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A5. Faunal Specialist Report

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A5. Faunal Specialist Report Faunal statement in respect of an amendment to the Haga Haga Wind Farm Environmental Authorisation PREPARED FOR: CES: Environmental and Social Advisory Services Caroline Evans: Senior Environmental Consultant T · 046 622 2364 E · [email protected] DATED: 7 September 2020 PREPARED BY: Marius Burger Jonathan James Andrew Bell Trading as Sungazer Faunal Surveys NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd. T · n/a T · 021 702 2884 M · 083 231 7452 M · 072 037 3034 E · [email protected] E · [email protected] T · +27 21 702 2884 26 Bell Close, Westlake Business Park F · +27 86 555 0693 Westlake 7945, Cape Town NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd | Reg No: 2007/023691/07 | VAT No. 4450208915 REAL GROWTH FOR PEOPLE, PLANET AND BUSINESS www.ncc-group.co.za DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE I, Marius Burger as duly authorised representative of NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd (NCC), hereby confirm my independence (as well as that of NCC) as a specialist and declare that neither I nor NCC have any interest, be it business, financial, personal or other, in any proposed activity, application or appeal in respect of which CES - Environmental and Social Advisory Services was appointed as environmental assessment practitioner in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998), other than fair remuneration for worked performed, specifically in connection with the Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed Haga Haga Wind Energy Facility. I further declare that I am confident in the results of the studies undertaken and conclusions drawn as a result of it – as is described in my attached report. Signed: OPS_004_v002 Marius Burger 7 September 2020 Subcontracted by NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd Haga Haga WEF – Faunal Impact Statement – Jul 2020 Page 2 of 15 Reg No: 2007/023691/07 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 History of the project ...........................................................................................................................5 1.2 Scope of the Environmental Authorisation (EA) proposed amendments ............................................5 2 RESULTS ............................................................................................................................ 6 2.1 Influence of the proposed amendments ..............................................................................................6 2.2 Taxonomic and conservation status changes .................................................................................... 11 3 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................ 12 4 REFERENCES.................................................................................................................... 13 OPS_004_v002 NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd Haga Haga WEF – Faunal Impact Statement – Jul 2020 Page 3 of 15 Reg No: 2007/023691/07 ABBREVIATIONS AND UNITS OF MEASURE EA Environmental Authorisation EAP Environmental Assessment Practitioner EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ha Hectare(s) IAPs Interested and Affected Parties IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature m Metre(s) m2 Square metre(s) MW Megawatts NCC NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd. WEF Wind Energy Facility OPS_004_v002 NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd Haga Haga WEF – Faunal Impact Statement – Jul 2020 Page 4 of 15 Reg No: 2007/023691/07 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 History of the project The following faunal report is in respect of the proposed Haga Haga Wind Energy Facility (WEF) project, a development intention by Haga Haga Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd. A series of specialist assessments was conducted during 2017/18 as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure for this project. The Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) for this project was Terramanzi Group Pty (Ltd.). Three of the specialist reports that were prepared by Bioinsight (Pty) Ltd. dealt specifically with faunal considerations, i.e. impact scoping desktop studies for the avifauna (Bioinsight 2017a) and bat-fauna (Bioinsight 2017b), and a general statement letter of fauna occurrence (Bioinsight 2017c). Subsequently, NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd. (NCC) was appointed to elaborate on the general faunal component by means of a brief field survey and a faunal baseline and impact assessment report. The field study was conducted during late September 2017, where after a faunal baseline and impact assessment report was compiled (Burger and Du Toit 2017). Based on feedback received from