DINOKENG PROJECT: DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE DINOKENG PROJECT AREA Final Draft for Public Circulation October 2009 DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE DINOKENG PROJECT AREA Prepared By: Contact: Bohlweki-SSI Environmental Janet Loubser P O Box 867 Tel: (012) 367 5800 Gallo Manor, 2052 Email: [email protected] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY preserve ecosystem services such as stormwater management, pollination, The Dinokeng Project aims to create a climatic control and aesthetic desirability. self-sustaining local economy in the north- eastern reaches of the Gauteng Province. An audit of mining activities in the Core to the project is the establishment of Dinokeng Area identified many mining a Big-5 collaborative game reserve, with a sites, both active and inactive, that will mix of land uses in the surrounding area affect other land uses and overall ranging from high density urban development plans for the area. Of development to diverse tourism particular consequence are mining establishments. activities and prospecting rights within sensitive areas or areas that are earmarked In support of this objective, this for land uses that are generally Environmental Management incompatible with surface mining Framework is compiled, to ensure that activities. The information should now be the development patterns take cognisance used to facilitate stakeholder of and do not compromise the long term communication as well as concrete viability of the natural and social resources monitoring and control over mining of the area. In essence, it defines a spatial activities. development structure that can be supported by the natural resource base and The delineation of management zones which most closely matches the social and compares the various layers of ‘status quo’ developmental desires of the local and ‘desired state’ information to highlight communities. The environmental specific points or areas of convergence management framework consists of an between land uses or particular features analysis of both the current and desired that retain a high resource value. Six states of the biophysical and socio- management zones are identified for the economic environments, and a spatial area, namely: interpretation of management actions that are required to reach the desired state of 1. Dinokeng Game Reserve environment in the Dinokeng Area. 2. Dinokeng Rural North The status quo assessment highlights the 3. Cultivation Zone fact that the area has a high natural 4. Development Corridors and resource quality in terms of species Consolidation Areas richness due to the convergence of various biomes. Unfortunately, habitats in the 5. Roodeplaat Recreation Area southern parts of the study area are rapidly 6. Dinokeng Rural South degrading due to mining activities, densification and land transformation. This The management zones will be managed process of habitat loss and transformation according to the directions of a strategic designates the southern areas as the most environmental management plan , which sensitive part of the Dinokeng Area. From outline general management requirements, a desired state perspective, it becomes compatible and incompatible land uses, obvious that the preservation of endemic roles and responsibilities, as well as species and veld types will necessarily guidance on the necessary institutional remain in conflict with the inevitable structures for each zone. expansion of typically urban development activities, agricultural expansion, mining Specific environmental objectives that and the need for bulk services will be pursued in the implementation of infrastructure. Management of the the environmental management plan are: conflicts is required in the form of appropriate land use change decision- • No net loss of ecosystem function, and making that uses the protection of maintaining the resilience of critical biophysical resource quality as a means to and sensitive environments; • Integrated services planning; the relevant Municipal Managers and Mayors. • Environmental sustainability in design; and b) The spatial and management recommendations from the framework • Community-based, tourism-led must be used to inform spatial development focus. development planning and land use management decision-making at both In addition, the Strategic Environmental provincial and local levels, and must Management Plan provides be incorporated into the municipal recommendations on how to manage spatial development frameworks. issues that will be common to all the management zones such as mining, c) Customisation of the provincial subdivision, the presence of ecological or Environmental Impact Assessment social sensitivities and the need for requirements may follow, based on the