Transcript Welcome to Premier Mine

N2 WILD COAST TOLL
ROAD PROJECT
Draft Environmental Impact
Assessment Report
Feedback Sessions
Agenda
 Welcome,
Introduction & Apologies
 Conduct
of the meeting
 Purpose
of this meeting
 Overview
of the EIA process
 Summary
of EIA Report findings and
recommendations
 The
Way Forward
 Discussion
Session
Purpose of Today’s Meeting
 Present
a brief project overview
 Provide
a brief overview of the EIA and public
participation process followed for this project
 Present
a summary of the findings and
recommendations of the draft EIA Report per
road section
 Receive
comments and feedback
 Provide
details regarding the Way Forward
Overview of the Project
 Construction
of a new toll road between
East London and Durban - approximately
550 km
 Utilise
existing road sections (80%) and
construct new road sections (20%)
 Connect
major centres
• East London, Umtata, Port St Johns, Lusikisiki,
Port Edward, Port Shepstone and Durban
Overview of the Project
Proposed Project activities
 Existing
Road Sections
• Rehabilitation and upgrade of road sections
• Widening or realignment of poor road sections
• Construction & upgrade of intersections &
interchanges
• Resealing and resurfacing of road
• Replacement of safety features
• Provision & maintenance of fencing along the
length of the road
Overview of the Project
Proposed Project activities (cont.)
 Existing
Road Sections (cont.)
• Provision/construction of pedestrian walkways
• Provision/construction of over- or underpasses
• Construction of toll plazas
 New
Road Sections
• New road construction within an 80 m road
reserve
• Construction of a toll plaza near Mtentu River
Overview of the Project
Proposed toll plazas
7
mainline toll plazas planned:
• Ngobozi Plaza
• Candu Plaza
• Tutor Ndamase Plaza
• Mtentu Plaza
• Oribi Plaza
• Park Rynie Plaza
• Isipingo Plaza
Issue of Tolling
 Issue
of tolling to be addressed by the NRA in
Intent-to-Toll process
 NRA are required to publish their intent to toll
the route and provide the public with a period
to comment on the proposal.
 This process is still to be undertaken for this
project
Overview of the EIA Process
 Phase
1: Environmental Scoping Study (ESS)
- completed in April 2002
 Phase
2: Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA)
• Draft EIA Report
• Public Review Period
We are here
– Public Feedback Meetings
• Final EIA Report submitted to DEAT
Aim of EIA
 Assess
technically feasible route alternatives
within the greenfields corridor
 Evaluate
site-specific alternatives
 Nominate
 Identify
 Provide
and assess a preferred alignment
possible mitigation measures
input into the EMP, which will provide
specific management actions
Public Participation Process
 In
compliance with the EIA Regulations
 Identify
and consult with Interested and
Affected Parties
 Promote
understanding of the project
 Vehicle
for data gathering for consideration in
specialist studies
 Provide
making
information for informed decision-
Environmental Impact Assessment
Route Sections
 Proposed
route divided into 7 route sections to
facilitate assessment:
• Gonubie Interchange to Ngobozi
• Ngobozi to Umtata
• Umtata to Ndwalane
• Ndwalane to Ntafufu
• Ntafufu to Magwa Intersection
• Magwa Intersection to Mtamvuna
• Mtamvuna to Isipingo Interchange
Environmental Impact Assessment
Potential Impacts
 Proposed
activities which result in impacts
include:
• Rehabilitation and upgrade of existing road
sections
• Construction of new road (greenfields sections)
 EIA considers
initial construction works, which
is undertaken in first 3-5 years
 This
construction will be required to be in
compliance with the project EMP
Environmental Impact Assessment
Specialist Studies
 Ecological
assessment (Coastal and
Environmental Services)
• Flora and vegetation
• Fauna
• Aquatic Systems
• Agricultural Potential
 Social
Impact Assessment (IWR
Environmental)
Environmental Impact Assessment
Specialist Studies (cont.)
 Tourism
Impact Assessment (Grant Thornton
Kessel Feinstein Hospitality & Leisure
Consulting)
 Air
Quality Assessment (CSIR Environmentek)
 Visual
Impact Assessment (Strategic
Environmental Focus & Henry Holland)
Environmental Impact Assessment
Specialist Studies (cont.)
