AN EIA OF RIETVLEI FARM’S DEVELOPMENT AS A CONSERVATION AREA WITHIN JMOSS MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES BY LISELLE VAN NIEKERK SHORT DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE AT THE RAND AFRIKAANS UNIVERSITY SUPERVISOR : DR L G C SCHEEPERS NOVEMBER 2004 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS To: My Creator who through this research taught me patience, and gave me the strength to finish what I had started; Willie, my husband, for your encouragement, patience and love; Paul and Saskia for all your time, assistance and encouragement; Willie Botha for your precious time that you gave up to help me; Dr Scheepers for your guidance and encouragement; My children for still loving me after all of this; 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The form of a city is shaped by the forces of urbanisation and development. In turn the size and shape of a city, impacts on the quality of life of the urban dweller. A city has limited natural resources. The built environment therefore has a significant impact on the availability of natural resources. Traditionally the importance of development has always preceded that of the environment. The increased awareness amongst the urban population regarding access to open space, has motivated the need for this study. Open space is regarded as an important requirement for a better quality of life in urban areas. The aim of the study is to firstly, determine whether conservation and positive economic development can form an integral part of a sustainable, thriving urban society. Secondly, can the current environmental impact assessment techniques, specifically the Scoping process as prescribed by the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, encourage sustainable economic development within environmentally sensitive areas? To place the study within the required theoretical background the following information sets were analysed: (1) Johannesburg Municipal Open Space System (JMOSS) is the environmental management tool used to assess the role and function of existing open spaces located within the boundaries of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality; (2) Rietvlei 101 IR, Johannesburg, was chosen as the study area, due to its location within a protected environmental corridor; and (3) the Scoping process, as an analytical technique to assess the impacts of two specific development proposals, on the ecological sensitive, Rietvlei study area. The two development proposals for the Rietvlei study area, consists of: phase 1, a hotel and conference centre; and phase 2, a commercial development. An impact assessment matrix was used to determine the significance of all potential impacts. Mitigation measures were proposed to mitigate the various significant impacts identified. 3 The conclusions reached by the impact assessment is summarised as follow: The Rietvlei study area is an ecologically sensitive area. The study area, as an ecological sensitive area, will form part of the primary open space system, as described in JMOSS. Within the framework of JMOSS, it can be argued that the Rietvlei study area is too sensitive to be developed. The “no-go” alternative should therefore be considered as an option. The “no-go” option implies that the study area is left in its present undeveloped state. The scoping document, as an analitical technique, allows for the mitigation of the various significant impacts identified. The mitigatory measures proposed, within the scoping document, can successfully mitigate the significant impacts identified. Taking into account the current degraded state of the natural environment, it is perceived that without any management or investment, the study area will continue to deteriorate and it will lose its economic potential and environmental value. The “no- go” option is therefore not regarded as an environmentally sustainable option. The study undertaken has shown that, through the various proposed mitigation measures, the scoping process can successfully allow positive economic development on ecological sensitive areas. The scoping process can therefore, successfully be used as an environmental management technique. The research has however indicated that there is a need to research the environmental significance of land as perceived by urban societies, as opposed to the traditionally economic potential associated with land. 4 OPSOMMING Verstedeliking het ‘n bepalende impak op die ontwikkeling van ‘n stad. Die grootte en vorm van ‘n stad, oefen ‘n direkte invloed op die lewenskwaliteit van ‘n stedeling uit. Natuurlike hulpbronne binne ‘n stad word beperk deur die teenwoordigheid van glas en beton. Die bewaring van die stad se natuurlike hulpbronne, is nog altyd as minder belangrik as die voortgesette en snelle ontwikkeling van die stad beskou. ‘n Groter bewuswording by