules and regulations in terms of conduct and safety.  Residents should be informed of the construction activities and

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schedules prior to the construction workforce entering the property.  Fence and access control to the construction camp site. Indirect impacts: - - - Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: MODERATE -  Ensure optimal traffic An increase in management systems in construction vehicles, traveling at low place during construction speeds, as well as  Reduce traffic impedance to stop-and-go functions as little as possible and reduced lanes will  Ensure all road safety result in significant road obstructions over signage has been placed at the construction the correct areas period.  A Traffic Management Plan (TMP) must be implemented during Project construction. Specific elements of the TMP could include the use of flaggers and temporary lane realignments to maintain through traffic,  Concrete barriers, signage to direct traffic movements, and Traffic impacts possible reduction of speed limits in construction zones. During construction, an increase in construction  The contractor should vehicles will impact the contact local emergency flow of traffic. service providers prior to the start of construction to ensure construction activities would not impede provision of emergency services within the Project area during the construction period.  Signs must be kept clean and well maintained if they are to be effective.  Press and radio releases are often a valuable means of warning drivers of what to expect at a site, thus minimising impatient and dangerous behaviour.  Workers who control traffic must be properly trained.  Traffic controllers must know

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where to stand, how to slow or stop traffic, and how to coordinate public and construction traffic movements.  Controllers should use two- way radio communication when visual contact between traffic controllers is not possible. Where the site is suitable and they are available, arrangements should be made to use temporary traffic signals to control traffic.  Traffic controllers and general road workers should wear suitable conspicuous clothing to ensure that they can be seen by motorists  Unnecessary traffic control signs or road markings must be removed as they tend to confuse motorists and make them careless.  Where vehicles are held up in queues, a worker might be appointed to talk with motorists, apologise for delays, estimate the length of the delay, and generally keep people informed.  Speed limits should be consistent with safe site operations and traffic movements. Compliance with reasonable speed limits will then be more likely - If motorists perceive a speed limit to be unrealistic, they are likely to disregard it.  A variety of devices and technology can provide information to motorists, including brighter, bigger electronic signs. These must be employed where reasonable.  A systematic preventative maintenance programme

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should be established for all trucks, plant, and vehicles.  All access points leading to the area where construction blasting works are carried out must be manned to prevent entry during blasting.  Managers should ensure that new employees are prepared to work in all types of traffic - They should feel comfortable using flagmen - workers who use flags to signal drivers and warn them that they're approaching a work site -and have enough road sense to never turn their back to oncoming traffic.  New workers should be taught how to manoeuvre around massive pieces of equipment and to safeguard a site for optimal security  Use protective equipment and personal protective gear (such as hard hats and steel- toed shoes).  Reflective clothing is also crucial, especially for night shift work.  Noise levels should be monitored at all times to prevent hearing loss - it is suggested that workers wear earmuffs or earplugs to shield their eardrums from high decibels. Indirect impacts: - - - Cumulative impacts: - - -

ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS Direct impacts: Loss of least MODERATE -  An Environmental Control Clearing of vegetation Officer (ECO) must be threatened and for road widening will vulnerable vegetation induce loss of appointed to oversee sensitive vegetation. construction activities; During construction,  Construction activities must clearing and grubbing, be limited to the absolute earthworks and vehicle necessary only in areas

71 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT movement will remove where fynbos vegetation is vegetation within the found. project area. Such  Less degraded Renosterveld vegetation loss patches (indicated as HIGH represents permanent sensitivity in Appendix A-5) vegetation and habitat loss from vulnerable must be avoided where Fynbos possible with activities in this vegetation type kept to a minimum. Indirect impacts: - - -

Cumulative impacts: - - -

Direct impacts: VERY HIGH -  Site camps & stockpile areas Clearing of vegetation must be placed on disturbed for road widening will places rather than on intact induce loss of critically natural vegetation. endangered vegetation.  Exclude herbicide use within the first 3m of the road from the hard surface, in favour of short brush cutting (15cm height);  Demarcated NO-GO zones should be avoided.  Vegetation should be cleared Loss of critically in a 1m wide strip adjacent to endangered vegetation the hardened road surface, while maintaining short During construction, perennial vegetation (100 mm) clearing and grubbing, within the next two metres earthworks and vehicle (shoulder). All remaining movement will remove vegetation between this vegetation within the safety/visibility shoulder and the project area. Such fence should be left in a natural vegetation loss state (i.e. no intervention), represents permanent barring the careful control of vegetation and habitat invasive species found therein. loss from already  Demarcate all sensitive critically endangered roadside vegetation prior to Renosterveld. commencement of activities.  Construction and maintenance crews must be trained on these conditions Indirect impacts: - - -

Cumulative impacts: - - -

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Direct impacts: MODERATE -  Vegetation clearance and Clearing of vegetation aquatic habitats must be and associated earthworks will result avoided as far as possible; in habitat loss  Should avoidance be impractical, harm to the environment shall be Loss of habitat minimised as far as possible.  Employ brush cutting rather During construction, the than ploughing, hoeing or loss of vegetation herbicide for fire breaks. coincides with the loss  Prune indigenous tree of faunal habitat, species using loppers or reducing breeding and saws where they pose safety rearing locales. threats. If their presence Endangered or rare faunal populations may compromises safety permanently disappear mandates entirely, fell and or diminish in size stump treat with appropriate herbicide; Indirect impacts: - - -

Cumulative impacts: - - -

Direct impacts: MODERATE -  Vegetation clearance and Increased soil erosion aquatic habitats must be and loss of agricultural avoided as far as possible; land (from land  Should avoidance be acquisitions into broader road reserve) impractical, harm to the will reduce soil fertility environment shall be minimised Loss of soil fertility and yield potential as far as possible.  Employ brush cutting rather During construction, loss than ploughing, hoeing or of clay and humid herbicide for fire breaks. fractions in topsoil from  Prune indigenous tree species erosion during using loppers or saws where construction will alter the they pose safety threats. If their soil fertility potential presence compromises safety within the region. mandates entirely, fell and stump treat with appropriate herbicide; Indirect impacts: - - -

Cumulative impacts: - - - Encroachment and Direct impacts: HIGH -  A Rehabilitation and Alien establishment of alien Disturbance from Management Plan must be vegetation construction activities developed and implemented will result in an during the construction phase to increase in invasive During construction, species along the reduce the establishment and invasive alien species roadside spread of undesirable alien are known to colonise plant species.

73 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT and establish in recently  Alien plants must be removed disturbed areas, due to from the site through the lessened appropriate methods such as competition and hand pulling, application of changed conditions. chemicals, cutting, etc. This Earthworks inevitably must be done under the lead to an increase in supervision of the ECO. invasive alien species, Indirect impacts: - - which reduced - biodiversity and ecological functions.

Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: HIGH -  Ensure that appropriate Clearing activities will stormwater structures are result in exposed soil, designed prior to construction thereby increasing and implemented during erosion potential throughout construction; construction phase.  Ensure that all road sections Indirect impacts: LOW - situated on slopes incorporate ecline in water quality stormwater diversion; from siltation of rivers.  Ensure that all stormwater structures are designed in line with both SANRAL and DWS requirements;  All the relevant permits must be obtained from DWS prior to commencement of any activities Soil erosion and onsite; this includes areas increase in erosion within 50m of a river/stream and potential areas within 500m of a wetland;  Develop and implement an During construction, Erosion Action Plan that aims to topsoil loss from soil monitor and respond to erosion erosion during events. earthworks will results  Rehabilitate disturbed areas as from construction soon as possible after activities. construction;  Regular monitoring for erosion after construction to ensure that no erosion problems have developed as result of the disturbance;  All erosion problems observed should be rectified as soon as possible, using the appropriate erosion control structures and vegetation techniques;  All cleared areas (not used for the development footprint) should be vegetated with indigenous perennial shrubs and grasses from the local area

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as soon as possible.  Natural vegetation (scrubs & trees) that was remove onsite may be uses as soil stabilizer by placing them on cleared areas if natural recovery is slow. Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: MODERATE -  Train all staff on site regarding Interactions between the proper management and construction staff, response should animals be vehicle movement and encountered; Animal fatalities laydown areas may  Search and clear the cause animal deaths. construction region prior to work During construction, commencing, relocating vehicles, crew and animals where found; materials may increase animal fatalities through  No animal shall be killed or hurt opportunistic hunting, where possible; collisions, accidents or  No hunting, baiting or trapping baiting and trapping. shall be allowed; Indirect impacts: - - - Cumulative impacts: - - - Disturbance of local Direct impacts: LOW -  Limit traffic speed on-site; fauna Construction vehicles,  Search and clear construction crew, noise, area prior to work commencing, vegetation clearing During construction, relocating animals where and light contribute to vibration, noise, smell, disturbance of fauna necessary. physical disturbance near the construction and habitat alteration region. from the presence of Indirect impacts: - - construction vehicles - and crew will disturb Cumulative impacts: - - local fauna. - Poor rehabilitation of Direct impacts:  Construction activities must be moderate and high Poor rehabilitation HIGH - limited to the designated sensitive areas may result from bad footprint of the road upgrade planning or route i.e. construction materials, implementation, During construction, leading to ecological vehicular storage, construction poor rehabilitation of harm. camps etc., should occur in an sensitive vegetation may area that has already been lead to the permanent disturbed or of low sensitivity loss of these and is at least 50m (but ecosystems as well as Indirect impacts: - preferably 100m) from a allow invading alien - watercourse. vegetation species to  The surveyed construction expand. footprint must be approved by an ECO to ensure that natural The removal of existing Cumulative impacts: HIGH - vegetation is not unnecessarily natural vegetation Loss of Renosterveld damaged. creates conditions that as a result of poor  Where vegetation has been favour the establishment rehabilitation will cleared, site rehabilitation in

