Final scoping report golela to nsezi 02 by Rogan Flitton

Environmental Impact Assessment: The Proposed Upgrade and New Construction Related to the Development of the Sw aziland Rail Link Project from Golela to Nsezi in KwaZulu-Natal.

Reference: 109578 DEA ref: 14/12/16/3/3/2/55 2 Prepared for: Transnet SOC Ltd Revision: 02 October 2013

Final Scoping Report

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc O ctober 2013 Revision 02

Document Control Record Document prepared by: Mrs Candice D端rr Aurecon South Af rica (Pty Ltd) 4 Dav entry Street Lynnwood Bridge Of f ice Park Lynnwood Manor 0081 T F E W

+27 12 427 252 +27 86 556 0521 Pieter.Botha@aurecongroup.com www.aurecongroup.com

A person using Aurecon documents or data accepts the risk of: a) b)

Using the documents or data in electronic form without req uesting and checking them for accuracy ag ainst the orig inal hard copy version. Using the documents or data for any purpose not ag reed to in writing by Aurecon.

Docu ment control

R eport Title

Env ironmental Impact Assessment: The Proposed Upgrade And New Construction Related To The Dev elopment Of The Swaziland Rail Link Project f rom Golela to Nsezi Yard In Mpumalanga. Draf t Scoping Report

D ocument ID

109578/DSR_KZN/02

File Path

P:\Projects\109578 EIA Process f or Swaziland Rail Link\Env ironmental\Sc oping Phase\FSRs\KwaZulu-N atal

C lient

Transnet SOC Ltd

Client C ontact

Project N umber

109578

+27 11 308 3000

R ev

Date

Revision Details/Status

Prepared by

Author

Verifier

Approver

19.08.2013

Draft (Pieter to comment)

C .Durr

C. Durr

Dr P Botha

Barend Smit

28.08.2013

Final

C. Durr

Dr P Botha

Barend Smit

07.10.2013

Revised (DEA comments)

C. Durr

Dr P Botha

Barend Smit

C urrent R evision

Approval Author Signature

Nam e Title

Approv er Signature

Candice D端rr Env ironmental Scientist

Name Title

Barend Smit Technical Director

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc O ctober 2013 Revision 02

Environmental Impact Assessment: The Proposed Upgrade And New Construction Related To The Development Of The Swaziland Rail Link Project From Golela to Nsezi In KwaZulu-Natal. Final Scoping Report

Date | 07 October 2013 Ref erence | 109578/DSR_KZN Revision | 02

Document prepared f or: Mr K.E. Tshipala

Transnet SOC Limited Carlton Centre 105 Commissioner Street Johannesburg 2001 T F E

+27 11 308 3000 +27 11 308 2315 Khathutshelo.Ts hipala@trans net. net

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc O ctober 2013 Revision 02

Contents 1

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................1 1.1 Project Background .......................................................................................................1 Gradient s: ...............................................................................................................................2 1.2 Need for th e Project ......................................................................................................5 1.3 Proposed alignment alternative s fo r the S waziland Railway Link Project ...................6 1.4 Project L ocation .............................................................................................................7 BASELINE E NVI RONMENTAL DES CRI PTI ON ..................................................................8 2.1 Physical environment ....................................................................................................8 2.2 Biophysical envi ronment ............................................................................................. 14 2.3 Social environm ent ...................................................................................................... 17 LE GIS LATIVE FRAM EWORK ............................................................................................ 49 3.1 National Legislation ..................................................................................................... 49 3.2 Provincial legislation.................................................................................................... 56 THE EI A P ROCESS DES CRIPTI ON................................................................................... 57 4.1 Objective s of the EI A................................................................................................... 57 4.2 Process to Date ........................................................................................................... 57 4.3 A ssumption s and Limitati ons ...................................................................................... 58 4.4 Authority Involvement .................................................................................................. 58 4.5 Context of this Report .................................................................................................. 58 THE P UBLIC PARTI CIP ATI ON PROCESS (PPP)............................................................. 63 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 63 5.2 APP ROA CH TO THE PP P ROCES S ......................................................................... 63 5.3 Initiation of Public Participation Proce ss up to dat e ................................................... 64 5.4 Public Consultation...................................................................................................... 67 5.5 Com ment on the Draft a nd Final Scoping Re port ....................................................... 68 Issues ide ntified during the sc opi ng phase.................................................................... 69 6.1 Environm ental I ssue s Rai sed...................................................................................... 69 6.2 Social, Econom ic and Cultural I ssues Rai sed ............................................................ 71 6.3 Health and Safety issue s raised du ring the S coping Pha se ...................................... 72 6.4 In stitutional and Legal A spe ct s Rai se d During the Scoping Pha se ........................... 72 6.5 I ssue s raised du ring the Public Pa rticipation Process................................................ 72 PLAN OF STUDY FOR THE EI A ........................................................................................ 76 7.1 Tasks t o be underta ken du ring the EI A ...................................................................... 76 7.2 Con sultation with Competent Autho rities.................................................................... 93 7.3 A sse ssm ent Methodology and App roach ................................................................... 93 7.4 Public Participation During the EIA Phase .................................................................. 99 CONCLUSION AND RE COM MENDATIONS ................................................................... 101 8.1 Con clusion s ............................................................................................................... 101 8.2 Recomm endations .................................................................................................... 103 Re fere nces ........................................................................................................................ 104

