Aviemore 88kV Powerline and Substation Socio-Economic Impact Assessment 23 May 2019 37 Hunt Road Glenwood Email: durban@urban- econ.com Aviemore 88kV Powerline and Substation Socio-Economic Impact Assessment Prepared by: Urban-Econ Development Economists Our Reference: N18127 Contact details: 37 Hunt Road Glenwood Durban 4062 South Africa Tel: +27 (0)31 202 9673 Email: [email protected] Contact Person: Eugene de Beer Email: [email protected] Tel: +27 (0)31 202 9673 2 | Page Contents Contents .................................................................................................................................... 3 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... 4 List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. 4 List of Maps ................................................................................................................................ 4 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................ 5 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 6 1.1. Scope and Objectives of Study ............................................................................... 6 1.2. Background ................................................................................................................ 7 1.3. Report Structure ......................................................................................................... 8 2. The Proposed Project ........................................................................................................ 9 3. The Impact Environment ................................................................................................ 16 3.1. Area Delineation ...................................................................................................... 16 3.2. Demographic Profile ............................................................................................... 19 3.3. Population and Household Profile ......................................................................... 19 3.4. Socio-Economic Profile ........................................................................................... 20 3.5. Employment per sector ........................................................................................... 21 4. Socio-Economic Impact Assessment ........................................................................... 23 4.1. Economic Impacts ................................................................................................... 23 4.1.1 Macro Economic Impacts .................................................................................... 24 i. Construction Phase .......................................................................................... 24 ii. Operational Phase ........................................................................................... 25 iii. Decommissioning Phase .................................................................................. 27 4.2. Socio-Economic Impacts ........................................................................................ 27 iv. Construction Phase .......................................................................................... 27 v. Operation Phase .............................................................................................. 28 4.3. Assessment of Impacts ............................................................................................ 31 5. Mitigation Measures and Management of Impacts .................................................. 44 5.1 Loss of Sense of Place ............................................................................................. 44 5.2 Land Use Impact ........................................................................................................... 44 6. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 45 6.1. Recommendations ............................................................................... 45 3 | Page 7. List of References ............................................................................................................ 46 List of Tables Table 1: Information Sources ................................................................................................... 7 Table 2: Area of Influence ..................................................................................................... 16 Table 3: Demographic Profile of AOI ................................................................................... 19 Table 4: Population and Household Growth Rates ........................................................... 19 Table 5: Employment Profile .................................................................................................. 20 Table 6: Employment per Sector .......................................................................................... 21 Table 7: Impact Assessment Scoring .................................................................................... 31 Table 8: Impact Significance Ratings .................................................................................. 32 Table 9: Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of the Original Powerline Route ............ 33 Table 10: Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of the Preferred Powerline Route ....... 38 List of Figures Figure 1: Example of the Proposed Wood pole Powerline ................................................. 9 Figure 2: Image of D551 Farm Access Road and Surrounding Dwellings ....................... 12 Figure 3: Dwellings on the Langsaan Farm ......................................................................... 13 Figure 4: Image of the Farm and Access Road Along the Proposed Powerline Site ... 13 Figure 5: The Current Aviemore Substation ......................................................................... 14 Figure 6: Employment per Sector ......................................................................................... 22 Figure 7: Impact of EMF of a 765kV powerline (the proposed powerline is 88kV) ........ 30 List of Maps Map 1: The Original and Preferred Powerline Alignments ................................................ 10 Map 2: Powerline Sensitivities ............................................................................................... 11 Map 3: The Preferred Project Layout ................................................................................... 15 Map 4: Location of the Proposed Project ........................................................................... 17 Map 5: The Area of Influence and Surrounding Land Uses of the Proposed Project ... 18 4 | Page Abbreviations AOI - Area of Influence EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment Eskom - Eskom Holdings Limited GDP - Gross Domestic Product GIS - Geographical Information Systems IDP - Integrated Development Plan KV - Kilovolt KZN - KwaZulu-Natal Province LED - Local Economic Development LOM - Life of Mine NEMA - National Environmental Management Act OHL - Overhead lines SDF - Spatial Development Framework SEIA - Socio-Economic Impact Assessment 5 | Page 1. Introduction Coal producer Buffalo Coal (Pty) aims to expand its mining operations by 13 years through the Aviemore Colliery expansion project located on the farm Morgenstond No.3347, near the town of Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal. This requires the construction of: • A new 88kV powerline, • A 11kV skid-mounted transformer (6x6m) and, • A 4MW substation (approximately 470m²). The above infrastructure is required to meet the electricity needs of the proposed mine expansion. GCS Water and Environment (Pty) Ltd (GCS) has been appointed by Zinoju Coal (Pty) Ltd, a subsidiary of Buffalo Coal (Pty) Ltd, to undertake the required environmental processes for the proposed powerline and substation project. To this end, Urban-Econ Development Economist have been appointed to conduct the socio-economic impact assessment of the proposed project in the study area. Thus, the purpose of this report is to determine the socio-economic impact of the proposed project on the local community and economy within the study area. Two powerline routes have been considered during the assessment process namely the original powerline route and a preferred powerline route. 1.1. Scope and Objectives of Study The report provides an assessment of the significance of the possible socio-economic impacts of the proposed project on the surrounding area and community. Where negative impacts are identified, mitigation measures are recommended as a means of reducing their significance on the receiving environment. The research process for the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) study utilised both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques. Data and information collection included interviews with key persons and secondary data sources, which were used to provide a description of the receiving socio-economic environment. Questionnaires were designed for relevant stakeholders within the Area of Influence (AOI) and this data was considered in this report. The methodology makes provision for addressing, amongst others, the following components of the impact assessment: • An assessment of the