King Shaka International Airport Phase 1 Rehabilitation & Restoration Implementation Plan November 2017
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King Shaka International Airport Phase 1 Rehabilitation & Restoration Implementation Plan Airports Company of South Africa & Dube TradePort Corporation November 2017 PREPARED BY: PREPARED FOR: KSEMS Environmental Consulting Dube Tradeport Corporation Contact Person: Contact Person: Timothy Wiggill Christopher Jones & Clarissa Naicker 063 684 9196 032 436 6080 & 032 814 0000 031 769 1578 [email protected] & [email protected] [email protected] WWW.KSEMS.CO.ZA KSEMS ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING PHONE: 031 769 1578; FAX: 086 535 5281; CELL: 082 823 1844; E- MAIL: [email protected] P.O. BOX 396, GILLITTS, 3603 COMPANY REGISTRATION NO: 1999/049452/23 MEMBERS: K.A. STANTON (DIRECTOR) KING SHAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PHASE 1 REHABILITATION & RESTORATION IMPLEMENTATION PLAN NOVEMBER 2017 DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE Specialist Consultants This is to certify that the following report has been prepared by KSEMS Environmental Consulting CC who: - Do not have and will not have any financial interest in the undertaking of the activity, other than remuneration for work performed; - Have, and will have, no vested interest in the proposed activity proceeding; - Have no, and will not engage in, conflicting interests in the undertaking of the activity; - Undertake to disclose, to the competent authority, any material information that have or may have the potential to influence the decision of the competent authority or the objectivity of any report, plan or document required; and - Will provide the competent authority with access to all the information at our disposal regarding the application, whether such information is favourable to the applicant or not. i KING SHAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PHASE 1 REHABILITATION & RESTORATION IMPLEMENTATION PLAN NOVEMBER 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Dube TradePort Corporation (DTPC) is an approximately 3000 ha business area along the north coast of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality which houses the King Shaka International Airport (KSIA), Trade- and AgriZones, and areas demarcated for conservation. The conservation areas was a means of balancing the environmental impact caused by the development of DTPC and was a requirement from the original EIR process between 2007 and 2008 . Dube TradePort Corporation (DTPC), the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), and the La Mercy JV (LMJV), a joint venture between ACSA and DTPC, as landholders with DTPC are responsible for the fulfilment of the rehabilitation obligations. in 2015, Strategic Environmental Focus (SEF, 2015) created the Biodiversity Offset Management Plan and Conceptual Rehabilitation and Restoration Plan (BOMPCRP) that detailed the delineations of 878 hectares of conservation and offset area as well as subdivided the area into vegetation. However, the BOMPCRP did not include detailed terms of references, detailed methodologies, timeframes and bills of quantity, for each vegetation unit within the conservation area. KSEMS was appointed, along with an ornithologist/avifaunal specialist, grassland specialist, pedologist, botanist, herpetologist, bat ecologist, and wetland ecologist, to create an implementation plan which amalgamates the information present within the EIR, BOMPCRP and various specialist studies and distils it into meaningful implementation instructions that can be used for tendering and quotation purposes. The implementation plan includes: - A detailed plan of the yearly objectives, - Recommended methodologies, - A specific schedule of work with associated bills of quantities, - A legal framework and timeline associated with rehabilitation activities, - Detailed lists of recommended indigenous species, sourcing locations, Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) on site, and herbicide usage, and - Terms of reference for each contractor required in the implementation plan. The implementation plan is broken down into three (3) main types of rehabilitation: IAPS control, terrestrial rehabilitation and wetland rehabilitation. These all have associated monitoring plans to monitor progress and the success of all rehabilitation activities. A resident ecologist will be needed to oversee all rehabilitation work and coordinate implementation activities to ensure effective recovery of the ecosystems within the conservation area. Invasive alien plantcontrol has already begun in certain areas within the final conservation area. For effective rehabilitation, the implementation plan recommends the commencement of IAPS clearing in the rest of the areas within the first year of implementation. ii KING SHAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PHASE 1 REHABILITATION & RESTORATION IMPLEMENTATION PLAN