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc O ctober 2013 Revision 02

Appendices Appendix A Curriculum Vitae of the Env ironmental Assessment Practitioners Appendix B Specialist input reports Appendix C Public Participation documents Appendix D DEA Application Documents

Index of Figures Figure 1: General layout of the entire Swaziland Railway Link from Davel to Nsezi, The red and purple lines indicates the new link alternatives from Lothair to Sidvokodvo. The blue line represe nt s the upg rade and con stru ction se ction s of the exi sting railway line. .......... 4 Figure 2: Exi sting rail line infra structu re ..................................................................................... 6 Figure 3: Ae rial image indicating potential noise-sen sitive developm ents.............................. 10 Figure 4: A map illustrating the major rivers and wetland s areas within the study region. ..... 13 Figure 5: A map illustrating the irreplaceability categories that intersect with the line based on results from the Ezem velo KZN Wildlife Conservation Plan ............................................ 14 Figure 6: The Golela to Nse zi line (orange )............................................................................. 15 Figure 7: The Golela to Nsezi line in relation to the regional vegetation types as defined by Mucina & Ruthe rfo rd (2006 ). ............................................................................................ 17 Figure 8: Affected m unicipalities of the KwaZulu-Natal a rea .................................................. 18 Figure 9: Composition of the labou r fo rce ................................................................................ 33 Figure 10 : Change s in employment in 1995 and 2011 - u Phongolo LM................................. 38 Figure 11 : Change s in employment in 1995 and 2011 - Jozini LM ......................................... 38 Figure 12 : Change s in employment in 1995 and 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Big Five Fal se Bay LM ........... 38 Figure 13 : Change s in employment in 1995 and 2011 - M tubutuba LM ................................. 38 Figure 14 : Change s in employment in 1995 and 2011 - M bonam bi LM ................................. 39 Figure 15 : Change s in employment in 1995 and 2011 - uMhlatuze LM ................................. 39 Figure 16 : Com bined GVA pe r econom ic sector (R'm illion).................................................... 42 Figure 17 : Com parative GVA ................................................................................................... 42 Figure 18 : Tress index (10 indu stries) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; K wa Zulu Nat al Section Part 1 ................................. 43 Figure 19 : Tress index (10 indu stries) - K waZulu Natal Se ction Part 2 .................................. 43

Index of Tables Table 1: Mfolozi Local Municipality ......................................................................................... 25 Table 2: uM hlathuze Local Municipality................................................................................... 26 Table 3: UPhon golo Local Municipality.................................................................................... 28

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc O ctober 2013 Revision 02

Table 4: Jozini Local M unicipality ............................................................................................ 29 Table 5: The Big 5 Fal se Ba y Local M unicipality..................................................................... 30 Table 6: Mtubatuba Local Municipali ty .................................................................................... 31 Table 7: Hlabisa Local Municipality.......................................................................................... 32 Table 8: Kwa Zulu Natal LM labour force (2011 )...................................................................... 34 Table 9: Em ployment per secto r (K wa Zulu Natal LMs)........................................................... 35 Table 10: Employm ent distribution per sect or ......................................................................... 37 Table 11: GVA out put per labour unit (Râ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m illion) ..................................................................... 41 Table 12: Location coefficient: South Africa ............................................................................ 44 Table 13: Location coefficient: Kwazulu-Natal......................................................................... 44 Table 14: Location coefficient: Sisonke ................................................................................... 45 Table 15: EIA activities to dat e. ............................................................................................... 57 Table 16: Conte xt a s required b y NEM A ................................................................................. 59 Table 17: Plan of study for EIA with respect to the prelim inary specialist studies that have been done. ........................................................................................................................ 77 Table 18: Criteria for th e evaluation of en vironmental impacts ............................................... 95 Table 19: Definition of significance rating s .............................................................................. 96 Table 20: Definition of probability ratings................................................................................. 97 Table 21: Definition of confidence ratings................................................................................ 97 Table 22: Definition of reve rsibility ratings ............................................................................... 97

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc O ctober 2013 Revision 02

Transnet S wazila nd R ailwa y Lin k Projec t: Golela to Nsezi – Draft Scoping Rep ort

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AD

Anno Dom ini

AEL

Atmospheric Emission Licence

AQIA

Air Quality Im pact Assessment

BID

Background Information Document

DEA

Department of Environmental Affairs

DRO

Diesel Range Organics

DSR

Draft Scoping Report

DWA

Department of Water Affairs

Environmental Authorisation

EAP

Environmental Assessment Practitioner

ECA

Environment Conservation Act, 73 of 1989

ECO

Environmental Control Officer

EIA

Environmental Im pact Assessment

EIR

Environmental Im pact Report

EIS

Ecological Im portance and Sensitivity

EMP

Environmental Managem ent Plan

ESA

Early Stone Age

FEL

Front End Loading

GIS

Geographic Inform ation System

GNR

Government Notice

 Aurecon (2009) No unauthorised reproduction, copy or adaptation, in whole or in part, may be made. Swaziland Rail Link project: G olela to Nsezi