75 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT of undesirable species increase the existing terms of soil stabilisation and in the area that are loss of 87% of re-vegetation must be typically very difficult to Renosterveld already undertaken. eradicate and may pose lost due to  A Rehabilitation and Alien a threat to neighbouring transformation in the area. Management Plan must be ecosystems. developed and implemented during the construction phase to reduce the establishment and spread of undesirable alien plant species.  Alien plants must be removed from the site through appropriate methods such as hand pulling, application of chemicals, cutting, etc. This must be done under the supervision of the ECO. Direct impacts: Direct impacts  The development area must be Habitat loss, LOW - surveyed prior to topsoil disturbance and direct removal in order to locate and Loss of animal SCC mortality may cause capture any animal SCC and the loss of animal relocate them. During construction, SCC in the study area.  Provide training for construction upgrading the N2 road workers on the contents of the section may result in the Indirect impacts: Indirect impacts Chain impacts from EMPr; permanent loss of LOW - trophic levels may  The contractor's workers must unidentified animal induce loss of even not poach or trap wild animals. SCC, especially around further species the river and drainage beyond the SCC line crossings. themselves. Cumulative impacts: - - -

Direct impacts: Direct impacts  The road upgrade route must Clearing of vegetation MODERATE - be surveyed prior to topsoil may results in the loss removal in order to locate plant of plant SCC. SCC and transplant them into the neighbouring undeveloped environment.  A Plant Rescue & Protection Loss of plant SCC Plan must be implemented and managed by a vegetation During construction, specialist familiar with the site in activities may consultation with the appointed permanently damage or ECO. remove plant SCC  There should be minimal species present on site. disturbance to Renosterveld areas as successful vegetation recovery will depend on the remaining vegetation.  Where vegetation has been cleared, site rehabilitation in terms of soil stabilisation and re-vegetation must be undertaken as soon as

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possible; Indirect impacts: - - - Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: Direct impacts  All aloes impacted by Due to widening on MODERATE - construction activities must be the south of the road, conserved and rescued. the loss of Aloe ferox  All rescued aloes must be populations will occur. transplanted to a suitable During construction, habitat or nursery for the activities my result in a duration of the construction loss of a small phase; population of Aloe ferox  All rescued aloes must be found onsite. replanted within the site where it was originally found or in close proximity during rehabilitation. Indirect impacts: - - - Cumulative impacts: - - - Activities my result in a Direct impacts:  The Agathosma orbicularis loss of a small Loss of vegetation in community must be clearly population of the road reserve will HIGH - demarcated prior to Agathosma orbicularis results in the loss of a commencement of construction found onsite small community of Agathosma activities. orbicularis.  This area must be demarcated as a NO-GO area during construction  No impact on this community will be allowed.  No relocation of this community or parts of the community will be considered.  Maintenance of the road reserve must exclude this section to allow the community to grow, flower & reproduce. Indirect impacts: - - - Cumulative impacts: - - - AQUATIC IMPACTS Disturbance and Direct impacts: Direct impacts  Authorisations must be alteration to surface Siltation, flow change HIGH - obtained from DWS prior to water regime and river bank commencement of any activities morphology change within 50m of a river, stream may result from the During construction, construction of the and dam and within 500m of a activities within a water larger culverts across wetland. body will result in a the two rivers.  A copy of the authorisation disturbance in surface must be kept onsite during water dynamics construction.

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Indirect impacts: - - -

Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: Direct impacts  Construction rubble must not be Improper bunding, MODERATE - left in or near rivers and and machinery that streams once construction has has not been been completed. maintained properly Water contamination will result in toxic  Rivers and streams in proximity substances being to the development must be During construction, transported to the returned to their natural state work within and near nearest rivers. once construction has been drainage channels and Indirect impacts: Indirect impacts completed. streams will lead to Increased aquatic MODERATE -  Construction site camps must contamination of those faunal mortality and be situated more that 100m water systems. general ecosystem from any water body. health decline for sensitive wetland or riverine regions Cumulative impacts: - - - OPERATIONAL PHASE GENERAL IMPACTS Direct impacts: Direct impacts  No mitigations Normal vehicle traffic MODERATE - may lead to the spillage of toxic Spillages of harmful substances (such as substances heavy metals, hydrocarbons, During the operational surfactants and oils) phase, normal vehicle which may negatively impact the traffic may negatively surrounding impact the surrounding environment and environment and biodiversity. biodiversity. Indirect impacts: - - -

Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: Direct impacts  Alien plants must be regularly The lack of an MODERATE - removed from site through effective alien appropriate methods such as vegetation hand pulling, application of  Control of alien management plan plant species may lead to large chemicals, cutting, etc. scale alien plant  Development and During the operational invasion implementation of a Vegetation phase, alien plants may Indirect impacts: Indirect impacts Management Plan for all road invade natural areas. Transport of vehicles MODERATE - reserves along the road will  Development and coincide with seed implementation of an Alien spread of invasive Vegetation Management Plan alien species, and for all road reserves subsequent

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establishment and range expansion.

Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: Direct impacts  No mitgations Improved design and Increase of road safety road capacity will LOW + improve the road During the operational safety for users. phase, the upgrade of Indirect impacts: - - the road will change - safety conditions Cumulative impacts: - - - Direct impacts: HIGH -  The Agathosma orbicularis Maintenance of the community must be clearly road reserve will demarcated at all times result in the loss of a  This area must be demarcated small community of Agathosma as a NO-GO Loss of plant SCC orbicularis.  Maintenance of the road reserve must exclude this Activities my result in a section to allow the community loss of a small to grow, flower & reproduce. population of  Agathosma orbicularis Indirect impacts: - - found onsite -

Cumulative impacts: - - -

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS (all impacts that are High or Very High pre-mitigation)

The proposed development will result in a number of impacts, both positive and negative, during the Planning and Design, Construction and Operation Phases. The following table provides a summary of the pre-mitigation impacts that were ranked as VERY HIGH NEGATIVE and HIGH NEGATIVE.

SIGNIFICANCE PRE- IMPACT MITIGATION Loss of critically endangered vegetation VERY HIGH - Stormwater Management HIGH - Sedimentation associated with earthworks HIGH - Encroachment and establishment of alien vegetation HIGH - Soil erosion and increase in erosion potential HIGH - Poor rehabilitation of moderate and high sensitive areas HIGH - Loss of plant SCC HIGH - Disturbance and alteration to surface water regime HIGH -

DISTRIBUTION OF IMPACTS

The following table provides a summary of the distribution of impacts in terms of High, Medium and Low significance, pre and post mitigation.

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Summary of impact assessment significance, pre- and post-mitigation [(+) = beneficial]

PRE-MITIGATION POST-MITIGATION VERY VERY LOW MODERATE HIGH LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH HIGH Planning - 6 1 - 7 - - - and Design 25 Construction 10 (+2) 13 8 1 6 - - (+3) 2 Operation (+1) 3 1 - 1 - - (+2)

TOTAL 13 22 10 1 39 7 0 0

As can be seen, the Very High impact could be mitigated to a Moderate level. High impacts (pre-mitigation) were for the most part able to be lowered to Moderate or Low levels with the implementation of appropriate mitigation measures.

A complete impact assessment in terms of Regulation 19(3) of GN 733 must be included as Appendix F. Please see Appendix F for a complete impact assessment.

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2. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

Taking the assessment of potential impacts into account, please provide an environmental impact statement that summarises the impact that the proposed activity and its alternatives may have on the environment after the management and mitigation of impacts have been taken into account, with specific reference to types of impact, duration of impacts, likelihood of potential impacts actually occurring and the significance of impacts.

The following alternatives were assessed as part of the Basic Assessment: • No-Go Option (no development option); and the • Preferred Option.

CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES

Alternative A (preferred alternative)

The following tables indicate the impact categories as determined by the specialists and the EAP after mitigation, and represent the anticipated best-case scenario impacts from this proposed development.

Assessment of the Preferred Option NATURE DESCRIPTION OF SIGNIFICANCE ISSUE OF IMPACT POST-MITIGATION IMPACT Legislation & policy Direct If the proposed Temporal: Permanent compliance. development is not Spatial: Study area consistent with relevant Severity: Slight During Planning & environmental policy Likelihood: May occur PLANNING AND DESIGN Design, the proposed and legislation, the development must environment may be LOW – comply with all relevant adversely impacted. legislation. Direct Inappropriate road Temporal: Permanent design may result in Spatial: Study area Stormwater traffic safety risks as a Severity: Slight Management result of inadequate Likelihood: May occur

storm water drainage During Planning & planning. LOW – Design, inappropriate Indirect May cause increased Temporal: Long-term road design will have levels of erosion, Spatial: Study area an impact on sedimentation and Severity: Slight stormwater conditions pollution of the Likelihood: Unlikely watercourses LOW –

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Bridge Design Direct Inappropriate bridge Temporal: Long Term designs can result in Spatial: Study area During Planning & the flow of rivers being Severity: Slight Design, inappropriate impeded and the Likelihood: May occur bridge design will have disturbance and an impact on stream erosion of the river LOW – conditions banks. Waste storage Direct The failure to plan for Temporal: Medium waste management Term During Planning & storage can lead to Spatial: Localised Design, the failure to unsanitary conditions & Severity: Slight plan for waste storage poor waste Likelihood: Unlikely will have an impact on management practices. the environment LOW – Soil erosion Direct Inappropriate Temporal: Medium stormwater design may Term During the planning lead to soil erosion Spatial: Localised and design phase, issues. Severity: Slight inappropriate road Likelihood: Unlikely stormwater design may have an impact on the LOW – natural environment Hazardous spillage Direct Substances stored Temporal: Permanent onsite may pollute soil Spatial: Study area During planning & should spillages or Severity: Slight design, hazardous containment problems Likelihood: May occur waste that is occur. generated, such as LOW - used bitumen, oils and offcuts could pollute surface and groundwater resources if it is not contained properly. Stormwater Direct Contaminants such as Temporal: Long term Management silt, sand and litter Spatial: Localised could be transported Severity: Slight CONSTRUCTION PHASE During construction, offsite via surface Likelihood: May occur inappropriate road runoff and contaminate design will have an the surrounding LOW – impact on stormwater environment. conditions Waste storage Direct : Construction rubble Temporal: Short term left onsite may attract Spatial: Localised During construction, vermin and encourage Severity: Slight

the failure to plan for the growth of Likelihood: Unlikely waste storage will have opportunistic alien an impact on the vegetation. LOW – environment

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Indirect Ongoing litter impacts Temporal: Short term from current use of Spatial: Study area highway will be Severity: Slightly reduced through beneficial cleaning operations by Likelihood: Will occur staff LOW + Dust generation Direct Dust impacts Temporal: Short term associated with the Spatial: Study area During construction, construction phase Severity: Slight dust generated by impacting local Likelihood: May occur clearing and grubbing, communities and earthworks and use of agricultural activities LOW – temporary access roads will impair breathing for locally located fauna, as well as inhibit photosynthesis and respiration of plants under high concentration. Elevated noise levels Direct Machinery, construction Temporal: Short term activities and staff all Spatial: Study area During construction, contribute to elevated Severity: Slight activities will increase noise levels during the Likelihood: May occur local noise levels and construction phase have an impact on LOW - existing residential and business areas Hazardous spillage Direct Substances used for Temporal: Permanent construction may Spatial: Study area During construction, pollute soil should Severity: Slight hazardous waste that spillages or Likelihood: May occur is generated, such as containment problems used bitumen, oils and occur. No go here LOW - offcuts could pollute represents vehicle oils surface and being washed into the groundwater resources surrounding if it is not contained environment.

