ENLARGEMENT OF SANDGAT DAM AND RAISING OF VOOR NIEKIE DAM ON PORTION 2 OF FARM BRAKFONTEIN NO. 123, NEAR CALEDON, WESTERN CAPE: NOTIFICATION OF INTENTION TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FORM IN TERMS OF SECTION 24G OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT (NEMA) (107 OF 1998) AND NOTIFICATION OF AVAILABILITY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED DOCUMENTS FOR COMMENT
S24G ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PROCESS:
DEA&DP Ref No.: 14/2/4/1/E4/5/0017/18
Heritage Western Cape Ref No.: 19032927AS0403E
The Applicant (Van Niekerk Boerdery Trust) commenced with upgrading an existing Voor Niekie Dam by clearing its diversion channel and removing 1000m3 of sediment from the dam in 2018. The dam wall was also raised by 1m resulting in the total storage capacity to increase from 4451m3 to 7070m3. Work on this project component is complete. The applicant also initiated the expansion of Sandgat Dam, a dam within what used to be a sand mine pit. The proposed completed Sandgat Dam would have a total storage capacity of 500 000m3 and 17.7m high embankment. In order to fill the proposed Sandgat dam, water would gravitate from the existing pump station at Langs Eben Dam to the Sandgat Dam via a proposed 315 mm diameter water supply pipeline (approximately 0.4 km). An additional proposed 315mm diameter pipeline (approximately 0.5 km) would be connected to the Sandgat Dam outlet pipe to gravitate water to the existing pump station at Voor Niekie Dam.
Holland & Associates Environmental Consultants has been appointed by Van Niekerk Boerdery Trust to undertake the requisite Environmental Impact Assessment process for the project (in this case a Section 24G process) in accordance with the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) (No. 107 of 1998), as amended, EIA Regulations (2014).
The Draft S24G Application Form has been made available to the public for review for a 30 day comment period from 30 March 2021 to 6 May 2021, and is downloadable via the link below. Interested & Affected Parties (I&APs) have 30 days, i.e. until 6 May 2021, to raise any issues or concerns related to the proposed project and the aforementioned documents. Any comments received from I&APs will be incorporated into a Comments and Response Report CRR(2) and included in the updated S24G Application Form, following which the Application will be submitted to the DEA&DP.
Should you have any comments, issues or concerns regarding the proposed project or the findings of the Draft S24G Application Form, please provide your comments in writing to Ross Holland of Holland & Associates Environmental Consultants, by email, fax or post (Fax: 086 653 1765, email: ross@hollandandassociates.net or post: PO Box 31108, Tokai, 7966), on or before 6 May 2021.