Transnet S wazila nd R ailwa y Lin k Projec t: Golela to Nsezi – Draft Scoping Rep ort

GPS

Global Positioning System

GRO

Gasoline Range Organics

GVA

Gross Value Added

HIA

Heritage Impact Assessm ent

I&APs

Interested and Affected Parties

IRR

Issues and Response Report

KZN

KwaZulu-Natal

KZN: DAEARD

KwaZulu-Natal: Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development

LIA

Late Iron Age

Local Municipality

LSA

Late Stone Age

M AP

Mean Annual PKwaZulu-Natalrecipitation

Local Municipality

M AR

Mean Annual Run-off

M AT

Mean Annual Tem perature

M EC

Member of Executive Council

M OU

Memorandum of Understanding

M SA

Middle Stone Age

M tpa

Million tonnes per annum

M TPA

Mpum alanga Tourism and Parks Agency

NEM A

National Environm ental M anagement Act, 107 of 1998  Aurecon (2009) No unauthorised reproduction, copy or adaptation, in whole or in part, may be made. Swaziland Rail Link project: G olela to Nsezi

Transnet S wazila nd R ailwa y Lin k Projec t: Golela to Nsezi – Draft Scoping Rep ort

NEM :WA

National Environm ental M anagement: Waste Act, 59 of 2008

NFEPA

National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Atlas

NSD

Noise Sensitive Development

NWA

National Water Act (Act No. 36 of 1998)

PES

Present Ecological Status

PLP

Project Lifecycle Process

PPP

Public Participation Process

PoSfEIA

Plan of Study for Environmental Impact Assessm ent

SAHRA

South African Heritage Resource Agency

SANBI

South African National Biodiversity Institute

SANRAL

South African National Roads Agency Limited

SANS

South African National Standard

SEA

Swaziland Environment Authority

Surveyor-General

SIA

Social Impact Assessment

SOC

State-Owned Com pany

Scoping Report

STD

Sexually Transmitted Disease

t/axle

Ton per axle

UPVC

Unplastised Polyvinyl Chloride

 Aurecon (2009) No unauthorised reproduction, copy or adaptation, in whole or in part, may be made. Swaziland Rail Link project: G olela to Nsezi

GLOSSARY OF T ERMS Env ironment:

m eans the surroundings within which humans exist and that are m ade up of (i) the land, water and atm osphere of the earth; (ii) m icro-organisms, plant and animal life; (iii) any part or com bination of (i) and (ii) and the interrelationships among and between them; and (iv) the physical, chem ical, aesthetic and cultural properties and conditions of the foregoing that influence hum an health and wellbeing.

Env ironmental Impact:

The direct effect of human activities and natural events on the com ponents of the environment.

Env ironmental Impact Assessment (EIA):

The process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of a proposed activity on the environment and the surrounding comm unity prior to m ajor decisions being taken and comm itm ents made.

Env ironmental M anagement Plan (EM P):

A document that contains recom mendations for the control or m anagement of the potential significant impacts of operations on the environment and recommendations to contain or m itigate actual im pacts.

Feasible:

Acceptable, capable of being used or implemented successfully, without unacceptably damaging the environm ent.

Pollution:

Any change in the environment which has an adverse effect on hum an health or well-being or on the composition, resilience and productivity of natural or managed ecosystems, or on materials useful to people, or will have such an effect in the future.

Public Participation Process:

A process of involving the public in order to identify needs, address concerns, choose options, inform decision making, plan and monitor in term s of a proposed project, programme or development.

Risk:

The scientific judgement of probability and significance of harm to the environm ent.

ď&#x203A;&#x2122; Aurecon (2009) No unauthorised reproduction, copy or adaptation, in whole or in part, may be made. Swaziland Rail Link project: G olela to Nsezi

DETAILS OF EAP Dr Pieter Botha Project Leader Dr Pieter Botha holds a DSc from the North West University, Potchefstroom Campus (1981). Dr Botha joined Aurecon's Environmental Department in M ay 2010 as a Senior Environmental Practitioner, and has since been involved in various projects. These have included projects such as a Front End Loading (FEL) 1 and 2 studies of the Sishen-Saldanha ore line expansion project, and an Environm ental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Isundu-M bewu power line project awarded to Aurecon by Eskom and the FEL-1 and 2 studies for the expansion of the Port of Richards Bay. Following a career of three decades in the public sector, he established his own consultancy with a view to make a contribution in the area of natural resources management, environmental protection and agriculture in respect of policy and legislation formulation and review, as well as the provision of capacity building in the sam e areas. He has also undertaken and m anaged a variety of complex land restitution projects for the Com mission on Restitution of Land Rights in M pumalanga and North West Provinces. Dr Botha has m anaged various sections and divisions during his tenure in the public sector, and has, in this regard, been responsible for personnel managem ent, financial management and strategic leadership. Research has formed a vital part of the projects he has been involved in. Dr Botha started his research career as a range managem ent research officer in the Karoo Region and learnt about the dynamics of the arid areas of South Africa and, in particular, the agricultural system s applied in those areas. He has over three decades of experience in environm ental research, policy development and implementation in South Africa, as well as writing various environmental reports. He also has knowledge and experience relating to biodiversity conservation and utilisation in the southern African region. Dr Botha has also been involved in the development and drafting of policy and subsequent legislation in various facets of the environm ental field relating to biodiversity conservation, utilisation and rural development. An important component of his varied expertise is his involvement in the public participation process as a principal element of his diverse projects, engaging with many, different and challenging stakeholders at various different levels of engagement. Dr Botha has led or been part of delegations in various international m eetings and conferences on behalf of South Africa. This required a comprehensive in-depth knowledge of relevant subjects and policies, as well as good negotiation skills. ď&#x203A;&#x2122; Aurecon (2009) No unauthorised reproduction, copy or adaptation, in whole or in part, may be made. Swaziland Rail Link project: G olela to Nsezi