83 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT properly. Indirect A reduction in water Temporal: Permanent quality as pollutants Spatial: Study area from current vehicle Severity: Slight use is washed into Likelihood: May occur rivers during rainfall events. This impact can LOW - only be mitigated during the construction phase, and is unavoidable during the operational phase. Light pollution Direct Construction crew, Temporal: Short Term vehicles, construction Spatial: Study area During construction, camps will increase Severity: Slight vehicles, camps and light in an around the Likelihood: May occur signage will increase construction area light levels in and temporarily during the LOW - around the construction phase construction region. Indirect Faunal disturbance Temporal: Short Term Should elevated levels from increased light Spatial: Study area occur for prolonged associated with Severity: Slight periods permanent construction activities Likelihood: May occur relocation of certain Cumulative impacts: faunal communities None anticipated LOW - may occur. - Sedimentation Direct Poor erosion control Temporal: Short term associated with and earthworks Spatial: Study area earthworks management will result Severity: Severe in increased runoff and Likelihood: May occur During construction, siltation in adjacent upgrading the N2 road streams and rivers MODERATE - as well as the bridges and culverts may cause increase levels of sedimentation and pollution into them.

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Direct Although no areas were Temporal: Short Term found which would Spatial: Study area have required a field Severity: Slight assessment along the Likelihood: May occur route between Riviersonderend and LOW - Caledon, construction activities, where Heritage impact excavation to bedrock levels occur, may During construction, impact on the activities may result in paleontological the destruction and/or sensitivity of the area. exposure of heritage Should any graves be sites like gravesites, found the mitigation artefacts & fossils. measures must apply.

Direct Employment will be Temporal: Short Term created during Spatial: Study area construction Severity: Slight Likelihood: May occur

Social LOW - Indirect The local economy will 1. During construction, be stimulated through temporary and medium the influx of workers for Temporal: Short Term term employment will the project, as well as Spatial: Study area be created. the increase of income Severity: Slight for those working on Likelihood: May occur the project, who are thus able to spend LOW + locally to a greater degree than before Direct The influx of workers Social and new, temporary Temporal: Short Term residents generally Spatial: Study area 2. During construction coincide with an Severity: Slight local safety and increase in local levels Likelihood: May occur security conditions of crime. An increase in may be affected. fire risk also falls within LOW - this category.

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Direct An increase in Temporal: Short Term Traffic impacts construction vehicles, Spatial: Study area traveling at low speeds, Severity: Moderate During construction, an as well as stop-and-go Likelihood: Definite increase in functions and reduced construction vehicles lanes will result in MODERATE - will impact the flow of significant road traffic. obstructions over the construction period. Loss of least Direct Clearing of vegetation Temporal: Short term threatened and for road widening will Spatial: Study area vulnerable vegetation induce loss of sensitive Severity: Slight vegetation Likelihood: May occur During construction, clearing and grubbing, LOW – earthworks and vehicle movement will remove vegetation within the project area. Such vegetation loss represents permanent vegetation and habitat loss from vulnerable Fynbos Loss of critically Direct Clearing of vegetation Temporal: Short term endangered for road widening will Spatial: Study area vegetation induce loss of critically Severity: Moderate endangered vegetation Likelihood: Probable During construction, clearing and grubbing, MODERATE- earthworks and vehicle movement will remove vegetation within the project area. Such vegetation loss represents permanent vegetation and habitat loss from already critically endangered Renosterveld.

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Loss of habitat Direct Clearing of vegetation Temporal: Short term and associated Spatial: Study area During construction, earthworks will result in Severity: Moderate the loss of vegetation habitat loss Likelihood: May occur coincides with the loss of faunal habitat, MODERATE - reducing breeding and rearing locales. Endangered or rare faunal populations may permanently disappear or diminish in size. Loss of soil fertility Direct Increased soil erosion Temporal: Short term and loss of agricultural Spatial: Study area During construction, land from road reserve Severity: Slight loss of clay and humid increase will reduce soil Likelihood: May occur fractions in topsoil from fertility and yield erosion during potential LOW - construction will alter the soil fertility potential within the region. Encroachment and Direct Disturbance from Temporal: Short term establishment of construction activities Spatial: Study area alien vegetation will result in an Severity: Slightly increase in invasive beneficial During construction, species along the Likelihood: Will occur invasive alien species roadside are known to colonise LOW + and establish in recently disturbed areas, due to the lessened competition and changed conditions. Earthworks inevitably lead to an increase in invasive alien species, which reduced biodiversity and ecological functions. Soil erosion and Direct Clearing activities will Temporal: Short term increase in erosion result in exposed soil, Spatial: Study area potential thereby increasing Severity: Slight erosion potential Likelihood: May occur During construction, throughout construction topsoil loss from soil phase LOW -

87 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT erosion during Indirect Decline in water quality Temporal: Short term earthworks will results from siltation of rivers Spatial: Study area from construction Severity: Slight activities. Likelihood: May occur

LOW - Animal fatalities Direct Interactions between Temporal: Short Term construction staff, Spatial: Study area During construction, vehicle movement and Severity: Moderate vehicles, crew and laydown areas may Likelihood: May occur materials may increase cause animal deaths. animal fatalities LOW - through opportunistic hunting, collisions, accidents or baiting and trapping. Disturbance of local Direct Construction vehicles, Temporal: Short Term fauna crew, noise, vegetation Spatial: Study area clearing and light Severity: Moderate During construction, contribute to Likelihood: May occur vibration, noise, smell, disturbance of fauna physical disturbance near the construction LOW - and habitat alteration region from the presence of construction vehicles and crew will disturb local fauna. Poor rehabilitation of Direct Poor rehabilitation may Temporal: Short Term moderate and high result from bad Spatial: Study area sensitive areas planning or Severity: Moderate implementation, leading Likelihood: May occur During construction, to ecological harm poor rehabilitation of LOW - sensitive vegetation Cumulative Loss of Renosterveld Temporal: Short Term may lead to the as a result of poor Spatial: Study area permanent loss of rehabilitation will Severity: Moderate these ecosystems as increase the existing Likelihood: May occur well as allow invading loss of 87% of alien vegetation Renosterveld already LOW - species to expand. lost due to transformation in the The removal of existing area. natural vegetation creates conditions that favour the establishment of undesirable species in the area that are typically very difficult to eradicate and may

88 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT pose a threat to neighbouring ecosystems. Loss of animal SCC Direct Habitat loss, Temporal: Short Term disturbance and direct Spatial: Study area During construction, mortality may cause the Severity: Slight upgrading the N2 road loss of animal SCC in Likelihood: May occur section may result in the study area. the permanent loss of LOW - unidentified animal Indirect Chain impacts from Temporal: Short Term SCC, especially trophic levels may Spatial: Study area around the river and induce loss of even Severity: Slight drainage line further species beyond Likelihood: May occur crossings. the SCC themselves. This is unlikely LOW - however, in the context of this project. Loss of plant SCC Direct Clearing of vegetation Temporal: Short Term may results in the loss Spatial: Study area 1. During construction, of plant SCC Severity: Slight activities may Likelihood: May occur permanently damage or remove plant SCC LOW - species present on site. Loss of plant SCC Direct Due to widening on the Temporal: Short Term south of the road, the Spatial: Study area 2. During construction, loss of Aloe ferox Severity: Slight activities my result in a populations will occur. Likelihood: May occur loss of a small population of Aloe LOW - ferox found onsite. Loss of plant SCC Direct Loss of vegetation in Temporal: Short Term the road reserve will Spatial: Study area 3. Activities my result results in the loss of a Severity: Slight in a loss of a small small community of Likelihood: May occur population of Agathosma orbicularis Agathosma orbicularis LOW - found onsite Disturbance and Direct Siltation, flow change Temporal: Short term alteration to surface and river bank Spatial: Study area water regime morphology change Severity: Severe may result from the Likelihood: May occur During construction, construction of the activities within a water larger culverts across MODERATE - body will result in a the two rivers disturbance in surface water dynamics

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Direct Improper bunding, and Temporal: Short Term machinery that has not Spatial: Study area been maintained Severity: Slight Water contamination properly will result in Likelihood: May occur

toxic substances being During construction, transported to the LOW - work within and near nearest rivers drainage channels and Indirect Increased aquatic Temporal: Short Term streams will lead to faunal mortality and Spatial: Study area contamination of those general ecosystem Severity: Slight water systems. health decline for Likelihood: May occur sensitive wetland or riverine regions LOW - Direct Normal vehicle traffic Temporal: Long term Spillages of harmful may lead to the spillage Spatial: Localised substances of toxic substances Severity: moderate

(such as heavy metals, Likelihood: Probable During the operational hydrocarbons, phase, normal vehicle surfactants and oils) MODERATE - traffic may negatively which may negatively impact the surrounding impact the surrounding environment and environment and biodiversity. biodiversity. Direct The lack of an effective Temporal: Long Term

OPERATIONAL PHASE alien vegetation Spatial: Project Level management plan may Severity: Slight Control of alien plant lead to large scale alien Likelihood: Unlikely species plant invasion LOW - During the operational Indirect Transport of vehicles Temporal: Short Term phase, alien plants along the road will Spatial: Study area may invade natural coincide with seed Severity: Slightly areas. spread of invasive alien beneficial species, and Likelihood: Definite subsequent establishment and LOW + range expansion Increase of road Direct Improved design and Temporal: Short term safety road capacity will Spatial: Study area improve the road safety Severity: Slight During the operational for users Likelihood: Definite phase, the upgrade of the road will change LOW + safety conditions

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Loss of plant SCC Direct Maintenance of the Temporal: Short Term road reserve will Spatial: Study area Activities my result in a results in the loss of a Severity: Slight loss of a small small community of Likelihood: May occur population of Agathosma orbicularis Agathosma orbicularis LOW - found onsite

Alternative B

Alternative C

No-go alternative (compulsory)

A summary of the impact categories for the No-Go Option is presented in the impacts tables in the section above. Please note that no mitigation has been provided for the No- Go Option.