 Noise
Impact Assessment (Jongens Keet &
Associates)
 Archaeological
and Heritage Assessment
(Albany Museum)
 Planning
and Development Assessment
(Pravin Amar Development Planners &
Bohlweki Environmental)
Environmental Impact Assessment
Assessment criteria
 Temporal
 Spatial
scale
scale
 Severity/beneficial
scale
 Significance
 Risk
or likelihood
 Degree
of confidence
Gonubie Interchange to Ndwalane
 Utilises
the existing N2 & R61
 Construction
activities within the existing road
reserve, except at site-specific locations
 Issues
of significance include:
• Resettlement of homesteads within road reserve
• Restriction of access to new road through fencing
& closure of illegal access points
• Invasion of alien plant species
• Impacts associated with proposed toll plazas
Gonubie Interchange to Ndwalane
(cont.)
 Positive
impacts include:
• Improved road safety conditions
• Enhancement of eco-tourism & conservation
potential
• Creation of employment opportunities
• Expansion of transportation infrastructure
 Majority
of potential impacts (biophysical and
social) of LOW significance and can be
minimised through mitigation
Gonubie Interchange to Ndwalane
Recommendations
 Compile
an EMP including site-specific
mitigation measures to minimise impacts,
including:
• Resettlement programme for affected homesteads
• Provision of local access, where required
• Appropriate mitigation of impacts associated with
the toll plazas
• Management measures for the eradication and
control of alien plant species
Ndwalane to Ntafufu
 New
road construction within a greenfields
corridor
 Issues
of significance include:
• Resettlement of affected homesteads within
proposed road reserve (e.g. Mampube)
• Division of communities
• Restriction of access between villages, grazing
land, resources, schools, etc
• Loss of productive land
Ndwalane to Ntafufu (cont.)
 Issues
of significance (cont.):
• Invasion of alien plant species
• Threats to animal movement and to biodiversity as
a result of animal mortalities and disturbance
• Impacts on Mzimvubu River as a result of bridge
construction (vertical supports in channel)
• Visual impacts associated with bridge structure
• Elevated noise levels associated with road traffic
• Impacts on archaeological sites, or graves
Ndwalane to Ntafufu (cont.)
 Positive
impacts include:
• Creation of employment opportunities
• Expansion of transportation network &
improvement of access to the area
• Enhancement of eco-tourism and conservation
potential
 Majority
of potential impacts (biophysical and
social) of LOW significance and can be
minimised through mitigation
Ndwalane to Ntafufu
Recommendations
 Compile
an EMP including site-specific
mitigation measures to minimise impacts,
including:
• Resettlement programme for affected homesteads
• Provision of local access, where required
• Appropriate design of Mzimvubu River bridge
• Mitigation of impacts associated with road traffic
noise
• Management measures for the eradication and
control of alien plant species
Ntafufu to Magwa Intersection
 Utilises
the existing R61 and concrete road
 Construction
activities within the existing road
reserve, except at site-specific locations
 Issues
of significance include:
• Resettlement of homesteads within road reserve
• Restriction of access to new road through fencing
& closure of illegal access points
• Invasion of alien plant species
• Elevated levels of road traffic noise
Ntafufu to Magwa Intersection
(cont.)
 Positive
impacts include:
• Creation of employment opportunities
• Expansion of transportation network &
improvement of access to the area
• Enhancement of eco-tourism and conservation
potential
 Majority
of potential impacts (biophysical and
social) of LOW significance and can be
minimised through mitigation
Ntafufu to Magwa Intersection
Recommendations
 Compile
an EMP including site-specific
mitigation measures to minimise impacts,
including:
• Resettlement programme for affected homesteads
• Provision of local access, where required
• Appropriate mitigation of impacts associated with
elevated road traffic noise
• Management measures for the eradication and
control of alien plant species
Magwa Intersection to Mtamvuna
 New
road construction within a greenfields
corridor
 Issues
of significance include:
• Resettlement of affected homesteads within
proposed road reserve
• Division of communities (e.g. village of Matheko)
• Restriction of access between villages, grazing
land, resources, schools, etc
• Loss of productive land
Magwa Intersection to Mtamvuna
(cont.)