Dr Botha is registered as an Environm ental Assessm ent Practitioner with the International Association for Impact Assessm ent (South Africa). A copy of Dr Pieter Botha’s CV is attached in Appendix A (annexure A).

Mrs Candice Dürr Assist in conducting and managing the Environmental Assessment Process. Compilation and subm ission of the Final EIA and EMP to the relevant Authority. Liaise with authorities, stakeholders and specialists. Com pilation of the water use licenses for the entire alignment. BSc Environmental and Biological Sciences, North West University, Potchefstroom Campus (2008). Mrs Dürr is currently a final year Honours student in BSc Environmental M anagem ent at the University of Pretoria. M rs Dürr’s m ain focus is on environmental m anagem ent of related issues within a wide range of infrastructure development which includes environm ental im pact assessm ents and environm ental management plans for listed activities under the various agencies' environmental legislation. To date M rs Dürr has gained experience on various projects located in South Africa. M rs Dürr is a qualified Environmental specialist and obtained her Bachelor of Science from the North West University. A copy of M rs Candice Dürr’s CV is attached in Appendix A (annexure B).

Mrs Claudia Neethling Assists in conducting and m anaging the Public Participation (PP) Process as specified in Chapter 6 of the EIA Regulations, 2010. Compilation of all docum entation associated with the PP Process. Compilation of stakeholder database and Issues and Response Reports to be included in the Final Scoping Report and the Draft and Final EIA Reports. Responsibilities include liaison with Authorities and affected stakeholders. M rs Neethling is registered as an Environmental Assessment Practitioner with the International Association of Impact Assessment (South Africa). She holds a certificate in Environmental M anagement from the University of Pretoria (2007) and is in the process of acquiring a Bachelor's degree in Language and Literature from the University of South Africa (UNISA). She has been active in the environm ental industry for close to a decade. Her experience has equipped her with concrete knowledge of environm ental procedures and legislation, enabling her to provide accurate advice on environm ental queries and guidance on required processes and managem ent of environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes. She has a thorough understanding of the role legislation and authorities, other stakeholders and interest groups have to fulfil in evaluating environmental impacts. Furtherm ore M rs Neethling has been responsible for m anaging and executing all aspects related to Environm ental M anagement in terms of the National Environmental Management Act,  Aurecon (2009) No unauthorised reproduction, copy or adaptation, in whole or in part, may be made. Swaziland Rail Link project: G olela to Nsezi

1998 (107 of 1998) (NEMA) and the Environmental Conservation Act, 1989 (73 of 1989) (ECA). Her key experience includes environm ental impact assessments; basic assessments; environm ental management program mes; public participation; due diligence investigations; environm ental auditing; authority liaison and conducting visual impact assessment s. A copy of M rs Caudia Neethlingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CV is attached in Appendix A (annexure C).

ď&#x203A;&#x2122; Aurecon (2009) No unauthorised reproduction, copy or adaptation, in whole or in part, may be made. Swaziland Rail Link project: G olela to Nsezi

INTRODUCTION

1.1

Project Background

Transnet SOC Lim ited (hereafter referred to as Transnet) is a government (state) owned com pany (SOC) and is the custodian of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s railway, ports and pipelines, thereby responsible for delivering reliable freight transport and handling services that satisfy custom er dem and. As such, Transnet in collaboration with Swaziland Railway identified the construction and upgrade of the railway line between Davel in M pum alanga and Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal as a strategic project. The aim of the project is to unlock the potential of a multinational strategic rail corridor and divert general freight traffic off the dedicated heavy haul Richards Bay coal line which runs from Ermelo through rural KwaZulu-Natal to Richards Bay. In term s of the National Environm ental Managem ent Act, 107 of 1998 the proposed development triggers activities which may significantly impact on the environment. As a result Transnet requires Environm ental Authorisation from the com petent authority, the Departm ent of Environm ental Affairs (DEA) in collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal Departm ent of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs (KZNDAE) to commence with the development. The project activities will consist of various works, including the upgrading of existing railway sections (including re-building certain sections), construction of an entirely new rail link from Lothair to Sidvokodvo in Swaziland and construction of new rail yards. These proposed works trigger listed activities as specified in the National Environmental M anagem ent Act (NEMA), 107 of 1998, the National Water Act (NWA), 36 of 1998 and the National Environmental M anagement: Waste Act (NEM WA), 59 of 2008. Due to the size of the proposed project, which stretches over a distance of approxim ately 370 km (see figure 1), the DEA advised that the EIA be split into separate applications. It was agreed that three applications will be com piled as follows: 1. Davel yard and connections, DEA ref no 14/12/16/3/3/2/551; 2. M pumalanga rail line from Davel to the Swaziland border, DEA ref no 14/12/16/3/3/2/553; 3. KwaZulu-Natal railway line from Golela to Nsezi, DEA ref no 14/12/16/3/3/2/552. Each of the three sections will go through the EIA process separately, although concurrently in order to sim plify the public participation process and to reduce any potential confusion. This report specifically pertains to application 3 as mentioned abov e, i.e. the Golela to Nsezi section (ref no: 14/12/16/3/3/2/552).

