Land Use Assessment for the Gourikwa to Blanco to Droërivier 400Kv Transmission Line, and Substations Upgrade
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LAND USE ASSESSMENT FOR THE GOURIKWA TO BLANCO TO DROËRIVIER 400KV TRANSMISSION LINE, AND SUBSTATIONS UPGRADE APRIL 2016 EXTERNALLY REVIEWED COMPILED BY: Envirolution Consulting (Pty) Ltd PO Box 1898 Sunninghill 2157 Tel: (0861) 44 44 99 Fax: (0861) 62 62 22 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.envirolution.co.za PREPARED FOR: Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. Eskom Transmission P.O.Box 1091 Johannesburg 20001 Tel: (011) 800 2706 Fax: 086 662 2236 COPYRIGHT WARNING With very few exceptions the copyright of all text and presented information is the exclusive property of Envirolution Consulting (Pty) Ltd. It is a criminal offence to reproduce and/or use, without written consent, any information, technical procedure and/or technique contained in this document. Criminal and civil proceedings will be taken as a matter of strict routine against any person and/or institution infringing the copyright of Envirolution Consulting (Pty) Ltd. EXTERNAL REVIEW ii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Project Background and Scope for Specialist Study 1 1.2 Project locality 1 1.3 Land requirements 1 2 GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE STUDY AREA 2 2.1 Towns along the routes 2 i. Eden District 2 ii. Great Brak River 2 iii. Klein Brak River 4 iv. Mossel Bay 4 v. Hartenbos 5 vi. George 6 vii. De Rust: 8 viii. Beaufort West: 9 ix. Dysselsdorp 10 x. Klaarstroom 10 xi. Willowmore 11 xii. Uniondale 11 xiii. Rietbron 12 xiv. Prince Albert 12 3 Infrastructure 13 3.1 Substations 13 3.1.1 Droërivier Substation 13 3.1.2 Gourikwa Substation 14 3.1.3 Blanco (Narina) Substation 14 3.2 Transmission lines Gourikwa to Blanco 15 3.2.1 Alternative 1, Pink/Red Corridor (Eskom Preferred Option) 15 3.2.2 Alternative 2, Blue Corridor 15 3.2.3 Alternative 3, Green Corridor 16 3.3 Transmission lines Blanco to Droerivier 16 3.3.1 Alternative 1, Red Corridor (Eskom Preferred Option) 16 3.3.2 Alternative 2, Blue Corridor 17 4 Infrastructure 18 4.1 Gourikwa to Blanco Project Land use features 18 4.1.1 Road and Rail 20 1 Gourikwa-Blanco-Droerivier Land Use Report 4.1.2 Farming 20 4.1.3 Tourism 23 4.1.4 Nature Reserves 28 4.1.5 New developments 30 4.2 Blanco to Droerivier Project Land Use Features 31 4.2.1 Natural areas 31 4.2.2 Road and Rail 32 4.2.3 Heritage features and Tourism 33 4.2.4 New developments 40 4.2.5 Farming 41 5 DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE IMPACTS 45 6 SUMMARY OF IMPACTS 48 APPENDIX A – AFFECTED FARMS Error! Bookmark not defined. Affected farms Gourikwa to Blanco Alterrnative 1 Error! Bookmark not defined. Affected farms Gourikwa to Blanco Alterrnative 2 Error! Bookmark not defined. Affected farms Gourikwa to Blanco Alternative 3 Error! Bookmark not defined. Affected farms Blanco to Droerivier Preferred Alternative 1Error! Bookmark not defined. Affected farms Blanco to Droerivier Preferred Alternative 2Error! Bookmark not defined. LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1. STUDY AREA GOURIKWA SUBSTATION AT MOSSEL BAY TO THE BLANCO SUBSTATION AT GEORGE ......... 1 FIGURE 2. STUDY AREA BLANCO SUBSTATION AT GEORGE TO THE DROËRIVIER SUBSTATION AT BEAUFORT WEST: . 2 FIGURE 3. EIGHT BELLS HOTEL IN THE RUITERBOS VALLEY NEAR MOSSEL BAY ............................................................ 2 FIGURE 4. GROOT BRAK RIVER AND SURROUNDING LAND USE ................................................................................... 3 FIGURE 5. KLEIN BRAK RIVER AND SURROUNDING LAND USE ..................................................................................... 4 FIGURE 6. MOSSEL BAY IN RELATION TO THE PROJECT AREA ....................................................................................... 5 FIGURE 7. HARTENBOS AND SURROUNDING LAND USE, SHOWING ALTERNATIVE 3 ................................................... 5 FIGURE 8. GEORGE AND SURROUNDING LAND USE, ALL ALTERNATIVES AT BLANCO .................................................. 6 FIGURE 9: SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF GEORGE (SOURCE: GEORGE IDP, 2014/15) ......................................................... 7 FIGURE 10. DE RUST AND SURROUNDING LAND USE, ALTERNATIVE 1 ......................................................................... 9 FIGURE 11. BEAUFORT WEST, NORTH EAST OF THE DROERIVIER SUBSTATION ........................................................... 9 FIGURE 12. DYSSELSDORP IN RELATION TO ALTERNATIVE 1 (B-D).............................................................................. 10 FIGURE 13. KLAARSTROOM AND SURROUNDING LAND USE, ALTERNATIVE 1 (B-D) .................................................. 10 FIGURE 14. WILLOWMORE AND SURROUNDING LAND USE, ALTERNATIVE 2 (B-D) ................................................... 