NOVEMBER 2017 Terrestrial rehabilitation has been staggered within the implementation plan. The largest areas to be rehabilitated are classified as either sugarcane or fallow fields. Sugarcane areas will be cleared and allowed to fallow; however, in order to enable sufficient time for the vegetation units to recover, these areas have been divided into three phases. A phased approach for wetland rehabilitation over a twelve (12) year period (including monitoring) has beendeveloped . Wetlands identified for rehabilitation were prioritised according to risk, position within zones of conservation importance and within the catchment areas, as well as the current health and functionality of each system. Taking into consideration the alterations which are likely to occur to the structure and functionality of upstream wetlands once rehabilitation is implemented within the downstream systems, monitoring is a key factor addressing changes which may occur during the rehabilitation process. iii KING SHAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PHASE 1 REHABILITATION & RESTORATION IMPLEMENTATION PLAN NOVEMBER 2017 AUTHORS The KSEMS’ team members involved in the compilation of this report and are in agreeance with the ‘Declaration of Independence’. SPECIALIST QUALIFICATIONS / ROLE DETAILS AFFILIATIONS KERRY STANTON BSc (Hons) - Estuarine AUTHOR, LEAD ECOLOGIST Kerry is the Managing Director of KSEMS cc and has over 20 years’ Ecology, GRASSLAND SPECIALIST, experience in the environmental field. She has an MSc, majoring in KSEMS MSc - Urban BOTANIST AND WETLAND Ecology, which was completed cum laude. She is a ENVIRONMENTAL Biogeography (Ecology) SPECIALIST registered Professional Natural Scientist (Pr. Sci. Nat) and registered CONSULTING with EAPSA. EAPSA, Pr.Sci.Nat. TIMOTHY WIGGILL MSc – Environmental FIELDWORK, CO-AUTHOR Tim is a Wetland Ecologist at KSEMS cc with an MSc in Science WETLAND ECOLOGIST Environmental Science from University of KwaZulu-Natal which KSEMS detailed the accuracy and viability of using aerial imagery to assess ENVIRONMENTAL Pr.Sci.Nat. forest health in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga. Tim has lectured CONSULTING biogeography, atmospheric science and geomorphology at UKZN before specialising in wetland assessments, invasive alien plant control plans, and vegetation studies in KwaZulu-Natal. He has completed the Tools for Wetland Assessment course at Rhodes University and the SAGIC Alien Invasive training course. WAYNE WESTCOTT BSc (Hons) – FIELDWORK, CO-AUTHOR Wayne is a Wetland and Aquatic Ecologist at KSEMS with a BSc Environmental Science WETLAND ECOLOGIST Honours degree in Water Management from Rhodes University. He KSEMS has 2 years’ experience in the environmental sector. In addition to this ENVIRONMENTAL he has completed the Tools for Wetland Assessment course, from CONSULTING Cand.Sci.Nat (117334) Rhodes University, with distinction (90%) and is an accredited SASS5 Aquatic Biomonitoring Practitioner. Furthermore, he has completed numerous freshwater habitat impact assessments, aquatic studies, ecological assessments and water management plans in Limpopo, Free State, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. NAADIRA NADASEN MSocSci – Geography INTERNAL REVIEWER Naadira is a Project Manager and Environmental Consultant at and Environmental KSEMS cc with an MSocSci in Geography and Environmental KSEMS Management Science which. Naadira has lectured many courses in the School of ENVIRONMENTAL Environmental Sciences such as Human Environments, Geographies CONSULTING of Urban and Rural Change and Environmental Management. GARETH PREEN BSc (Hons) – GIS SPECIALIST Gareth is a Junior Wetland Consultant at KSEMS CC with a BSc Environmental Science Honours Degree in Geography and Environmental Management with KSEMS major modules being advanced GIS and Remote Sensing as well as ENVIRONMENTAL environmental science and environmental issues. He has attended CONSULTING the Wetland Introduction and Delineation course through the University of the Free State. Additionally, he has accompanied the wetland specialist on numerous field excursions. GAVIN MCDONALD M.Sc. – Phytogeography FIELDWORK, Gavin is a senior lecturer in Mangosuthu Technikon Department of and systematics GRASSLAND & Nature Conservation As of 2007 Gavin began working as a fulltime MANGOSUTHU HORTICULTURAL ADVISOR consultant in bio-monitoring and environmental impact assessment UNIVERSITY OF Pr.Sci.Nat. specialising in botanical surveys (eg. for ESKOM Distribution and TECHNOLOGY eThekwini Metro’s ‘EMEP’ programme). He has been involved in DEPT. OF NATURE Environmental Rehabilitation (eg. Palm Road, Pennington) and is CONSERVATION listed as a rehabilitation consultant with DWAF and Umdoni and Hibiscus Coast Municipalities. MIKE HICKMAN National Diploma in Parks FIELDWORK, Mike has been self-employed in horticulture and rehabilitation since and Recreation GRASSLAND & 1998. He runs Michael Hickman Ecosystems Management,