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Aurecon South Africa (Pty) Ltd was appointed by Transnet to provide the environmental services for the Environmental Im pact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed Swaziland Rail Link from Davel in M pum alanga, through Swaziland to Nsezi in Richards Bay (Figure 1). The section of the proposed railway line from Golela to Nsezi (KZN North Coast, South Africa), over a distance of approximately 210 kilom etres, forms part of the larger Swaziland Rail Link study. Factual geotechnical tests of the existing line have indicated that the formation is not capable of carrying the anticipated tonnage at the planned 26 ton axle loading (or even 20 ton / axle). Furtherm ore, rehabilitation is necessary over the lineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entire length, which cannot be done within an acceptable timefram e under operational conditions. It is therefore anticipated that a completely new railway line, roughly parallel to the existing, will have to be constructed. At the river crossings the new track is generally at a higher level than the existing track because of gradient easing. As a consequence, most of the existing river bridges will be abandoned. This is not of significant consequence as many of the existing river bridges are of steel construction and are nearing the end of their econom ic lifecycles in terms of steel corrosion. Many of these structures are also of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;through-spanâ&#x20AC;? type which constitutes a risk to the rail operation in the case of derailm ent owing to a high probability of the bridge being destroyed. It is however the recom mendation that the two major river bridges on the line be retained. The bridge over the Pongola River is a reinforced concrete arch bridge, not susceptible to steel corrosion or the risk of major damage in the event of a derailment. The bridge over the Um folozi River was largely destroyed and rebuilt after the Dom oina floods in 1983. It is envisaged that approximately 80 bridges will need to be constructed on the Golela to Nsezi section of the Swaziland Railway Link project. These bridges will include agricultural overpasse s, river bridges, culverts, viaducts and rail over road bridges. The Herringbone yard at Nsezi is the only portion of that yard which has 200 wagon capability. It is currently used for staging and breaking up / consolidation of loads for the port and industrial areas. Given its direct connection to the Coal Line and port access lines, it is proposed to use this facility by expanding it by the addition of three extra lines. Minor earthworks will be required for this purpose.

Gradients: The aspirational ruling gradient of the system infrastructure in the predominantly loaded direction towards the ports is 1:160, corresponding to that of the existing Coal Line. This gradient could not be accomplished throughout the route during detail engineering design and a com prom ise gradient of 1:120 was eventually achieved.

The ruling gradient in the return direction against trains primarily conveying em pty wagons is equal to that of the Coal Line at 1:66. It was endeavoured to engineer the m inimum length of all

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continuous up or down grade sections to at least 1500m. This is to allow for acceptable train handling practises by m inimizing transitional longitudinal in-train forces.

M inimum departure gradients achieved are 1:177 in the direction of the ports and 1:95 in the return direction. This ensures the availability of sufficient locomotive adhesion whilst charging the train brake system as well as when bringing trains into m otion after having stopped at a crossing loop.

Curvature The design of the horizontal alignm ent is based on achieving maxim um curvature within practical constraints. Inherent advantages include: •

larger curve radii are less prone to wear and consequent maintenance; and

•

lateral forces in the rail as the result of high tractive and compressive in-train forces are reduced. The m inimum curve radius achieved is 300m with the aspirational radius at 400m achieved in many instances. It is recomm ended that the aspirational m inimum curvature for FEL-3 design m ust be 550 m.

Train speed The system design is based on the following maximum perm issible train speeds: •

Speed in yards: 15km/h;

•

M aximum line speed: 80km /h;

•

M aximum train speed: 60km/h and 80km /h for loaded and empty trains respectively. Loaded trains can reach m aximum speeds of 80km /h when using train m om entum and when no other more restricting speed is applicable;

•

Down grade speed: 40km/h for loaded trains on 1:66 down gradients of 2km and longer in length;

•

Special speed restriction: 40km /h on the environmentally sensitive section in the vicinity of Lavumisa to Kingholm in order to reduce noise generation.

•

Speed restriction will also be applied in other environm entally sensitive areas (with special attention to be paid to animal movem ent) such as the Pongola Private Game Reserve which will be investigated during the specialist assessment s in the EIA process.

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc 07 October 2013 Revision 2 Page 3

Figure 1: General layout of the entire Swaziland Railway Link from Davel to Nsezi, The red and purple lines indicates the new link alternatives from Lothair to Sidvokodvo. The blue line represents the upgrade and construction sections of the existing railway line.