SIGNIFICANCE ISSUE & IMPACT IMPACT SUMMARY NO-GO OPTION Control of alien plant Direct impacts: NONE species The lack of an effective alien vegetation management plan During the operational may lead to large scale alien phase, alien plants may plant invasion invade natural areas. Indirect impacts: Temporal: Short term Transport of vehicles along the Spatial: Study area road will coincide with seed Severity: Severe spread of invasive alien Likelihood: Probable species, and subsequent establishment and range MODERATE - expansion Cumulative impacts: NONE None anticipated Increase of road safety Direct impacts: Temporal: Permanent Lack of improvement in the Spatial: Study area During the operational design and road capacity will Severity: Severe phase, the lack of road continue to decrease the road Likelihood: Definite upgrades will change safety safety for users conditions HIGH –

(represents ongoing road deterioration) Indirect impacts: NONE None anticipated Cumulative impacts: NONE None anticipated

The No-Go Option is represented by the development not proceeding, and current road to persist into the indefinite future. While many of the project-related impacts will thus be

91 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT absent, the notable societal benefits will also be removed. Additionally, the option of continued agriculture is not without its own impacts, stemming mainly from plant and animal SCC loss through disturbance, mortality and habitat loss, as well as creation of an environment for the proliferation of invasive alien plant species.

While this option still has less impact than the overall project related impacts (regardless of which alternative is selected), the loss of societal benefit makes this the less attractive option, especially in the light of the fact that this project proceeding will not reduce the agricultural potential and capacity already present within the project area. It is the opinion of the EAP that this option is not entered into, and rather the preferred option be implemented.

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SECTION E. RECOMMENDATION OF PRACTITIONER

Is the information contained in this report and the documentation attached hereto sufficient to make a decision in respect of the activity applied for (in the view of the YES NO environmental assessment practitioner)?

If “NO”, indicate the aspects that should be assessed further as part of a Scoping and EIA process before a decision can be made (list the aspects that require further assessment). Not Applicable

If “YES”, please list any recommended conditions, including mitigation measures that should be considered for inclusion in any authorisation that may be granted by the competent authority in respect of the application. Comparison of the No-Go Option and the Preferred Option NO-GO OPTION PREFERRED OPTION Significance Preferred Impact Significance No-Go Option Post- Option Mitigation PLANNING AND DESIGN PHASE Legislation & policy compliance. Direct Direct NONE LOW - Stormwater Management Direct Direct NONE LOW - Indirect Indirect NONE LOW - Bridge Design Direct Direct NONE LOW - Waste storage Direct Direct NONE LOW - Soil erosion Direct Direct NONE LOW - Hazardous spillage Direct Direct NONE LOW - CONSTRUCTION PHASE Stormwater Management Direct Direct NONE LOW - Direct Direct Waste storage NONE LOW - Indirect Indirect NONE LOW + Dust generation Direct Direct NONE LOW - Elevated noise levels Direct Direct NONE LOW - Direct Direct Hazardous spillage NONE LOW - Indirect Indirect NONE LOW - Direct Direct Light pollution NONE LOW -

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Indirect Indirect NONE LOW - Sedimentation associated with earthworks Direct Direct NONE MODERATE - Heritage impact Direct Direct NONE LOW - Direct Direct Social NONE LOW - Indirect Indirect NONE LOW + Traffic impacts Direct Direct NONE MODERATE - Loss of least threatened and vulnerable vegetation Direct Direct NONE LOW - Loss of critically endangered vegetation Direct Direct NONE MODERATE - Loss of habitat Direct Direct NONE MODERATE - Loss of soil fertility Direct Direct NONE LOW - Encroachment and establishment of alien vegetation Direct Direct NONE LOW + Direct Direct Soil erosion and increase in erosion potential NONE LOW - Indirect Indirect NONE LOW - Animal fatalities Direct Direct NONE LOW - Disturbance of local fauna Direct Direct NONE LOW - Direct Direct Poor rehabilitation of moderate and high sensitive NONE LOW - areas Cumulative Cumulative NONE LOW - Loss of animal SCC Direct Direct NONE LOW - Direct Direct Loss of plant SCC NONE LOW - Direct Direct NONE MODERATE - Disturbance and alteration to surface water regime Direct Direct NONE LOW - Direct Direct Water contamination NONE LOW - Indirect Indirect NONE LOW - OPERATIONAL PHASE Spillages of harmful substances Direct Direct NONE MODERATE - Control of alien plant species Indirect Indirect MODERATE LOW + Increase of road safety Direct Direct HIGH - LOW +

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Loss of plant SCC Direct Direct LOW- LOW - L M H VH L M H VH TOTAL 30 0 1 1 0 7 0 0 (+5)

OPINION OF THE EAP:

EOH Coastal and Environmental Services (the EAP) hereby provides the following opinion concerning the proposed upgrade of Section 3 of the N2 National Route from Caledon to Riviersonderend.

It is the opinion of EOH Coastal and Environmental Service that NO FATAL FLAWS are associated with the proposed upgrade of Section 3 of the N2 and that all impacts can be adequately mitigated to reduce the risk or significance of impacts to an acceptable level, provided all recommendations contained in the specialist reports and Environmental Management Programme are strictly adhered to.

It is the opinion of EOH CES that the Basic Assessment Report contains sufficient information to allow DEA to make an informed decision.

It is the recommendation of the EAP that the SANRAL N2 Section 3 road upgrade between Caledon and Riviersonderend project can be considered acceptable from an environmental perspective. Based on the nature and extent of the proposed project, the potential impacts associated with the proposed project can be mitigated to an acceptable level. As such, it can be authorised for the preferred alternative (alternative 1), provided that all mitigation measures as stated below are strictly adhered to. WULA recommendations must be read in conjunction with this document, but was not available at the time of writing.

Mitigation measures:

Planning and design phase  The development must adhere to the relevant legislation and/or policy, e.g. ECBCP, Municipal By-laws, SDFs, etc.  Flood attenuation and storm water management plans must be drawn up by a qualified engineer and approved by DEA, the ECO and DWS.  The road engineer must ensure that appropriate stormwater structures are included in the road design to manage stormwater and to minimise erosion and sedimentation of watercourses.  The road engineer must ensure that all road sections situated on slopes incorporate stormwater diversion.  The road engineer must ensure that all stormwater structures are designed in line with both SANRAL and DWS requirements.  If any planned construction takes place inside or within 50m of any watercourse, authorisation must be obtained from DWS.  Bridge design must not impede the flow of water or cause erosion in the rivers/streams.  Proper drainage of stormwater must be away from the bridges.  The bridge design must comply with DWS standards and WULAs must be submitted where necessary.  A proper Waste Management Plan must be designed  Appropriate stormwater structures must be designed and implemented.  All road sections situated on slopes must incorporate stormwater diversions.  Hazardous Chemical Substances Regulations promulgated in terms of the Occupational

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Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 and the SABS Code of Practise must be adhered to. This applies to solvents and other chemicals possibly used during the construction process.  Contaminated soil must either be excavated or treated on-site, depending on the nature and extent of the spill.  The ECO must determine the precise method of treatment of polluted soil. This could involve the application of soil absorbent materials or oil-digestive powders to the contaminated soil.  If a spill occurs on an impermeable surface such as cement or concrete, the surface spill must be contained using oil absorbent materials.  Contaminated remediation materials must be carefully removed from the area of the spill so as to prevent further release of petrochemicals to the environment, and stored in suitable containers until appropriate disposal.

Construction phase  The site must be managed in a manner that prevents pollution of drains, downstream watercourses or groundwater, due to suspended solids, silt or chemical pollutants.  Temporary cut-off drains and berms may be required to capture storm water and promote infiltration.  The area must be monitored by an ECO on a regular basis.  Construction rubble should be disposed of in predetermined, demarcate, licenced spoil dump on a regular basis.  Design and implement a waste management plan.  Ensure sufficient waste disposal services are engaged for the duration of the construction phase;  Incorporate penalties and fines are imposed on contractors regarding undue litter and waste into the EMPr  Provide sufficient bins at regular intervals throughout the construction region and camp;  Implement a recycling programme and employ as few plastics as feasible in the construction camp and activities;  Introduce a litter clearance programme where litter is collected at the end of each working day within the immediate vicinity of all construction work for that day  Dust control methods must be employed during clearing and construction, using appropriate techniques such as: sprinkling, vegetation cover, calcium chloride coverings, adhesives, cyclone or filter collectors, mulch, wind breaks, tillage and stones or debris.  Limit vegetation clearing to areas only where and when necessary.  Limit clearing and grubbing activities to days with low wind speeds;  Limit vehicle speeds on-site;  Encourage use of paved routes as alternatives to unpaved roads  Noise control methods shall be employed where possible. These may include:  Selecting quieter equipment where feasible;  Maintaining all equipment in good working order;  Retro-fit selected equipment with dampening measures;  Erect barriers around the construction camp or work areas;  Provide all labourers with the appropriate PPE during work hours;  Employ improved technology where volume gains can be achieved;  Construction activity close to residential and business areas, which includes the movement of construction vehicles, should be restricted to normal working hours (7:00am - 17:00pm) unless approval is obtained from the community to work later.  Hazardous Chemical Substances Regulations promulgated in terms of the Occupational