appropriate regulatory and monitoring management actions proposed for each institutions. management zone. d) An inter-governmental forum should In terms of spatial planning , the be established between the relevant assessment indicates that urban expansion government departments and makes practical sense south of Roodeplaat authorities to deal with the assessment Dam, and between Rayton and Refilwe, of mining applications, as well as but no new clusters should be established. monitoring, compliance and Furthermore, the envisaged Moloto Rail rehabilitation in terms of legislation Corridor should be considered as a and permit requirements. potential asset to the tourism industry if a station is added in a central location. e) The Dinokeng Game Reserve must be Otherwise, the railway will simply operate proclaimed as a protected area under as a mobility spine rather than a the Protected Areas Act, either as a development corridor. nature reserve or a protected environment. A particularly important consideration in terms of regulatory structures is the impending incorporation of the area into the municipal boundary of the City of Tshwane . This realignment of municipal responsibility will facilitate catchment management practices up-and downstream of Roodeplaat Dam, and the application of both town planning and engineering services standards over a larger service area. In terms of the legal and regulatory status of the environmental management framework and the Dinokeng Area in general, several recommendations are made: a) The management framework must be submitted for concurrence from the National Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, followed by adoption by both the Provincial MEC tasked with environmental affairs and TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I LIST OF TABLES III LIST OF FIGURES IV LIST OF MAPS IV ABBREVIATIONS V 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Project context 1 1.2 Project phasing 2 1.3 Environmental Management Framework vs. Municipal Spatial Planning 4 2 STATUS QUO ASSESSMENT 5 2.1 Legal review 5 2.2 Spatial planning and land-use 8 2.3 Socio-economic state 9 2.4 Cultural-historic heritage 9 2.5 Biophysical conditions 10 2.6 Mining 11 3 DESIRED STATE ANALYSIS 13 3.1 Compilation of the Desired State 13 3.1.1 Public Participation 13 3.1.2 Information analysis 13 3.1.3 Vision for the Dinokeng Project Area 13 3.2 Management objectives for identified features 14 3.2.1 Sensitive natural environments 14 3.2.2 Biodiversity sensitivities (Specific Species) 25 3.2.3 High potential agricultural areas 30 3.2.4 Cultural-historic heritage 33 3.2.5 Development Planning 35 3.2.6 Individual land uses 48 3.2.7 Infrastructure 58 4 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK 65 4.1 Status Quo & Desired State analysis 65 4.2 Identification of Environmental Management Zones 65 4.3 Resolution of conflicts 67 4.3.1 Infill development in the area between the N1, N4, Cullinan and Roodeplaat 67 4.3.2 Mining in sensitive areas 69 4.3.3 Environmental sensitivity in the agricultural hub 70 4.3.4 Agricultural activities in the DGR 72 4.3.5 Fragmentary linear infrastructure 73 4.3.6 Sense of place in Cullinan 74 4.4 Environmental Management Zones 75 4.4.1 Dinokeng Game Reserve 75 4.4.2 Dinokeng Rural North 75 4.4.3 Cultivation 76 4.4.4 Development Corridors & Consolidation Areas 76 4.4.5 Roodeplaat Recreation Area 77 4.4.6 Dinokeng Rural South 77 5 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 78 5.1 Purpose and scope of an SEMP 78 5.2 The different tiers of environmental decision-making 79 5.3 Environmental objectives 80 5.3.1 No net loss of ecosystem function, and maintaining the resilience of critical and sensitive environments 80 5.3.2 Integrated services planning 81 5.3.3 Environmental sustainability in design 82 5.3.4 Community-based, tourism-led development focus 84 5.4 Universal guidelines and policies 86 5.4.1 Mining 86 5.4.2 Development planning & densification 88 5.4.3 Sensitive environments 90 5.4.4 Tourism & Heritage 96 5.4.5 Institutional structures & basic services 97 5.5 Management requirements for the different management zones 98 5.5.1 Dinokeng Game Reserve 98 5.5.2 Dinokeng Rural North 101 5.5.3 Cultivation 104 5.5.4 Development Corridors & Consolidation Areas 106 5.5.5 Roodeplaat Recreational Area 110 5.5.6 Dinokeng Rural South 113 5.6 SEMP Summary 115 5.7 Sustainability indicators, monitoring & continuous improvement 118 6 LEGAL AND REGULATORY PROCESS 120 6.1 Legal role of environmental management frameworks 120 6.2 Environmental Impact Assessments 121 6.3 Protected Area Status 122 6.4 Adoption, implementation and application 125 7 REFERENCES 127 ANNEXURE A: DINOKENG EMF MAPS 130 LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1: Land Claims in Nokeng Tsa Taemane