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_G olela to Nsezi_02.doc 07 O ctober 2013 Revision 2 Page 4

1.2

Need for the Project

Transnet comm issioned a concept level study in 2011 to investigate the provision of a new rail link between Lothair (M pum alanga, South Africa) and a suitable tie-in location along the existing Swaziland railway network. The concept unlocks the potential for a m ultinational strategic rail corridor, while at the same tim e relieving pressure from the heavy haul Richards Bay Coal Line and the general freight Eastern Mainline to M aputo. Regional support for this project was confirm ed by the signing of the Inter-Governmental M em orandum of Understanding (MOU) between the South African Government represented by the Departm ent of Public Enterprises and the Kingdom of Swaziland represented by the Departm ent of Transport on 2 August 2012. The M OU addresses the governance of a num ber of m atters of comm ercial interest to both parties, including the Swaziland Rail Link project. The m ultinational governance of this MOU is vested in an Executive Steering Com mittee (Steercom). The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding at inter-Railway level between South Africa (Transnet) and the Kingdom of Swaziland (Swaziland Railway) on 23 Novem ber 2012 reinforced the cooperation and relationship at business and technical levels. The MOU cements the areas addressed in term s of the project structure, governance and accountability at M anagement (policy, control and governance) levels as well as the functional and disciplinespecific fields described in terms of Project work stream s. The governance of the inter-railway agreement is vested in an inter-railway Steercom .

Inter-Governmental and inter-Railway cooperation has been applied in the developm ent stage of the Swazi Rail Link project through, am ongst others: • Inter-government m eetings and cooperation, culminating in the form al signing of the M OU on August 2012. • M edia presentations in South Africa and Swaziland. • Inter-railway Steercom and joint Project Steercom meetings on a regular basis. •

Inter-railway workshops and work stream technical collaboration meeting in South Africa as well as Swaziland.

The creation of a strategic link between South Africa and the export ports of Richards Bay, and M aputo through Swaziland has been found to be technically feasible, with certain risks attached. The additional dem and on parts of the network brought about by increases in traffic volum e from sources other than Mpum alanga and central Gauteng make upgrades of the network a critical planning driver. Network upgrades required to achieve the full capacity potential of the project are critical, extensive and expensive. Refined estimates for all network upgrades indicate a cost of approxim ately ZAR 12 230 million.

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc 07 October 2013 Revision 2 Page 5

The project holds significant advantages in relieving the general freight bound pressure on the Richards Bay coal line. It provides a strategic link to congested South African export ports, as well as encouraging economic and rail transport growth in Swaziland, thus in turn reducing the need for road transport and minim ising damage to roads from heavy vehicles.

1.3

Proposed alignment alternatives for the Sw aziland Railw ay Link Project

The upgrading of the Golela to Nsezi railway line: The 210 km section of existing railway line from Golela to Nsezi (Figure 2) will carry the heaviest com bined new and existing traffic within the am bit of the project. This exposes the presence of num erous sections where curves sharper than 300m radius and gradients steeper than 1:80 provide â&#x20AC;&#x153;pinch pointsâ&#x20AC;? or constraints on capacity expansion. To accomm odate increased capacity and subsequent heavier trains, apart from the extension of existing and creation of new loops, a predicted seven (7) deviations, partial doubling or realignm ent outside the existing reserve will be required. The existing railway line will thus have to be upgraded.

Figure 2: Existing rail line infrastructure

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Utilisation of the existing Ermelo-Richards Bay railway line: An alternative option to the upgrading of the Golela-Nsezi section is the utilisation of the existing Ermelo-Richards Bay railway line. This option was assessed at the FEL 1 feasibility phase and found to be fatally flawed due to the following reasons: • Utilising this line would eliminate the strategic purpose of the Swaziland Railway Link project as it would remove the need to connect the South African railway line to the Swaziland railway line, and eventually also with the Mozam bique Railway system via the proposed railway link between Lothair and Sidvokodvo (refer to Chapter 1.2). • Currently, m uch of the coal from the South African inland coalfields is transported via the existing Coal Line through Ermelo to Richards Bay. Ermelo is currently considered the gateway to the M pum alanga, Waterberg and Botswana coal reserves, as well as the centre of the heavy haul export channel. A further objective is to free up capacity and relieve the Coal Line of non – coal general traffic. Thus, the upgrading of the existing Golela to Nsezi railway line will be taken into the EIA phase.