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Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 and the SABS Code of Practise must be adhered to. This applies to solvents and other chemicals possibly used during the construction process.  Contaminated soil must either be excavated or treated on-site, depending on the nature and extent of the spill.  The ECO must determine the precise method of treatment of polluted soil. This could involve the application of soil absorbent materials or oil-digestive powders to the contaminated soil.  If a spill occurs on an impermeable surface such as cement or concrete, the surface spill must be contained using oil absorbent materials.  Contaminated remediation materials must be carefully removed from the area of the spill so as to prevent further release of petrochemicals to the environment, and stored in suitable containers until appropriate disposal.  Use lights only where and when required;  If any parts of site such as construction camps must be lit at night, this should be done with low-UV type lights (such as most LEDs), which do not attract insects and which should be directed downwards.  Develop a stormwater management plan to ensure compliance with regulations and prevent off-site migration of contaminated stormwater and sediment.  The road engineer must ensure that appropriate stormwater structures are included in the road design to manage stormwater and to minimise erosion and sedimentation of watercourses.  The road engineer must ensure that all road sections situated on slopes incorporate stormwater diversion.  The road engineer must ensure that all stormwater structures are designed in line with both SANRAL and DWS requirements.  Appropriate stormwater structures must be designed and implemented.  All road sections situated on slopes must incorporate stormwater diversions.  If excavations are going to impact on bedrock of the Lower Bokkeveld Group, a palaeontologist should be contracted to inspect the newly exposed bedrock.  If human graves are exposed, during the construction phase, all work activity in the vicinity must cease immediately, and the Western Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Agency, a Heritage Specialist and the SAPS need to be informed.  No activities may take place within 20m of visible gravesites.  Recruit local labour as far as possible;  Provide skills training schemes in order to upskill staff;  Provide career counselling services, to assist with CV and job profile creation for appropriate employees as far as possible.  No open fires are to be allowed on site;  Designated smoking areas are to be demarcated for construction workers;  Members of the construction team should be easily identifiable (through the use of uniforms or name badges)  No firearms, alcohol, drugs or trade should be allowed on site;  Fines should be given for not adhering to rules and regulations in terms of conduct and safety.  Residents should be informed of the construction activities and schedules prior to the construction workforce entering the property.  Fence and access control to the construction camp site.  Ensure optimal traffic management systems in place during construction  Reduce traffic impedance to as little as possible  Ensure all road safety signage has been placed at the correct areas  A Traffic Management Plan (TMP) must be implemented during Project construction. Specific elements of the TMP could include the use of flaggers and temporary lane

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realignments to maintain through traffic,  Concrete barriers, signage to direct traffic movements, and possible reduction of speed limits in construction zones.  The contractor should contact local emergency service providers prior to the start of construction to ensure construction activities would not impede provision of emergency services within the Project area during the construction period.  Signs must be kept clean and well maintained if they are to be effective.  Press and radio releases are often a valuable means of warning drivers of what to expect at a site, thus minimising impatient and dangerous behaviour.  Workers who control traffic must be properly trained.  Traffic controllers must know where to stand, how to slow or stop traffic, and how to coordinate public and construction traffic movements.  Controllers should use two-way radio communication when visual contact between traffic controllers is not possible. Where the site is suitable and they are available, arrangements should be made to use temporary traffic signals to control traffic.  Traffic controllers and general road workers should wear suitable conspicuous clothing to ensure that they can be seen by motorists  Unnecessary traffic control signs or road markings must be removed as they tend to confuse motorists and make them careless.  Where vehicles are held up in queues, a worker might be appointed to talk with motorists, apologise for delays, estimate the length of the delay, and generally keep people informed.  Speed limits should be consistent with safe site operations and traffic movements. Compliance with reasonable speed limits will then be more likely - If motorists perceive a speed limit to be unrealistic, they are likely to disregard it.  A variety of devices and technology can provide information to motorists, including brighter, bigger electronic signs. These must be employed where reasonable.  A systematic preventative maintenance programme should be established for all trucks, plant, and vehicles.  All access points leading to the area where construction blasting works are carried out must be manned to prevent entry during blasting.  Managers should ensure that new employees are prepared to work in all types of traffic - They should feel comfortable using flagmen - workers who use flags to signal drivers and warn them that they're approaching a work site -and have enough road sense to never turn their back to oncoming traffic.  New workers should be taught how to manoeuvre around massive pieces of equipment and to safeguard a site for optimal security  Use protective equipment and personal protective gear (such as hard hats and steel- toed shoes).  Reflective clothing is also crucial, especially for night shift work.  Noise levels should be monitored at all times to prevent hearing loss - it is suggested that workers wear earmuffs or earplugs to shield their eardrums from high decibels.  An Environmental Control Officer (ECO) must be appointed to oversee construction activities;  Construction activities must be limited to the absolute necessary only in areas where fynbos vegetation is found.  Less degraded Renosterveld patches (indicated as HIGH sensitivity in Appendix A-5) must be avoided where possible with activities in this vegetation type kept to a minimum.  Site camps & stockpile areas must be placed on disturbed places rather than on intact natural vegetation.  Exclude herbicide use within the first 3m of the road from the hard surface, in favour of short brush cutting (15cm height);

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 Demarcated NO-GO zones should be avoided.  Vegetation should be cleared in a 1m wide strip adjacent to the hardened road surface, while maintaining short perennial vegetation (100 mm) within the next two metres (shoulder). All remaining vegetation between this safety/visibility shoulder and the fence should be left in a natural state (i.e. no intervention), barring the careful control of invasive species found therein.  Demarcate all sensitive roadside vegetation prior to commencement of activities.  Construction and maintenance crews must be trained on these conditions  Vegetation clearance and aquatic habitats must be avoided as far as possible;  Should avoidance be impractical, harm to the environment shall be minimised as far as possible.  Employ brush cutting rather than ploughing, hoeing or herbicide for fire breaks.  Prune indigenous tree species using loppers or saws where they pose safety threats. If their presence compromises safety mandates entirely, fell and stump treat with appropriate herbicide;  The contractor must develop and implement an Erosion Action Plan.  Wind screening and stormwater control must be undertaken to prevent soil loss from the site.  All erosion control mechanisms must be regularly maintained.  Vegetation must be retained where possible to avoid soil erosion.  Construction must be phased in order to minimise the area of exposed soil at any one time.  Re-vegetation of disturbed surfaces must occur immediately after the construction activities are completed.  Disturbed areas of natural vegetation as well as cut and fills must be rehabilitated immediately to prevent further soil erosion.  A Rehabilitation and Alien Management Plan must be developed and implemented during the construction phase to reduce the establishment and spread of undesirable alien plant species.  Alien plants must be removed from the site through appropriate methods such as hand pulling, application of chemicals, cutting, etc. This must be done under the supervision of the ECO.  Ensure that appropriate stormwater structures are designed prior to construction and implemented during construction;  Ensure that all road sections situated on slopes incorporate stormwater diversion;  Ensure that all stormwater structures are designed in line with both SANRAL and DWS requirements;  All the relevant permits must be obtained from DWS prior to commencement of any activities onsite; this includes areas within 50m of a river/stream and areas within 500m of a wetland;  Develop and implement an Erosion Action Plan that aims to monitor and respond to erosion events.  Rehabilitate disturbed areas as soon as possible after construction;  Regular monitoring for erosion after construction to ensure that no erosion problems have developed as result of the disturbance;  All erosion problems observed should be rectified as soon as possible, using the appropriate erosion control structures and vegetation techniques;  All cleared areas (not used for the development footprint) should be vegetated with indigenous perennial shrubs and grasses from the local area as soon as possible.  Natural vegetation (scrubs & trees) that was remove onsite may be uses as soil stabilizer by placing them on cleared areas if natural recovery is slow.  Train all staff on site regarding the proper management and response should animals be encountered;

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 Search and clear the construction region prior to work commencing, relocating animals where found;  No animal shall be killed or hurt where possible;  No hunting, baiting or trapping shall be allowed;  Limit traffic speed on-site;  Search and clear construction area prior to work commencing, relocating animals where necessary.  Construction activities must be limited to the designated footprint of the road upgrade route i.e. construction materials, vehicular storage, construction camps etc., should occur in an area that has already been disturbed or of low sensitivity and is at least 50m (but preferably 100m) from a watercourse.  The surveyed construction footprint must be approved by an ECO to ensure that natural vegetation is not unnecessarily damaged.  Where vegetation has been cleared, site rehabilitation in terms of soil stabilisation and re-vegetation must be undertaken.  A Rehabilitation and Alien Management Plan must be developed and implemented during the construction phase to reduce the establishment and spread of undesirable alien plant species.  Alien plants must be removed from the site through appropriate methods such as hand pulling, application of chemicals, cutting, etc. This must be done under the supervision of the ECO.  The development area must be surveyed prior to topsoil removal in order to locate and capture any animal SCC and relocate them.  Provide training for construction workers on the contents of the EMPr;  The contractor's workers must not poach or trap wild animals.  The road upgrade route must be surveyed prior to topsoil removal in order to locate plant SCC and transplant them into the neighbouring undeveloped environment.  A Plant Rescue & Protection Plan must be implemented and managed by a vegetation specialist familiar with the site in consultation with the appointed ECO.  There should be minimal disturbance to Renosterveld areas as successful vegetation recovery will depend on the remaining vegetation.  Where vegetation has been cleared, site rehabilitation in terms of soil stabilisation and re-vegetation must be undertaken as soon as possible;  All aloes impacted by construction activities must be conserved and rescued.  All rescued aloes must be transplanted to a suitable habitat or nursery for the duration of the construction phase;  All rescued aloes must be replanted within the site where it was originally found or in close proximity during rehabilitation.  The Agathosma orbicularis community must be clearly demarcated prior to commencement of construction activities.  This area must be demarcated as a NO-GO area during construction  No impact on this community will be allowed.  No relocation of this community or parts of the community will be considered.  Authorisations must be obtained from DWS prior to commencement of any activities within 50m of a river, stream and dam and within 500m of a wetland.  A copy of the authorisation must be kept onsite during construction.  Construction rubble must not be left in or near rivers and streams once construction has been completed.  Rivers and streams in proximity to the development must be returned to their natural state once construction has been completed.  Construction site camps must be situated more that 100m from any water body.

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Operational phase

 Alien plants must be regularly removed from site through appropriate methods such as hand pulling, application of chemicals, cutting, etc.  Development and implementation of a Vegetation Management Plan for all road reserves  Development and implementation of an Alien Vegetation Management Plan for all road reserves  The Agathosma orbicularis community must be clearly demarcated at all times  This area must be demarcated as a NO-GO  Maintenance of the road reserve must exclude this section to allow the community to grow, flower & reproduce.