11 FIGURE 15. UNIONDALE AND SURROUNDING LAND USE, ALTERNATIVE 2 (B-D)........................................................ 12 FIGURE 16. RIETBRON IN RELATION TO ALTERNATIVE 2 (B-D) .................................................................................... 12 FIGURE 17. DROËRIVIER SUBSTATION ......................................................................................................................... 13 FIGURE 18. BLANCO (NARINA) TRANSMISSION SUBSTATION PROPOSED SITES ...................................................... 14 FIGURE 19. MAANDAGKOP MINE IS LOCATED BETWEEN ALT 2 AND ALT3 (GB) ......................................................... 16 FIGURE 20. DEVELOPMENT ON FARMS OUTENIQUASBOSCH 149 & HARTENBOSCH 217, MONTE CHRISTO ECO- ESTATE ................................................................................................................................................................ 19 FIGURE 21. MAIN ROADS BETWEEN GOURIKWA AND BLANCO SUBSTATIONS .......................................................... 20 2 Gourikwa-Blanco-Droerivier Land Use Report FIGURE 22. MIXED FARMING AREAS (MARKED IN YELLOW AND RED) BETWEEN GOURIKWA AND BLANCO SUBSTATIONS ...................................................................................................................................................... 21 FIGURE 23. FARMING AND GUEST HOUSES ON THE ALTERNATIVE 1 LINE ................................................................. 22 FIGURE 24. FARMING ON OUDE UITKYK TO BE AFFECTED BY THE ALTERNATIVE 1 LINE ............................................ 22 FIGURE 25. FARMING ON DIEPE KLOOF AND OUDE UITKYK TO BE AFFECTED BY THE ALTERNATIVE 2 LINE .............. 23 FIGURE 26. THE FARMS GOEDEMOED AND HARTEBEESTKUIL (ALTERNATIVE 1 AND 2) ............................................ 24 FIGURE 27. GROOT BRAK RIVER AND SURROUNDINGS (ALTERNATIVE 2) ................................................................. 26 FIGURE 28. LOCATION OF HARTBEESKUIL DAM .......................................................................................................... 27 FIGURE 29. LOCATION OF KLIPHEUWEL DAMFIGURE 14. LOCATION OF WOLWEDANS DAM .................................... 27 FIGURE 28. LOCATION OF IRRIGATION DAM ............................................................................................................... 28 FIGURE 32. LOCATION OF GONDWANA GAME RESERVE FROM ALTERNATIVE 1 ....................................................... 29 FIGURE 33. VIEW OF GONDWANA GAME RESERVE LANDSCAPE ................................................................................ 30 FIGURE 34. LOCATION OF MAIN ROADS AND RAILWAYS ............................................................................................ 33 FIGURE 35. OLD WORLD CHARACTER OF THE TOWN KLAARSTROOM (ALTERNATIVE 1) ........................................... 34 FIGURE 36. LEI WATER SYSTEM STILL IN USE AT PRINCE ALBERT................................................................................ 35 FIGURE 37. ON THE PROPERTY OF DIE LETTERHUIS .................................................................................................... 36 FIGURE 38. THE OLD GOAL (ALTERNATIVE 2) PHOTO: WWW.THEGREATKAROO.COM .............................................. 37 FIGURE 39. FOUNTAIN AND POOL IN MEIRINGSPOORT (EAST OF ALTERNATIVE 1) ................................................... 38 FIGURE 40. OUDE KLOOF HISTORIC HOMESTEAD (ALTERNATIVE 1) ........................................................................... 39 FIGURE 41. PROPOSED SOLAR FARM TO THE SOUTH OF DROERIVIER SUBSTATION .................................................. 40 FIGURE 42. WIND FARM LAYOUT ................................................................................................................................ 41 FIGURE 43. ENTRANCE OF GAME FARM ALONG THE N12 (ALTERNATIVE 1) .............................................................. 42 FIGURE 44. DYSSELSDORP - OSTRICH FARM OF SAAG JONKER GROUP (ALTERNATIVE 1) .......................................... 42 FIGURE 45. FARMS ALONG ALTERNATIVE 1 ................................................................................................................ 43 FIGURE 46. EXISTING POWER LINES AT THE WABOOMSKRAAL FARM DAM (ALTERNATIVE 1) .................................. 43 FIGURE 47. WABOOMSKRAAL FARMING ACTIVITIES (ALTERNATIVE 1) ...................................................................... 44 FIGURE 48. KLIPKRANS FARMING ACTIVITIES (ALTERNATIVE 2) ................................................................................. 44 FIGURE 49. BLANCO TO DROËRIVIER ALTERNATIVE 1 FARMS ..................................................................................... 50 FIGURE 50. BLANCO TO DROËRIVIER ALTERNATIVE 2 FARMS ..................................................................................... 51 FIGURE 51. GOURIKWA BLANCO ALTERNATIVE