1.4

Project Location

The project runs along the existing Transnet railway line from the Swaziland border at Golela to Nsezi near Richards Bay. Municipalitiesinclude the following: • • • • • • •

Jozini The Big 5 False Bay Hlabisa M tubatuba M bonam bi City of M hlathuze Uphongolo

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BASELINE ENVIRONMENT AL DESCRIPT ION

2.1

Physical environment

2.1. 1 Climate According to the Mucina and Rutherford (2006) Vegm ap, five regional vegetation types are present along the rail line route (Figure 2). These include: •

Zululand Lowveld (SVI 23): Summ er rainfall with some rain in winter. Mean Annual

•

Precipitation (M AP) of about 500 – 900 m m (highest in the southeast). Generally a frost-free area. Mean monthly m aximum and m inimum temperatures 38.5 ºC and 7.8 ºC for February and June, respectively. Western Maputoland Clay Bushveld (SVI20): Rainfall occurs in sum mer with dry winters. M AP about 500 – 750 mm. No incidence of frost. M ean m onthly maximum and minimum temperatures 39.5 ºC and 3.1 ºC for January and July, respectively. Tem be Sandy Bushveld (SVI18): Sum mer rainfall with some rain in winter. MAP about 550 –

• •

•

800 mm . M ist of the warm Indian Ocean contributes to precipitation. No incidence of frost. M aputoland Coastal Belt (CB1): Weak rainfall seasonality near the coast tending toward summer rainfall towards the interior. Relatively high precipitation attaining annual values up to 1200 m m in coastal localities, decreasing rapidly to the interior. High hum idity and temperature. M ean maxim um and m inim um montly temperature are 35.3 ºC and 5.5 ºC for January and June, respectively. Zululand Coastal Thornveld (SVI24): Sum mer rainfall but also som e in winter (each winter m onth receiving about 20 m m, which is greater than that of any of the other savannah vegetation units for this period). M AP about 800 – 1050 m m, generally higher towards the coast. Frost very infrequent.

2.1. 2 Topography The terrestrial topography can be described as slightly irregular undulating plains and hills.

2.1. 3 Noise and Vibration M uch of the rural surrounding area ranges from “Forest Plantations”, “Thickets and bushland” to a m ore industrial “Urban / built-up land: industrial / transport” at closer intervals to Richards Bay (ENPAT).The m ost im portant roads that the rail route currently or is proposed to traverse are the N2 and the R22 National routes. Ground conditions may is assum ed that ground acoustically absorbent). the propagation of the

vary depending on section of rail under investigation (rural or urban). It conditions could be classified as m edium in term s of acoustics (slightly This specifically relates to the way that the ground surface influences sound from the development as the fraction of sound that is reflected

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from the ground would be influenced as certain frequencies would be absorbed by the ground surface. Potentially sensitive receptors (also known as noise-sensitive developm ents or NSDs) at a distance of approximately 450 m along the Golela to Nsezi rail route were identified using Google Earth速. These receptors are illustrated in Figure 3. The status of these dwellings (derelict, residential etc.) m ay be confirmed during the ENIA phase.

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Figure 3: Aerial image indicating potential noise-sensitive developments

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Potential noise sources: Construction equipment: Construction activities include: • Site establishm ent, including the development of a contractors camps at suitable locations along the route; • Potentially the development and upgrading of access roads to allow the delivery of

• • • •

equipment to railway line sections as well as m aintenance access routes to railway lines at future dates; Site preparation e.g. advance fencing, geological survey, stripping of topsoil, m aterial disposal; Development of foundation and trenches (for laying of cables etc.) Development of sub-structure (form ation, sub-ballast and ballast), setting of the sleepers and laying of the tracks, turn-outs, railroad ties and foundation concrete pouring; and Building of buildings and refuelling stations at rail loops.

The equipm ent likely to be required to com plete the above tasks will typically include: • excavator/grader, bulldozer, dump trucks, vibratory roller, bucket loader, rock breaker, (potentially) drill rig, excavator/grader, bulldozer, dum p truck, flatbed trucks, concrete truck(s), pile driver, cranes, fork lift and various 4WD and service vehicles. The level and character of the construction noise will be highly variable as different activities with different equipment take place at different tim es, for different periods of time (operating cycles), in different com binations, in different sequences and on different parts of the construction site. Table 4 1 gives an indication of the m aximum noise levels that can potentially be generated by a variety of construction equipment. Table 4.2 presents the equivalent (average) noise level as m easured over a long period, as well as the potential extend of such a noise level. Material, Equipment supply and Borrow Pits: M aterial and equipment supply has not yet been defined. It is likely that Transnet will be making use of road transport, railway line transportation as well as borrow pits to source aggregate. This will increase traffic (both road and rail) at construction areas along the railway route. Construction traffic is expected to be generated throughout the entire construction period, however, the volume and type of traffic generated will be dependent upon the construction activities being conducted, which will vary during the construction period. This however will only be investigated during the ENIA phase. Blasting: Blasting may be required as part of the civil works to clear obstacles or to prepare foundations. Should a borrow pit be used to supply rocks for construction and ballast supply purposes, blasting could also be expected.

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Blasting will not be considered during the scoping or ENIA phase for the following reasons: • Blasting is highly regulated, and control of blasting to protect hum an health, equipm ent and infrastructure will ensure that any blasts will use minim um explosives and will occur in a controlled manner. With regards to blasting in borrow pits, explosives are used with a low detonation speed, reducing vibration, sound pressure levels and air blasts. The breaking of obstacles with explosives is also a specialized field, and when correct techniques are used, it causes less noise than using a rock-brea ker. • People are generally more concerned over ground vibration and air blast levels that m ight cause building damage than the im pact of the noise from the blast. • Blasts are an infrequent occurrence, with a loud but a relative instantaneous character. • Potentially affected parties normally receive sufficient notice (siren), and the knowledge that the duration of the siren noise as well as the blast will be over relative fast, resulting in a higher acceptance of the noise.

