Prepared for Hunkydory Investments 201 (Pty) Ltd DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT IN TERMS OF SECTION 24 (5) OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT, 1998 (NO. 107 OF 1998) RE-ALIGNMENT OF THE K155 (EXISTING R23) OVER THE SWARTSPRUIT, INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF RIVERFIELDS BOULEVARD AND NEW BRIDGE OVER THE SWARTSPRUIT, IN THE RIVERFIELDS DEVELOPMENT AREA, KEMPTON PARK, EKURHULENI. Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) reference number GAUT 002/16-17/E0016 Prepared by Seaton Thomson and Associates P O Box 936 Tel (012) 667-2107 IRENE fax (012) 667-2109 0062 Email [email protected] October 2016 ________________________________________________________________ 1 EIR: Part of the Remainder of Portion 28 of the Farm Witfontein 15IR Seaton Thomson and Associates RE-ALIGNMENT OF THE K155 (EXISTING R23) OVER THE SWARTSPRUIT, INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF RIVERFIELDS BOULEVARD AND NEW BRIDGE OVER THE SWARTSPRUIT, IN THE RIVERFIELDS DEVELOPMENT AREA, KEMPTON PARK, EKURHULENI Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 6 2. THE APPLICATION ....................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Introduction and Background to process ........................................................ 8 2.2 The Application ............................................................................................... 9 3. DETAILS AND EXPERTISE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRACTITIONER 12 3.1 Details of the company and Company address ............................................ 12 4. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ............................................................................. 12 4.1 The Site and Location .................................................................................. 12 4.2 Vision of Witfontein Farm – Riverfields Development and Ekurhuleni Development Policies ............................................................................................ 15 4.2.1 Regional Context and Long Term Vision ............................................... 18 4.2.2 Ekurhuleni Aerotropolis .......................................................................... 19 4.2.3 The Route 21 Development Corridor ..................................................... 20 4.2.4 The Ekurhuleni Spatial Development Framework .................................. 21 4.2.5 The Ekurhuleni Environmental Management Framework (EMF) ........... 24 4.2.6 The Gauteng Environmental Management Framework ......................... 24 4.3 Activities listed in terms of the 2010 EIA regulations .................................... 25 4.4 Evaluation of Alternatives ............................................................................. 30 4.4.1 Riverfields Bridge design alternatives .................................................... 33 4.4.2 No-go alternative ................................................................................... 35 4.4.3 Summary of preferred alternative .......................................................... 36 4.5 Need and Desirability of the roads ............................................................... 36 5. DESCRIPTION OF RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT ....................................................... 37 5.1 Bio- Physical ................................................................................................. 37 5.1.1 Landuse and landcover .......................................................................... 37 5.1.2 Climate ................................................................................................... 37 5.1.3 Flora....................................................................................................... 37 5.1.4 Fauna..................................................................................................... 39 5.1.5 Geology, ridges, Topography and soils.................................................. 39 5.1.6 Hydrology and catchments .................................................................... 39 5.1.7 Geohydrology ........................................................................................ 40 5.1.8 Pollution ................................................................................................. 40 5.1.9 Socio-Economic status of the general area ........................................... 40 5.1.10 Agricultural Soils ................................................................................. 40 5.2 Cultural and Archaeological.......................................................................... 41 6. LEGISLATION, POLICIES & GUIDELINES .................................................................. 42 6.1 The South African Constitution Act 108 of 1996 ........................................... 42 6.2 National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 ................................ 42 6.2.1 Relevance to the application .................................................................. 43 6.3 The National Heritage Resources Act 25 of 1999 ........................................ 43 6.4 National Water Act 36 of 1998...................................................................... 44 6.5 Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (Act 28 of 2002) ......... 45 6.6 National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Act 10 of 2004) ...... 45 6.7 Development Policies for the Area ............................................................... 45 ________________________________________________________________ 2 EIR: Part of the Remainder of Portion 28 of the Farm Witfontein 15IR Seaton Thomson and Associates 7. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS .......................................................................... 46 7.1 Identification of Stakeholders ....................................................................... 46 7.2 Notification of Interested and Affected Parties (I&AP’s) ............................... 46 7.3 Summary of Issues Raised by I&AP’s during Scoping & Draft EIR phase ... 47 7.4 Draft and final Scoping Report ..................................................................... 47 7.5 Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report .......................................... 47 8. ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS .................................................................. 48 8.1 Summary of specialist reports and key issues raised ................................... 48 8.2 Impact Assessment Methodology ................................................................. 49 8.3 Impact Assessment – construction phase .................................................... 50 8.3.1 Fauna..................................................................................................... 50 8.3.2 Avi-fauna ................................................................................................ 55 8.3.3 Flora....................................................................................................... 57 8.3.4 Heritage and archaeology ...................................................................... 59 8.3.5 Geotechnical and geological – Dolomitic Stability .................................. 61 8.3.6 Wetland and river systems ..................................................................... 63 8.3.7 Quartzite rocky ridge areas - linked to fauna and flora .......................... 72 8.3.8 Proximity of road alignments to the JJ Maritz quarry ............................. 73 8.3.9 Agricultural soils ..................................................................................... 74 8.3.10 Traffic ................................................................................................. 77 8.3.11 Noise .................................................................................................. 79 8.3.12 Visual and aesthetic ........................................................................... 80 8.3.13 Crime .................................................................................................. 80 8.3.14 Location of laydown areas and road construction site camps ............ 81 8.3.15 Job creation and socio-economics (Positive impact) .......................... 82 8.4 Impact Assessment – operational phase ...................................................... 84 8.4.1 Traffic ..................................................................................................... 84 8.4.2 Flora....................................................................................................... 84 8.4.3 Fauna..................................................................................................... 85 8.4.4 Swartspruit watercourse systems .......................................................... 85 8.4.5 Noise...................................................................................................... 86 8.4.6 Visual and aesthetic ............................................................................... 86 8.4.7 Socio-economics (positive) .................................................................... 87 9. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................... 89 9.1 Environmental Impact Statement ................................................................. 89 9.2 Key Findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment ............................... 89 9.2.1 Comparative Assessment: Positive & Negative Implications of Activity . 93 9.3 The Environmental Management Plan ........................................................