Interested and Affected Parties (IAPs), various comments and responses were integrated in an updated version of this faunal report (Burger and Du Toit 2018). OPS_004_v002 1.2 Scope of the Environmental Authorisation (EA) proposed amendments The Haga Haga WEF project has subsequently submitted a proposal to make amendments to the existing EA. This will constitute a part 2 amendment (see details in Table 1). The process is managed by CES - Environmental and Social Advisory Services, with NCC providing various inputs. As per the previous NCC faunal reports, the scope of this amended assessment covers three vertebrate groups. These are amphibians, reptiles and nonvolant mammals (i.e. all mammals excluding bats). Additional details on the impacts on large herbivores are presented in a separate report (Simpson, Ferreira & Bell, 2018; Simpson, Ferreira & Bell, 2020). The proposed amendments are assessed along the following themes: (Simpson Ferreira & Bell, 2018; Simpson Ferreira & Bell, 2020) Influence of the proposed amendments (Section 2.1): A statement is provided in the context of proposed amendments to the EA, most specifically in terms of the previously assessed impacts that may be influenced by the layout adjustments. This statement also considers the influence of the proposed amendments in the context of the areas that are mapped (Figures 1 and 2) as being faunal sensitive zones. Taxonomic and conservation status changes (Section 2.2): A brief synthesis of faunal taxonomic and/or conservation status changes that have occurred since the 2017/18 assessment period is provided. NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd Haga Haga WEF – Faunal Impact Statement – Jul 2020 Page 5 of 15 Reg No: 2007/023691/07 Table 1: A comparison of the development components of the current EA with that of the newly proposed amendments for the Haga Haga WEF. COMPONENT CURRENTLY AUTHORISED PROPOSED AMENDMENT Facility Output 150 MW No change requested Number of Turbines 42 36 turbines Hub Height 134 m 180 m Rotor Diameter 150 m 200 m Tip Height 200 m 280 m Turbine Output No limit No change requested Turbine Base Footprint (per turbine) 996 m2 No change requested Hard Stand Area (per turbine) 3 700 m2 No change requested Roads 410 000 m2 (6 m wide) 425 000 m2 (8 m wide) Storage Area (inclusive of *1 – *6) 140 000 m 2 No change requested *1 Substation 11 000 m2 No change requested *2 Laydown Area 10 000 m2 No change requested *3 Permanent Office Space & Workshop Space 5 000 m2 No change requested OPS_004_v002 *4 Temporary Construction Areas 10 000 m2 No change requested *5 Remainder of Storage Area 104 000 m2 No change requested *6 Battery Storage None New, included in *5 Total Footprint 74.7232 ha 73.4056 ha 2 RESULTS 2.1 Influence of the proposed amendments The various proposed amendments as per Table 1 are assessed below in terms of their respective influences (i.e. reduced, increased, positive or negative) on the impact assessment scores that were presented in the faunal baseline and impact assessment report (Burger and Du Toit 2018) that formed part of the current EA application. The amendments are assessed in the context of the faunal sensitivity mapping of the 2017/18 and 2020 scenarios (see Figures 1 and 2). The most important aspects of the proposed amendments are as follow: Reduction in number of turbines from 42 to 36: This is a positive adjustment that slightly reduces the negative impacts on faunal communities, especially in the case of birds and bats (which are not included in this faunal assessment). Although the reduction of turbines equates to a reduced influence in terms of NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd Haga Haga WEF – Faunal Impact Statement – Jul 2020 Page 6 of 15 Reg No: 2007/023691/07 assessing the impact significance, this particular amendment is however not sufficient to change (i.e. lower) the impact significance score as per the 2018 faunal baseline and impact assessment report. Adjusted placement of turbines: The turbine positions of the 2017/18 layout are plotted in Figure 1, with the amended turbine positions being plotted in Figure 2. The amended layout reduced the number of turbines from 42 to 36. Of the remaining 36 turbines, 16 remain at exactly the same positioning as in the 2017/18 layout, 17 were repositioned very close to their original position, and three are in completely new positions. An intersect analysis in the context of the mapped faunal sensitive areas confirms that none if the amended turbine positions are in conflict with the no-go sensitive areas. Accordingly, the adjusted pylon positions of the proposed amendment application do not change the impact significance score as per the 2018 faunal baseline and impact assessment report. Increase in hub height from 134 to 180 m: This adjustment does not influence terrestrial non-volant vertebrates, and thus
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