stedelinge ten op sigte van toegang tot oopruimtesisteme het aanleiding gegee tot hierdie studie. Hierdie studie het ‘n tweeledige doel. Ten eerste, kan bewaring en positiewe ekonomiese ontwikkeling saamwerk teneinde ‘n geintegreerde volhoubare omgewing daar te stel? Tweedens, kan die “Scoping-proses’ gebruik word, om positiewe ekonomiese ontwikkeling toe te laat op ‘n ekologies sensitiewe omgewing? Die volgende inligtingstelle is geanaliseer ten einde die studie binne die korrekte teoretiese raamwerk te plaas: (1) Die oopruimtesisteem van die Johannesburg Stedelike Munisipaliteit (JMOSS), ten einde ‘n aanduiding te kry van die rol en funksie van bestaande oopruimtes binne die grense van die Munisipalitiet, (2) Die Rietvlei 101 JR, wat gekies is as studiegebied weens sy ligging binne ‘n sensitiewe bewaringsgebied en (3) die “Scoping-proses” wat gebruik is om die impak van die twee ontwikkelingvoorstelle op die ekologies sensitiewe studiegebied, te analiseer. Die ontwikkelingsvoorstelle van die studie gebied sluit twee fases in. Gedurende fase 1 sal ‘n hotel en konferensiefasiliteit ontwikkel word. Fase 2 sal bestaan uit die ontwikkeling van verskeie kommersiële aktiwiteite. Die onderskeie ontwikkelingsfases het elkeen sy eie potensiële impakte. ‘n Impakmatriks is gebruik om die omvang van hierdie potensiële impakte te analiseer. Omgewingsbestuurstegnieke is geformuleer om die potensiële impakte te minimaliseer. Hier volg ‘n opsommende gevolgtrekking van die geanaliseerde impakte: 5 Die studiegebied, Rietvlei 101 JR, is ‘n sensitiewe ekologiese gebied en vorm deel van die primêre oopruimtesiteem, in JMOSS. Binne die raamwerk van JMOSS word geen ontwikkeling toegelaat op ekologies sensitiewe gebiede nie. Gevolglik moet die “geen ontwikkelings-opsie” gevolg word. Die uitvoering van hierdie opsie, sal tot gevolg hê dat die studiegebied onaangeraak bly. Deur die toepassing van die “Scoping-proses” word verskeie potensiële impakte geidentifiseer. Die omgewingsbestuurstegnieke wat geformuleer is, slaag daarin om die potensiële impakte te minimaliseer. Sonder bewaring sal die studiegebied net verder verwaarloos en agteruit gaan. Investering is dus nodig. Dit sal verhoed dat die studiegebied, as ‘n bewaringsgebied, sy ekonomiese potensiaal verloor. Die “geen ontwikkelingsopsie” sal dus nie bydra tot die suksesvolle bewaring van die studiegebied nie. Die studie het aangetoon dat, die “Scoping-proses” suksesvol ingespan kan word om die impak van positiewe ekonomiese ontwikkeling op ecologies-sensitiewe gebiede te analiseer. Die analise het egter aangedui dat daar ruimte is vir navorsing rondom die konsep van grond as ‘n natuurlike hulpbron, teenoor die konvensionele definisie van 6 CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: ORIENTATION 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Urban Growth and Development: Problems and Constraints 3 1.3 Urban Open Space 4 1.4 Conservation Versus the Development of Urban Open Space – Global Perceptions 9 1.5 Management and Provision of an Open Space System (JMOSS) – A Local Perspective 11 1.6 Regulation and Assessment of Open Space – EIA and Scoping 13 1.7 The Research Problem and Data Acquisition 16 1.8 Research Methodology 17 CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND: JMOSS, EIA AND THE STUDY AREA - RIETVLEI 101 IR 2.1 JMOSS 20 2.2 The Study Area – Rietvlei 101, I.R. 27 2.3 EIA: Scoping Process 39 CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS 3.1 Introduction 44 3.2 Development Proposals 44 3.3 The Study Area within the Context of JMOSS 47 3.4 Analyses of Study Area: Scoping Process 55 3.5 Conclusion 79 7 CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSIONS AND SYNTHESIS 4.1 Introduction 80 4.2 Analysis 82 4.3 Conclusions 86 4.4 Synthesis 92 5. REFERENCES 95 8 LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1: Benefits of Open Space: Global Perspective 6 Table 1.2: Categories of Open Space according to Function 6 Table 2.1: Proposed Categories and Sub-Categories of Open Space, Formulated in JMOSS, 2002 21 Table 2.2: The four Categories of Probability 42 Table 2.3: Description of the various forms of Significance 42 Table 3.1: Existing Open Space Provision per Local Authority 49 Table 3.2: Statistics for the six open space categories 51 Table 3.3: Statistics for the Primary (ecological) Open Spaces 52 Table 3.4: Statistics for the Secondary Open Space System 53 Table 3.5: Statistics for the Tertiary (prospective) Open Spaces 54 Table 3.6: Categories identified for the evaluation of the Environmental Sensitivity of the Study Area 58 Table 3.7: List of Environmental Aspects with possible relevance to Project 58 Table 3.8: Impact Summary Matrix for Air Quality 60 Table 3.9: Impact Summary Matrix for Cultural Aspects 61 Table 3.10: Impact Summary Matrix for Cultural Aspects 63 Table 3.11: Impact Summary Matrix for Flora 64 Table 3.12: