Cornubia Mixed-Use Phased Development, Phase 2, Mount Edgecombe Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report 24 November 2014 KZN EDTEA Reference No.: DM/0030/2012 Document Description Client: Tongaat Hulett Developments and eThekwini Municipality Project Name: Environmental Impact Assessment for the Proposed Cornubia Mixed-Use, Phased Development, Phase 2, Mount Edgecombe Royal HaskoningDHV Reference Number: E02.DUR.000375 Authority Reference Number: DM/0030/2012 KZN/EIA/000762/2012 Compiled by: Humayrah Bassa Date: 24 November 2014 Location: Durban Reviewed by: Signature: Prashika Reddy (Pr.Sci.Nat.) Approved by: Signature: Malcolm Roods (EAPSA) © Royal HaskoningDHV All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission from Royal HaskoningDHV. i REVIEW OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT This Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report is available for comment for a period of 40 days (excluding the December vacation period) from Monday, 24 November 2014 until Monday, 26 January 2014. Copies of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report are available at strategic public places in the project area (see below) and upon request from Royal HaskoningDHV. The report is available for viewing at: Libraries . Phoenix Library - Playpark Place, Shastri Park, Phoenix . Umhlanga Library, 4 Lagoon Drive, Umhlanga . Verulam Library, 8 Groom Street, Verulam Councillors’ offices . Cllr Mxolisi Ndzimbomvu, Ward 58, Support Centre, 187 Woodpecker Rd, Waterloo . Cllr Musa Dludla, Ward 102, Room 102, White House Shopping Centre Mt Edgecombe . Cllr Solly Singh, Ward 50, Suite 3, 1st Floor, Gem City, 80 Parthenon Street, Phoenix . Cllr Patrick Pillay, Ward 61, Suite 3, 1st Floor, Gem City, 80 Parthenon Street, Phoenix . Cllr Heinz de Boer, Ward 35, SizakalaCentre327 Umhlanga Rocks Drive, Umhlanga Rocks Mount Edgecombe Country Club Tongaat Hulett Developments Offices: 305 Umhlanga Rocks Drive, La Lucia Royal HaskoningDHV Website: www.rhdhv.co.za/pages/services/environmental.php OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC REVIEW The following methods of public review of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report are available: Completing the comment sheet enclosed with the Background Information Document (BID); Written submissions by e-mail or fax; and/or Telephonic submissions. DUE DATE FOR COMMENT ON DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT MONDAY 26 JANUARY 2014 SUBMIT COMMENTS AND QUERIES TO Ms. Humayrah Bassa Royal HaskoningDHV 6 Payne Street, Pinetown, 3606 Tel: (031) 719 5551 Fax: (031) 719 5505 E-mail: [email protected] ii Executive Summary Introduction and Background Tongaat Hulett Developments and the eThekwini Municipality, on their own respective properties, propose to develop a mixed-use, phased development on the remainder of Cornubia. The Cornubia Phase 2 site area is located west of the N2 toll road and north of the Mount Edgecombe/ M41 freeway within eThekwini Municipality. The Cornubia Mixed-Used Phased Development (hereafter referred to as the Greater Cornubia Development) aims to leverage, assemble, and systematically align multiple institutional, financial, human and managerial resources, in a creative and innovative manner, covering aspects such as informal settlement eradication, inter-and intra-settlement integration, urban restructuring and renewal, densification, tenure diversification, improved settlement design, better quality shelter, poverty eradication, and greater responsiveness to livelihood strategies. The Greater Cornubia Development is about “Breaking New Ground” through the creation of Integrated Human Settlements. These are key components of Cornubia and relate directly to the strategic mandate of Government, its constitutional obligations and the priorities of creating a better life for all. The above proposal is based upon the Cornubia Development Framework Plan for the Greater Cornubia Development which was accepted by the eThekwini Municipality for the Greater Cornubia Development in 2011. Due to the extent of the development, it is being developed in a phased manner. This Environmental Impact Assessment Process is for the remainder of Cornubia, referred to as Cornubia Phase 2 which is separate to the Cornubia Phase 1 (DM/Amend/0189/08) and Cornubia Retail Park (DM/Amend/0034/2014) Environmental Impact Assessments for which Environmental Authorisations have been obtained and construction has commenced at these sites. The Cornubia Phase 2 site area of approximately 895 ha is approximately 70% of the total land area of the entire Cornubia Development (some 1 333 ha). Based upon the accepted Cornubia Development Framework Plan, approximately 531 ha of the site is developable with the remaining 392 ha comprised of open space. The Cornubia Development Framework Plan suggests that the Phase 2 development will consist of Breaking New Ground Housing units together with associated social facilities (all of which the eThekwini Municipality will be developing in partnership with other government departments); an industrial and commercial/ mixed- use component; a component of integrated, middle income housing including mixed-use and a substantial amount of rehabilitated open space developed on a phased basis over the next 10-20 years. This Environmental Impact Assessment Report is based broadly on the Cornubia Development Framework Plan already approved for Cornubia as well as the Cornubia Phase 2 Land Use Management Precinct Plan. It is noted that there are two primary landowners included in Cornubia Phase 2 – eThekwini Municipality who own 581 ha, and Tongaat Hulett Developments who own 314 ha. In addition, the construction of three interchanges (i.e. Blackburn Interchange, Marshall Dam Interchange and R102 / Northern Drive Interchange) are proposed and have been assessed. There are various additional landowners for these interchanges as presented in this report. The report has been structured to comply with the format required by the EIA Regulations (2010)(as amended). The contents are as follows: Chapter Content Chapter 1 Introduction and overview of the proposed project, including the Introduction status of previous phases of Cornubia which have been authorised and details of the proponent and EAP Chapter 2 Provides the environmental legal framework and the approach to the Environmental Legal integrated regulatory process Requirements Chapter 3 Contextualises the study area, outlines the need for and motivation of Project Context the proposed project, provides the spatial informants and framework and introduces the social sustainability and innovation programme Chapter 4 A description of the biophysical and social environment Description of the Receiving iv Chapter Content Environment Chapter 5 Includes a description of the proposed activities and engineering Project Description services proposed Chapter 6 Consideration of alternatives (design/layout, site and do-nothing) for Project Alternatives the project Chapter 7 An overview of the findings of the various specialist reports Findings of the Specialist undertaken for this project Assessments Chapter 8 Overview of the public participation process conducted to date Public Participation Process Chapter 9 Methodology used in the assessment of significant impacts and a Environmental Impact description of the environmental impacts on the biophysical and Assessment social environment and a rating of these impacts Chapter 10 A comparative assessment of the positive and negative impact of Environmental Impact Statement each alternative and a statement as to the significance of the environmental impacts assessment Chapter 11 Conclusions and recommendations of the Environmental Impact Conclusion and Conditions of Study Authorisation Regulatory Environmental Requirements The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, is the lead authority and any Environmental Impact Assessment process in KwaZulu-Natal needs to be authorised by this Department in accordance with the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) (No 107 of 1998)(as amended). The Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (2010) under NEMA consist of three categories of activities namely: Listing Notice 1 Activities (GNR. 544 of 2010) which require a Basic Assessment study, Listing Notice 2 Activities (GNR. 545 of 2010) which require both a Scoping and an EIA study for authorisation and Listing Notice 3 Activities (GNR 546 of 2010) which require a Basic Assessment study to be undertaken in specific geographical areas. The activities associated with the proposed project, amongst others, triggered activities contained in GNR 545 and as such a Scoping and EIA process will be undertaken for the development. Public Participation Process Real Consulting is working with Royal HaskoningDHV on the Public Participation Process (PPP) for the Cornubia Project. Royal HaskoningDHV (previously known as SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants) are conducting the Public Participation Process for this project. In recent years Tongaat Hulett Developments has actively promoted a participatory approach to their property development projects, with the understanding that the socio-political and economic context as well as environmental legislation requires this public engagement and consultation. Interested and affected parties are invited to “inform and be informed” about developments in order to achieve the widest possible participation. It is also