Road verge specific mitigation actions The following road verge management principles were adapted from Milton-Dean (2011a) and shall apply to this road section:

 Survey and demarcate sensitive roadside vegetation (See HIGH sensitivity regions in Figures 6.1-6.4 in the ecological report for demarcation from fieldwork);  Train construction and maintenance crews prior to roadwork regarding the demarcated NO-GO zones and the content of the EMPr;  Maintain perennial grass to a maximum height of 100 mm on mowed shoulders;  In most instances, employ brush cutting rather than ploughing, hoeing or herbicide for fire breaks.  In all instances, avoid stripping of all vegetation to expose soil – disturbed soil is more susceptible to invasive species establishment and will result in increased erosion;  Minimise management of natural (sensitive) vegetation, through;  Not clearing from the road to the fence, unless absolutely unavoidable (or contradictory to existing maintenance mandate);  Not mowing between shrubs in Western Cape vegetation types, specifically Renosterveld;  Limiting mowing to a 3m strip from the hard or sealed road surface;  Stump-application of herbicide in order to treat woody plants rather than foliar spray.  Seed carrying invasive species should be removed to an appropriate landfill site  Remove alien vegetation first;  Camp, stockpile & turn on disturbed places rather than on intact vegetation;  Exclude herbicide use within the first 3m of the road from the hard surface, in favour of short brush cutting (15cm height);  Prune indigenous tree species using loppers or saws where they pose safety threats. If their presence compromises safety mandates entirely, fell and stump treat with appropriate herbicide;  Entirely clear vegetation in a 1m wide strip adjacent to the hardened road surface, while maintaining short perennial vegetation (100 mm) within the next two metres (shoulder). Leave all vegetation between this safety/visibility shoulder and the fence in a natural state (i.e. no intervention), barring the careful control of invasive species found therein. Demarcated NO-GO zones should be avoided. No mowing beyond 3m from the road surface must be allowed to occur.

Management plans to be developed and implemented

The following plans need to be developed as part of the final EMPr and Project monitoring, incorporating all the issues, conclusions and recommendations of this report:

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 Stormwater & Contingency Management Plan;  Waste Management Plan;  Erosion Action Plan;  Road verge vegetation maintenance plan;  Rehabilitation Management Plan;  Alien Vegetation Removal Plan (for both construction and operational phase).

EAP recommendations

 This section of the N2 is underlain by formations of very high palaeontological sensitivity, including the the Lower Bokkeveld Group, Ceres Subgroup (e.g. Gydo, Voorsthoek, Hexrivier, Tra Tra, Gamka Formations) and Traka and Bidouw Subgroup (Karies Formation). Only a few kilometers are underlain by formations of unknown fossil sensitivity or by alluvium. Dr John Almond undertook a desktop study (2012) for the Optic Fibre Data Cable Project from GraaffReinet to Yzerfontein. He did not identify any areas which would have required a field assessment along the route between Riviersonderend and Caledon. However, if excavations are going to impact on bedrock of the Lower Bokkeveld Group, a palaeontologist should be contracted to inspect the newly exposed bedrock.  The EMPr should form part of the contract with the Contractor appointed to construct the proposed road upgrade, and must be used to ensure compliance with environmental specifications and management measures.  An independent Environmental Control Officer (ECO) should be appointed to monitor compliance with the specifications of the EMPr for the duration of the construction period.  An alien species monitoring and management plan should be developed for the construction phase and the first three years of operation, to ensure as little as possible establishment and maximum control of invasive species on site. This is important mainly due to the agricultural damage that spreading invasive species may have, in a predominantly agricultural setting.  Disturbed areas should be rehabilitated as soon as possible once construction is complete in an area.  Before construction clearing may commence, the area should be scanned for bird nesting sites or reptile and frog micro-habitats.  The developer should obtain all necessary permits prior to the commencement of construction.  All feasible mitigation measures recommended by the specialist’s studies should be strictly adhered to.  Final EMPr should be approved by DEA prior to construction. Is an EMPr attached? YES NO The EMPr must be attached as Appendix G.

The details of the EAP who compiled the BAR and the expertise of the EAP to perform the Basic Assessment process must be included as Appendix H.

If any specialist reports were used during the compilation of this BAR, please attach the declaration of interest for each specialist in Appendix I.

Any other information relevant to this application and not previously included must be attached in Appendix J.

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Gideon Raath NAME OF EAP

______SIGNATURE OF EAP DATE

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SECTION F: APPENDIXES

The following appendixes must be attached:

Appendix A: Maps

Appendix B: Photographs

Appendix C: Facility illustration(s)

Appendix D: Specialist reports (including terms of reference)

Appendix E: Public Participation

Appendix F: Impact Assessment

Appendix G: Environmental Management Programme (EMPr)

Appendix H: Details of EAP and expertise

Appendix I: Specialist’s declaration of interest

Appendix J: Additional Information

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Appendix A-1: Locality Map with access roads

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Appendix A-2: Route Plan Map – Intersecting Erven (75m buffer) in Caledon

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Appendix A-2: Route Plan Map – Intersecting Erven in Riviersonderend

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Appendix A-2: Route Plan Map – Intersecting Farm Portions (75m buffer) for the project area

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Appendix A-3: CBA & Protected Area Map for the project region

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Appendix A-4: Zoomed-in protected area map for the start intersection at Caledon

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Appendix A-5: Sensitivity map indicating the sensitivity of KM 0 – KM 16.5. Please note: no cultural and historical features present; Wetlands are also regarded as highly sensitive.

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Appendix A-6: Sensitivity map indicating the sensitivity of KM 17 – KM 32.5. Please note: no cultural and historical features present; Wetlands are also regarded as highly sensitive

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Appendix A-7: Sensitivity map indicating the sensitivity of KM 33 – KM 48.7. Please note: no cultural and historical features present; Wetlands are also regarded as highly sensitive

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Appendix A-8: Mucina & Rutherford vegetation map (2006) for the project region. Within the road reserve (project area), only remnant and degraded natural vegetation remains.

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Appendix B: Site photographs

East – West view of the proposed road upgrade from -34º11'03.12''S; 19º40'47.71''E

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West-North view of the proposed road upgrade from -34º11'03.12''S; 19º40'47.71''E

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North-East view of the proposed road upgrade from -34º11'03.12''S; 19º40'47.71''E

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Photographs were taken every few hundred metres along the N2, from the starting point at Caledon to Riviersonderend.

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Water Crossings and coordinates

Water crossing 1: RC1

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°13'37.98"S; 19°25'47.76"E

Distance from start: 70m Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 2: RC2

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°13'29.14"S; 19°28'22.38"E

Distance from start: 4230m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 3: RC3

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°13'35.72"S; 19°29'48.52"E

Distance from start: 6700m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 4: RC4

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°13'28.32"S; 19°30'53.37"E

Distance from start: 8810m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 5: RC5

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°13'31.11"S; 19°32'39.01"E

Distance from start: 11720m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 6: RC6

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°12'52.46"S; 19°33'33.91"E

Distance from start: 13660m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 7: RC7

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°12'46.04"S; 19°34'2.16"E

Distance from start: 14460m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 8: RC8

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°12'34.36"S; 19°34'14.10"E

Distance from start: 14940m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 9: RC9

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°12'23.50"S; 19°34'31.60"E

Distance from start: 15500m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 10: RC10

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°12'25.23"S; 19°34'47.72"E

Distance from start: 15930m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 11: RC11

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°12'20.79"S; 19°35'18.85"E

Distance from start: 16780m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 12: RC12

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°12'14.70"S; 19°35'36.46"E

Distance from start: 17280m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 13: RC13

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°11'54.55"S; 19°37'54.71"E

Distance from start: 21060m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 14 – Droogas River: RC14

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°11'3.29"S; 19°40'47.69"E

Distance from start: 26060m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 15: RC15

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°11'2.63"S; 19°41'45.48"E

Distance from start: 27630m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 16: RC16

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°11'3.54"S; 19°43'0.97"E

Distance from start: 29630m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 17: RC17

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°10'32.51"S; 19°46'29.95"E

Distance from start: 35440m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 18: RC18

GPS Co-ordinates: 34°10'7.33"S; 19°48'13.30"E

Distance from start: 38210m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 19: RC19

GPS Co-ordinates: 34° 9'56.55"S; 19°49'17.15"E

Distance from start: 39870m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 20 – MaandagSout River: RC20

GPS Co-ordinates: 34° 9'40.09"S; 19°50'56.12"E

Distance from start: 42470m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 21: RC21

GPS Co-ordinates: 34° 9'30.87"S; 19°51'50.93"E

Distance from start: 43830m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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Water crossing 22: RC22

GPS Co-ordinates: 34° 9'17.70"S; 19°53'7.62"E

Distance from start: 45900m

Aerial photo:

Upstream view: Downstream view:

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APPENDIX H – DETAILS OF EAP AND EXPERTISE

Coastal and Environmental Services (CES), trading as EOH Coastal & Environmental Services Physical Address (Head Office): 67 African Street, Grahamstown 6139 Physical Address (Branch): The Point, Suite 408, 4th Floor, 76 Regent Road, Sea Point 8005 Postal Address: P.O. Box 934, Grahamstown 6140 Telephone: +27 46 622 2364 (Head Office); +27 21 045 0900 (Branch) Fax: +27 46 622 6564 Website: www.cesnet.co.za Email: [email protected]

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRACTITIONER FOR THIS PROJECT Name and surname Dr Anthony Mark Avis Email [email protected] Cell 082 783 6393 Landline 021 045 0902 Title Managing Director Branch

EOH Coastal & Environmental Services is a South African based company, established in 1990, to service the field of Environmental Management and Impact Assessment. Our principal area of expertise is in assessing the impacts of development on the natural, social and economic environments through, among other instruments, the EIA process, and in so doing contribute towards sustainable development. Provided below are summarised qualifications for each of the team members involved in the EIA process. A full Curriculum Vitae (CV) for the EAP, Marc Hardy, is provided below.

Dr Ted Avis (Role: Environmental Assessment Practitioner, Project Leader and Reviewer) Managing Director, is a leading expert in the field of Environmental Impact Assessments, having project-managed numerous large-scale EIAs to international standards (e.g. World Bank and International Finance Corporation). Ted has also project managed and provided professional input to the State of Environment reports and Strategic Environmental Assessments produced by CES.

Mr Roy de Kock (Role: Report Production, Project Management) Mr Roy de Kock, Cand. Nat. Sci. Roy is a Senior Consultant holding a BSc Honours in Geology and an MSc in Botany from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth. His MSc thesis focused on Rehabilitation Ecology using an open- cast mine as a case study. He has been working for CES since 2010, and is based at the East London branch where he focuses on Ecological and Agricultural Assessments, Geological and Geotechnical analysis, Environmental Management Plans, mining applications and various environmental impact studies. Roy has worked on numerous projects in South Africa, Mozambique and Malawi.

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Mr Gideon Raath (Role: Ecological Specialist, Report Production and Public Participation, Client liaison) Gideon, Environmental Consultant, holds an MSc (Geography and Environmental Management; SU), a BSc Honours (Ecology and Environmental Studies - Cum laude; Wits) and a BSc (Geography and Environmental Management; UJ). His MSc thesis focussed on the hydrological impact on the spatial distribution of invasive Eucalyptus trees along the Breede River, while his honours thesis evaluated ethnobotanical relationships around the Rio Tinto copper mine in Phalaborwa. Most recently he has worked Monitoring & Evaluation Project Manager for the City of Cape Town's invasive species unit. Gideon works from the Cape Town office, and is interested in invasion ecology and the management of groundwater pollution through phytoremediation.

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CURRICULUM VITAE - ANTHONY MARK AVIS (DR)

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name of Staff: Dr Anthony Mark (Ted) Avis Date of Birth: 26 September 1960 Profession: Environmental Consultant and Managing Director of EOH Coastal & Environmental Services Name of Firm: EOH Coastal & Environmental Services Years with Firm/Entity: 26 years Nationality: South African Married since 1986: Wife Cheryl. Two Children. Jonathan - Born 1996; Luke - born 2002

QUALIFICATIONS

1983: BSc 1984: BSc (Honours) 1992: PhD (Rhodes)

DISSERTATION

Coastal Dune Ecology and Management in the Eastern Cape

ASSOCIATIONS

 Royal Society of South Africa  Certified Environmental Assessment Practitioner (since 2002)  South African Association of Botanists (SAAB)  Registered with South African Council for Natural Scientific Professionals  South African Institute of Ecologists and Environmental Scientists  International Association of Impact Assessment

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT  MEC Representative on the Board of the Albany Museum of Natural History (2001 – 2009).  Member of Grahamstown Round Table service club (1994 -2001)  Chairman, Grahamstown Trust (1989 – 1997)  Member of the St Andrews Preparatory School Board of Governors (2009 - 2013)  Chairman, St Andrews Preparatory School Board of Governors (2013)

NOTED ACHIEVEMENTS

 Publication of three manuscripts in refereed journals from research undertaken whilst an undergraduate student.

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 Involvement as a principal consultant and coordinator of all specialist studies undertaken as part of the St Lucia EIA, being the youngest member of a team of 30 scientists involved in this project.  Awarded the South African Association of Botanists Junior Medal. This is awarded to the candidate with the best PhD thesis in Botany for the particular year under review (1993).  Instrumental in establishing the Environmental Science Programme at Rhodes University (in 1996), which later became the Environmental Science Department (2000)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1998 – present: Full-time Managing Director of Coastal & Environmental Services and EOH CES. 1989 – 1997: Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in Botany at Rhodes University. Private environmental consultant and partner of Coastal & Environmental Services (CES, established January 1990). 1987 – 1988: Ecological Consultant with Loxton Venn and Associates, responsible for vegetation, soils and land surveys; veld conditions assessments and EIAs. 1983 – 1987: Full time research in plant ecology, including coastal management studies and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).

CONSULTING EXPERIENCE

I have consulted in Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Zambia. Environmental consulting experience, in no particular order, includes:

SELECTED LARGE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 1. Principal consultant for the specialist studies for the Environmental Impact Assessments of proposed dune mining on the Eastern Shores of Lake St Lucia. 2. Overall responsibility as EIA project manager for all environmental aspects of Billiton’s TiGen mineral sand mining operations in Mozambique, to produce an EIA that meets international standards. 3. EIA project manager for the Corridor Sands mineral sand mining project in southern Mozambique, to produce four EIAs to World Bank standards for the project’s bankable feasibility study. EIAs produced for the mine site and smelter, the 400Kv power line, the 87km rail route and a bulk cargo facility at Matola Port. All these EIAs included the preparation of Environmental Management Plans. 4. EIA project manager for Tiomin Resources Inc (Toronto, Canada) for their Kwale mineral sands project in southern Kenya. Responsible for producing all six volumes of the EIA, regarded as the most comprehensive in Kenya to date.

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5. EIA project manager for the EIA to support the rezoning of land to special purposes for the establishment of the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ). 6. EIA project manager for the EIA to support the rezoning of land to special purposes for the establishment of the East London IDZ. 7. Numerous small-scale Scoping Reports as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment Process and in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Conservation Act. 8. Pre-feasibility Environmental Impact Assessments, including one for BHP’s mineral sand mining project in northern Mozambique, and similar projects in south-west Madagascar and Mozambique. 9. Study leader for a comprehensive EIA for the World Bank funded 400Kv Mozambique Malawi Interconnector project power line, Malawi sector. 10. EIA for a dedicated haul road, material handling facility and jetty near Praia de Xai Xai, Mozambique for WMC Resources, Australia. 11. EIA Project Manager for the Nuclear Materials Authority of Egypt, to prepare the EIA as part of the Downer EDI Feasibility Study Team. (2007). 12. EIA for a large scale resort development, including two golf courses and three hotels in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. (Ongoing). 13. EIA for the Madiba Bay resort development, incorporating the development of various portions of land within a 5000 hectare site for a range of resort type facilities. (2005 – 2008). 14. Study Leader for an EIA for a large heavy mineral mining project in South West Madagascar for Exxaro (2006 – 2008). 15. Study Leader for an EIA for a proposed heavy mineral mine on the shores of Lake Malawi near Chipoka. (2005 – 2006). 16. Study Leader for an ESIA for a proposed large scale integrated tourism resort development in the Eastern Cape (2007 – 2008). 17. Environmental and Social consultants to the International Finance Corporation for the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower project, Zambia. 18. Study Leader for an Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment for a proposed large sugar cane to ethanol biofuel project in Sierra Leone for Addax Bioenergy, Geneva (2009 - 2010). 19. Study Leader for an ESHIA for a proposed large scale Jatropha biofuels project in Mozambique (2009 - 2010). 20. Study leader for Environmental Impact Assessment for a proposed large scale copper and nickel mine in the North West Province of Zambia (2010). 21. Lead consultant for an addendum Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed expansion of a heavy mineral mining project in Nampula Province, Mozambique (2010). 22. Quality control reviewer for approximately 8 EIA’s for various Windfarm Projects in South Africa (2009 – 2010). 23. Study leader for an ESHIA for a proposed large scale palm oil plantation in Sierra Leone (2010). 24. Study leader for ESIA for a rare earths mine in Kangankula, Malawi for the Lynas Corporation. 25. Study leader for ESIA for a large scale copper mine in the North West Province of Zambia for First Quantum Minerals (2011). 26. Study leader for an ESIA for a proposed Cement Plant and for a proposed Limestone quarry in southern Mozambique (2012).

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27. Study Leader for an Environmental Impact Assessment of the Mooi-Mgeni Transfer Scheme – Phase 2, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa for TCTA (2012). 28. Study leader for an ESHIA for two proposed large scale palm oil plantation and estate in Liberia, compliant with international sector specific guidelines. For EP Oil (2012). 29. Study leader for an ESHIA for a proposed large scale forestry plantation in Niassa Province, Mozambique for Niassa Green Resources and to be compliant with international sector specific guidelines (2010). 30. Study leader for an EIA for a proposed golf course in Makana District, South Africa (2012) 31. Study leader for an EIA for a proposed housing and residential estate in Makana District, South Africa (2012). 32. Study Leader for an ESHIA for a heavy mineral mining project in South West Madagascar for World Titanium Resources (2011 - 2013). 33. Study Leader for an ESHIA for a heavy mineral mining project on the West Coast of South Africa for Zirco Resources (2013 - 2015). 34. Study Leader for an ESHIA for the proposed Balama Graphite Mine in the Cabo Delgado Province, District of Balama in northern Mozambique prepared for Syrah Resources, Australia (2013 - 2015). 35. Study Leader for the Tete Iron Ore project ESHIA located in Tete province, Mozambique for Baobab Resources and Capitol Resources Lda (2013 - 2016). 36. Study Leader for an ESHIA for the Nicanda Hills Graphite mining project in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique for Triton Resources, Perth (2015 - 2016) 37. Study Leader for an EIA for the proposed Riemvasmaak Hydropower Station in the Augrabies Falls National Park, undertaken for HydroSA (2015-2016). 38. Study Leader for an ESHIA for the Ancuabe Hills Graphite mining project in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique for Triton Resources, Perth (2015 - 2016 39. Study Leader for an ESHIA for a tin mine in North Kivu province, DRC for Alphamin Resources (2015 - 2016). 40. Study Leader for an EIA for a floating power plant, Port of Ngqura, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Prepared as part of the Independent Power Producers Programme on behalf of the Department of Energy’s IPP Office and Transnet (2015- 2106). 41. Study Leader for an EIA to facilitate the import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at the Port of Ngqura, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Prepared as part of the Independent Power Producers Programme on behalf of the Department of Energy’s IPP Office and Transnet (2015-2106).

