Proposed Raising Of Jan Rabie Dam On Farm Voorspoed No. 92 And Farm Die Ghwarries No. 93, Near Robertson

PROPOSED RAISING OF JAN RABIE DAM ON FARM VOORSPOED NO. 92 AND FARM DIE GHWARRIES NO. 93, NEAR ROBERTSON, WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE: NOTIFICATION OF SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION AND AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR COMMENT

BASIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORTING PROCESS:
DEA&DP Ref No.: 16/3/3/6/7/1/B1/14/1477/24
Heritage Western Cape Ref No.: 17020201AS0203M

Habata Boerdery (Pty) Ltd, trading as Habata Agri, represented by Jan Rabie (hereafter referred to as “the Applicant”), proposes the raising of Jan Rabie Dam on Farm Voorspoed No. 92 and Farm Die Ghwarries No. 93, located approximately 14 km south west of Robertson, within the Langeberg Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province.

The proposed project consists of enlarging the Jan Rabie Dam from its current storage capacity of 586 000 m3 (with a wall height of 20.1 m) to a total capacity of approximately 1 104 700 m3 (with a wall height of 23.2 m). The proposed enlargement will increase the inundation footprint to approximately 21.5 ha, representing an additional inundation area of ±8.9 ha beyond the existing extent. The existing access road will be relocated to above the Full Supply Level (FSL) on the left (i.e. western) abutment. The reduced 1.1 million m3 storage capacity option for the enlargement of Jan Rabie Dam does not require upstream berms to limit the dams footprint, or bypass pipelines, that were previously required to drain the upstream berms, when the 1.6 million m3 storage capacity option was proposed. All construction material required for the embankment and core trench is expected to be sourced from within the dam basin, as confirmed in the updated engineering report (Appendix L5 of the Draft BAR).

The main purpose of the project is to consolidate existing authorised storage capacity that was previously allocated to two other dams on the property, into a single enlarged dam. Consolidated storage will enhance water use efficiency, provide greater assurance of supply as well as assist in mitigating possible impacts of climate change on the farming operation. Consistent irrigation will improve the farm’s feasibility by allowing for the production of high value crops, including citrus, table grapes, wine grapes and deciduous fruits.

The proposed enlarged storage capacity of 1 104 700 m3 falls within the volumes allowed under the Applicant’s Existing Lawful Use (ELU). The revised storage capacity of 1 104 700 m3 for Jan Rabie Dam is achieved through the reallocation of previously authorised storage volumes, specifically:

• the storage volume originally authorised for the Western Dam; and
• the additional storage volume previously authorised for the enlargement of Dam 1,

which have now been consolidated into the enlarged Jan Rabie Dam. No additional water is being applied for as part of this project. The previously assessed approximate 1.6 million m3 storage capacity option (assessed during the Pre-Application Phase) is not included in this application. Should additional water resources become available in the future, the Applicant may consider a separate future application, at that time.

Holland & Associates Environmental Consultants (Pty) Ltd has been appointed by Habata Boerdery (Pty) Ltd to undertake the requisite Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the proposed project (in this case, a Basic Assessment Reporting (BAR) process) in accordance with the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) (No. 107 of 1998) EIA Regulations (2014), as amended. HagenBrink Consulting Engineers is the consulting engineer for the proposed project.

The Draft Basic Assessment Report is being made available to the public for review for a 30-day comment period and is downloadable via the link below. Interested & Affected Parties (I&APs) have 30 days, i.e. until 9 March 2026 to register as I&APs and 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 will be included in the final Basic 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 Basic Assessment Report, please provide your comments in writing to Melanie Van Niekerk of Holland & Associates Environmental Consultants, by email or post (email: janrabiedam.ppp@hollandandassociates.net or post: PostNet suite #108, Private Bag X12, Tokai, 7966), on or before 9 March 2026.