 Issues
of significance cont.:
• Invasion of alien plant species
• Loss of floral species richness and species of
special concern, and alteration of plant
communities
• Localised impacts on riparian vegetation and
forests within river gorge due to bridge
construction
Magwa Intersection to Mtamvuna
(cont.)
 Issues
of significance cont.:
• Threats to animal movement and to biodiversity as
a result of animal mortalities and disturbance
• Visual impact associated with bridge structures
• Noise impacts associated with road traffic
• Impacts on archaeological sites & graves
• Impacts associated with Mtentu Toll Plaza
Magwa Intersection to Mtamvuna
(cont.)
 Majority
of potential impacts (biophysical and
social) of LOW significance
 Noise impacts potentially of HIGH significance
 Many biophysical impacts of MODERATE
significance
 Impacts on floral species and communities
potentially of HIGH to VERY HIGH
significance
 Majority of impacts can be minimised through
mitigation
Magwa Intersection to Mtamvuna
Recommendations
 Compile
an EMP including site-specific
mitigation measures to minimise impacts,
including:
• Resettlement programme for affected homesteads
• Provision of local access, where required
• Mitigation of impacts associated with Mtentu Toll
Plaza
Magwa Intersection to Mtamvuna
Recommendations (cont.)
 EMP
cont.:
• Mitigation of impacts associated with road traffic
noise
• Appropriate design to minimise impacts on flora &
vegetation
• Management measures for the eradication and
control of alien plant species
Mtamvuna to Isipingo Interchange
 Utilises
existing N2
 Construction
activities within the existing road
reserve, except at site-specific locations
 Issues
of significance include:
• Restriction of access to new road through fencing
& consolidation of access points
• Compatibility with other planned developments
• Impacts associated with the construction of the
Park Rynie and Isipingo toll plazas
Mtamvuna to Isipingo Interchange
(cont.)
 Issues
of significance (cont.):
• Socio-economic impacts associated with tolling of
route (assessed by the socio-economic
assessment undertaken by the NRA)
• Invasion of alien plant species
 Positive
impacts include:
• Improved road user safety
• Creation of employment opportunities
• Expansion of transportation infrastructure
Mtamvuna to Isipingo Interchange
(cont.)
 Majority
of potential impacts (biophysical and
social) of LOW significance
 Noise
impacts potentially of HIGH significance
 Impacts
can be minimised through mitigation
Mtamvuna to Isipingo Interchange
Recommendations
 Compile
an EMP including site-specific
mitigation measures to minimise impacts,
including:
• Management measures for the eradication and
control of alien plant species
• Provision of local access, where required
• Mitigation of impacts associated with road traffic
noise
• Mitigation of impacts associated with Park Rynie
and Isipingo toll plazas
Overall Conclusions
 All
potentially negative environmental impacts
can be mitigated to reduce their severity and
significance to acceptable levels
 Use
of the nominated preferred alignment is
key in this reduction of impacts
 An
EMP to specify mitigation actions
 A number
of potentially positive impacts
identified which will result in benefits to local
communities and the region
Overall Recommendations
 Role
of the EMP is seen as vital to the
implementation of the various mitigation
measures recommended by the specialist
studies
 EMP
required for design, construction and
operation phases of the proposed project to
stipulate site-specific management actions
Overall Recommendations (cont.)
 Specialist
input is required to be used as
part of the design & operation phases, e.g.
• Specialist botanist to survey the final route
• Specialist ecologist to survey final locations for
bridge crossings
• Specialist archaeologist to survey final route
• Noise specialist to provide input for specific
sections
 On-going
communication & consultation
with communities
Way Forward
 Public
review of draft EIA Report
• Until 15 November 2002
• Feedback public and focus group meetings
• Comments received to be incorporated into final
EIA Report
 Final
EIA Report will be submitted to DEAT for
review & decision-making
 Issuing of an authorisation for this project will
allow final design of the road to be undertaken