POLICY AND STRATEGIC ASSESSMENTS 1. The development of the Eastern Cape Coastal Management Plan, to be adopted as policy by the Eastern Cape Government 2. Study leader for the preparation of a State of Environment Report, and Environmental Implementation Plan for the Amatole District Municipality, covering an area of approximately 25 000 km2. 3. Reports on ecological assessments of the damage caused to the environment by alleged illegal developments along the former Transkei coastline. 4. Study leader and project manager for the preparation of a World Bank/Global Environmental Facility funded geographic Strategic Environmental Assessment

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of the proposed greater Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa. 5. A Strategic Environmental Assessment of four land use options in the Centane district of the Wild Coast. 6. SEA covering an area half the size of the Eastern Cape (former Transkei) to identify where afforestation projects could be implemented on a sustainable basis for poverty alleviation. Prepared for the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (2006 – 2007). 7. Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan for the Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape South Africa, including numerous Management Plans for estuaries, beaches etc. (2006 – 2007). 8. A Sustainability Analysis of various land use alternatives to determine optimum land use for the future rehabilitation of lease areas at Richards Bay Minerals. (2006). 9. State of Environmental Report and Environmental Management System for the Ukhulambe District Municipality. (2005). 10. Strategic Environmental Overview for two integrated tourism anchor projects in Mozambique for the International Finance Corporation (2010).

ECOLOGICAL 1. Ecological impact assessment for a proposed Zinc and Phosphoric Acid plant in the Eastern Cape. 2. Ecological specialist reports for the Coega Industrial Development Zone Strategic Environmental Assessment 3. Ecological impact assessment of proposed 800km Wild Coast N2 Toll Road, Eastern Cape. 4. Study leader for the ecological impact assessment of the Wild Coast Toll Road EIA, Eastern Cape and Kwazulu/Natal, South Africa (2004). 5. Study Leader for Baseline Ecological Surveys of coastal lease areas in southern Mozambique for Rio Tinto exploration (2008). 6. Pre-feasibility Ecological Survey of the Skeleton Coast to identify critical impacts linked to Diamond and Mineral Mining exploration (2008). 7. Coordinator for ecological investigations to establish a sound baseline prior to implementing an EIA, North West Province, Zambia (2011). 8. Study Leader for the assessment of the extent and conservation value of all forested areas along the Wild Coast within the former Transkei, on behalf of the Eastern Cape Parks Board (2011). 9. Study Leader for a biological and archaeological (including heritage) baseline and impact assessment study of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project – Phase II. Prepared for the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (2013-2014) 10. Study Leader for the preparation of the Nhangonzo Critical Habitat Biodiversity Assessment, Inhambane Province, Mozambique. Prepared for Sasol Petroleum Mozambique Limitada and Sasol Petroleum Temane Limitada (2015)

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 1. Project manager for a five-year rehabilitation programme of Samancor’s Chemfos mine on the West Coast. 2. Development of an Open Space Management Plan for the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), including the demarcation of open spaces, formulation of uses within the open space, integration with MOSS principles

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and developing guidelines and a business plan for the management of the open space system. 3. Preparation of numerous Environmental Management Programme Reports, in terms of the Minerals Act, for quarry operations in the Eastern Cape, including EMPRs for both the Eastern and Western Coega Kops. 4. Study Leader for the development of two detailed and definitive Environmental Management Plans for the construction of two large bridges across rivers in the Wild Coast, as part of the Wild Coast N2 Toll Road Project, for South African National Roads Agency Limited. (2006). 5. Joint Study Leader for the development of numerous Construction and Operational Phase Environmental and Social Management Plans for Tiomin’s proposed Kwale mineral mine in Kenya. 6. All ESIA’s mentioned above (items 1 to 41) included the preparation of comprehensive Environmental & Social Management Plans

OTHER 1. A position paper on the current ecological knowledge of the Eastern Cape Provincial Coastline: implications for planning and research. 2. Environmental training and teaching for a number of professional short courses, and at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Rhodes University. 3. Presented 29 conference papers and published 19 scientific articles in peer reviewed scientific journals. 4. Presented various courses on aspects of Environmental Impact Assessment, most notably as a key presenter on the EIA Short Course offered by CES since 2000. 5. Short course on Strategic Environmental Assessment offered to Rhodes Investec Business School MBA students. 6. Tools of Sustainable Coastal Zone Management. Short course (2 x 1-week courses) presented on behalf of NACOMA / World Bank. (Presenter on Coastal zone management and strategic environmental assessment). 7. Training course on the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Act. Four two day short courses presented to various Government and NGO stakeholders to introduce and explain the NEMA: Integrated Coastal Zone Management Act. Presented on behalf of DEA: Oceans & Coasts. [Study leader and lead presenter).

ANTHONY MARK AVIS

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APPENDIX J ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Table of linear coordinates every 250m, from start at Caledon to the end at Riviersonderend.

Latitude Longitude -34.227419° 19.428985° -34.227094° 19.431670° -34.226425° 19.434224° -34.224581° 19.435707° -34.223049° 19.437593° -34.222665° 19.440258° -34.222363° 19.442947° -34.222140° 19.445644° -34.222631° 19.448282° -34.223295° 19.450876° -34.223950° 19.453472° -34.224189° 19.456159° -34.224226° 19.458872° -34.224262° 19.461585° -34.224299° 19.464299° -34.224338° 19.467012° -34.224394° 19.469725° -34.224616° 19.472417° -34.225433° 19.474942° -34.226395° 19.477397° -34.227369° 19.479844° -34.228345° 19.482290° -34.229320° 19.484737° -34.229812° 19.487368° -34.229550° 19.490050° -34.228571° 19.492475° -34.227245° 19.494670° -34.226564° 19.497212° -34.227076° 19.499816° -34.228628° 19.501755° -34.230209° 19.503653° -34.230474° 19.506272° -34.229453° 19.508683° -34.228345° 19.511046° -34.226946° 19.513150° -34.225015° 19.514540° -34.223633° 19.516572° -34.223830° 19.519189° -34.225352° 19.521163° -34.226521° 19.523440° -34.226488° 19.526119° -34.225590° 19.528604° -34.224666° 19.531079°

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Latitude Longitude -34.223984° 19.533651° -34.224262° 19.536321° -34.224772° 19.538964° -34.225269° 19.541610° -34.225306° 19.544316° -34.224734° 19.546931° -34.223653° 19.549305° -34.222440° 19.551593° -34.221031° 19.553670° -34.218907° 19.554530° -34.217040° 19.555951° -34.215430° 19.557850° -34.214659° 19.560295° -34.214977° 19.562973° -34.214036° 19.565365° -34.212652° 19.567488° -34.211043° 19.569313° -34.209329° 19.571013° -34.207809° 19.573016° -34.206593° 19.575242° -34.206675° 19.577915° -34.207057° 19.580589° -34.207422° 19.583266° -34.207181° 19.585941° -34.206073° 19.588280° -34.204752° 19.590475° -34.204040° 19.593031° -34.204309° 19.595700° -34.204741° 19.598350° -34.204366° 19.601011° -34.203169° 19.603286° -34.201642° 19.605281° -34.200549° 19.607617° -34.200558° 19.610293° -34.201368° 19.612823° -34.201718° 19.615483° -34.201268° 19.618124° -34.200453° 19.620653° -34.199631° 19.623180° -34.199061° 19.625785° -34.198829° 19.628484° -34.198596° 19.631182° -34.198367° 19.633881° -34.198138° 19.636580° -34.197909° 19.639279° -34.197412° 19.641908° -34.196158° 19.644138°

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Latitude Longitude -34.194535° 19.646021° -34.192912° 19.647903° -34.191405° 19.649913° -34.190192° 19.652199° -34.188983° 19.654489° -34.187773° 19.656778° -34.186564° 19.659068° -34.185355° 19.661357° -34.184157° 19.663655° -34.182970° 19.665960° -34.182038° 19.668410° -34.181924° 19.671099° -34.182546° 19.673700° -34.183259° 19.676274° -34.183947° 19.678857° -34.184517° 19.681471° -34.184220° 19.684137° -34.183318° 19.686621° -34.182520° 19.689146° -34.182645° 19.691820° -34.183492° 19.694333° -34.184340° 19.696847° -34.185162° 19.699372° -34.185719° 19.701992° -34.185681° 19.704700° -34.185367° 19.707386° -34.185056° 19.710072° -34.184750° 19.712760° -34.184444° 19.715447° -34.184139° 19.718135° -34.183833° 19.720822° -34.183528° 19.723510° -34.183226° 19.726198° -34.182924° 19.728886° -34.182622° 19.731574° -34.182320° 19.734262° -34.182016° 19.736950° -34.181708° 19.739637° -34.181400° 19.742324° -34.181074° 19.745007° -34.180087° 19.747419° -34.178704° 19.749560° -34.177321° 19.751702° -34.175938° 19.753845° -34.174556° 19.755987° -34.173173° 19.758129° -34.171991° 19.760419°

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Latitude Longitude -34.171790° 19.763086° -34.172420° 19.765689° -34.172829° 19.768349° -34.174003° 19.770637° -34.175131° 19.772974° -34.175633° 19.775606° -34.175446° 19.778299° -34.174728° 19.780869° -34.173977° 19.783426° -34.173219° 19.785980° -34.172461° 19.788535° -34.171703° 19.791089° -34.170942° 19.793642° -34.170177° 19.796193° -34.169484° 19.798773° -34.169031° 19.801430° -34.168585° 19.804088° -34.168140° 19.806747° -34.167700° 19.809407° -34.167254° 19.812065° -34.166808° 19.814724° -34.166362° 19.817382° -34.165917° 19.820041° -34.165474° 19.822700° -34.165032° 19.825360° -34.164589° 19.828019° -34.164147° 19.830678° -34.163705° 19.833338° -34.163264° 19.835997° -34.162814° 19.838654° -34.162371° 19.841314° -34.161924° 19.843972° -34.161482° 19.846631° -34.161041° 19.849290° -34.160597° 19.851949° -34.160153° 19.854608° -34.159710° 19.857267° -34.159265° 19.859925° -34.158818° 19.862584° -34.158372° 19.865242° -34.157926° 19.867900° -34.157479° 19.870558° -34.157033° 19.873216° -34.156588° 19.875875° -34.156142° 19.878533° -34.155697° 19.881191° -34.155252° 19.883850°

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Latitude Longitude -34.154807° 19.886508° -34.154365° 19.889167° -34.153923° 19.891826° -34.153481° 19.894485° -34.153039° 19.897144° -34.152597° 19.899803° -34.152152° 19.902462° -34.151298° 19.904942° -34.149988° 19.907148° -34.149812° 19.909772° -34.150161° 19.912451° -34.150322° 19.913690°

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