PROPOSED CULTIVATION OF VIRGIN SOIL, CONSTRUCTION OF A DAM AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE ON PORTION 27 AND PORTION 17 OF FARM EILANDIA NO. 466, SCHERPENHEUWEL, WORCESTER, WESTERN CAPE: NOTIFICATION OF AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT:
SCOPING & ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORTING PROCESS
(DEA&DP REF NO.: 16/3/3/2/B2/32/1049/18)
Driekuns Boerdery (Pty) Ltd (“the Applicant”) propose to develop approximately 38ha for the cultivation of vineyards on Portion 27 of Farm Eilandia No. 466, in the Scherpenheuwel area, approximately 22km south east of Worcester, within the Breede Valley Municipality, Western Cape Province. The proposed infrastructure associated with the project includes a new off-channel dam, new pipelines, a river pump station on the Breede River, approach channel and associated infrastructure, a new booster pump station, an irrigation pump station with filter station, internal farm access roads, and buildings (farmstead/ office, vehicle shed and precooling area).
In terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations (2014), as amended, the proposed project triggers a number of listed activities identified in Government Notices (GN) R983, R984 and R985, as amended, namely:
GN R983, as amended (GN 327) activities triggered by the proposed development: 9, 12, 19
GN R984, as amended (GN 325) activities triggered by the proposed development: 15, 16
GN R985, as amended (GN 324) activities triggered by the proposed development: 4
Accordingly, the proposed activities require environmental authorisation from the competent environmental authority, viz. the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP) via the Scoping and Environmental Impact Reporting process outlined in GN No. R982, as amended.
Holland & Associates Environmental Consultants has been appointed by Driekuns Boerdery (Pty) Ltd to undertake the requisite Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the proposed project (in this case, a Scoping and Environmental Impact Reporting (S&EIR) process) in accordance with the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) (No. 107 of 1998) EIA Regulations (2014), as amended.
Note: A Water Use License Application (WULA) for the proposed project, in terms of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act 36 of 1998) (NWA), has been submitted to the Breede Gouritz Catchment Management Agency (BGCMA). The following water uses as defined in Section 21 of the NWA are being applied for:
21(a) taking water from a water resource;
21(b) storing water;
21(c) impeding or diverting the flow of water in a watercourse; and
21(i) altering the beds, banks, course or characteristics of a watercourse.
HDL Consulting has been appointed by the Applicant to undertake the requisite Water Use License Application (WULA) in terms of the NWA for the project. A copy of the WULA is included in the EIA Report (refer to Annexure N of the EIA Report), for I&AP review and comment in terms of Section 41(4) of the National Water Act and WULA Regulations (2017). (Note: No changes to the WULA have been made since the inclusion of the WULA in the Scoping Report).
The draft EIA Report, including the Environmental Management Programme (EMPr), Maintenance Management Plan (MMP) and WULA has been made available to registered Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) for review for a 30 day comment period, and is downloadable via the link below. I&APs have 30 days, i.e. 13 November 2018 – 13 December 2018, to submit comments on the proposed project and draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report.Any comments received from I&APs will be collated and responded to in a Comments and Response Report CRR(3), and will be included in the “final” Environmental Impact Assessment Report that will be submitted to DEA&DP for decision making.
Should you have any comments, issues or concerns regarding the proposed project or the findings of the draft EIA Report, please provide your comments in writing to Nicole Holland of Holland & Associates Environmental Consultants, by email, fax or post (Fax: 086 7626126, email: nicole@hollandandassociates.net or post: PO Box 31108, Tokai, 7966), on or before 13 December 2018.