2.1. 4 Aquatic environment The Golela to Nsezi line falls within a large num ber of catchments associated with the following m ajor rivers or lakes (Figure 3): • Phongola • M kuze • M sunduzi • Hluhluwe • St Lucia • • •

Nyalazi M folozi Nhlabane

All of these system s have been classified as part of the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Atlas (NFEPA) project (Nel et al., 2011). The majority of the wetlands within the study area have been shown to be natural, and form part of the important M aputoland Wetland Cluster. However som e of these would be considered m odified and have a conservation rating score of Z1 or Z2, i.e. low conservation im portance. The remaining natural wetland areas associated with the local streams, pans floodplain wetlands, lakes and estuaries were mostly rated as A/B or C, i.e. Pristine to m oderately m odified or largely modified respectively (Nel et al., 2011). These would then be considered carefully in the EIA phase, firstly to establish their exact form and function through delineation and then determ ine their Present Ecological State (PES). This would also be a requirement by the Department of Water Affairs should any of the proposed line be within 500m of a wetland boundary thus, construction activity would require a Water Use License Application for a Section 21 c & i use.

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Figure 4: A map illustrating the m ajor rivers and wetlands areas within the study region. The provincial conservation authority together with a broad range of stakeholders assessed the conservation status of the province using the GIS based C-Plan Conservation Planning System. This produced a conservation map of the province at a Quarter Degree Square (QDS) level, ranking the irreplaceability of each cell or square (Figure 4). The degree of irreplaceability was based on a weighted score of the potential for important or sensitivity species / habitats to occur or known to occur within each QDS cells. Several â&#x20AC;&#x153;Totally Irreplaceableâ&#x20AC;? QDS cells are intersected by line (Figure 5) and will be assessed during the EIA phase. However the m ajority are associated with protected m ammal species such as the Black Rhino found in the large num ber of protected areas adjacent to the line, such as Mkuze, and Hluhluwe Nature Reserves.

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Figure 5: A m ap illustrating the irreplaceability categoriesthat intersect with the line based on results from the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Conservation Plan

2.2

Biophysical environment

The present day land use around the route is characterised by rural urban developm ent, rural informal developm ent, subsistence agriculture (cattle), large scale com mercial crop production, com mercial forestry and areas containing waterbodies such as rivers, lakes, wetlands and endorheic pans (depression s) (Figure 6).

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Figure 6: The Golela to Nsezi line (orange) The study area is dom inated by a mixture of urban and rural developm ent, forestry, and various form s of agriculture, with the associated infrastructure such as roads, dams and the present rail network. Present maps only indicate the original extent of these ecosystems, therefore the assessm ent of these ecosystem s, their current extent and status will form a m ajor focus of the EIA field visit, especially in light of the majority of the study region has been transform ed to som e degree. Therefore it is imperative that any remaining functional habitats are properly identified, in order to m inim ise any further impact to these areas.

2.2. 1 Fauna In a desktop assessment of various taxonomic databases approximately 640 known anim al species are expected to occur within the region. Mamm als and herpetofauna (snakes and frogs) possibly contribute between 130 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 150. The expected bird species within the study area is expected to be around 350 - 380 species due to the variety of habitat types available within the study area. One particular Millipede (Centrobolus richardi) was listed in several Quarter Degree Squares along the route within the coastal areas. However as most of the rail line is already in place it is anticipated that there would be little im pact on any species of special concern in particular.

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2.2. 2 Flora According to the Mucina and Rutherford (2006) Vegm ap, five regional vegetation types are present along the rail line route (Figure 7). These include: • • • • •

Zululand Lowveld (SVI 23) Western Maputoland Clay Bushveld (SVI20) Tem be Sandy Bushveld (SVI18) M aputoland Coastal Belt (CB1) Zululand Coastal Thornveld (SVI24)

The Biodiversity Act (No 10 of 2004) (Am endment Decem ber 2011), lists 225 threatened ecosystems based on vegetation type (Vegm ap). None of these vegetation types are listed by this Act. . Present maps only indicate the original extent of these ecosystems, therefore the assessm ent of these ecosystem s, their current extent and status will form a m ajor focus of the EIA field visit, especially in light of the majority of the study region has been transform ed to som e degree. Therefore it is imperative that any remaining functional habitats are properly identified, in order to m inim ise any further impact to these areas.

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Figure 7: The Golela to Nsezi line in relation to the regional vegetation types as defined by M ucina & Rutherford (2006).

2.3

Social environment

The following local municipalities as indicated in Figure 7 are affected:

•

Mfolozi (previously Mbonambi) Local Municipality (KZN281);

•

uM hlathuze Local Municipality (KZN282);

•

UPhongolo Local Municipality (KZN262);

•

Jozini Local M unicipality (KZN272);

•

The Big 5 False Bay Local Municipality (KZN273);

•

Mtubatuba Local M unicipality (KZN275); and

•

Hlabisa Local Municipality.

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Figure 8: Affected m unicipalities of the KwaZulu-Natal area

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2.3. 1 Alignment with current policy directives and initiatives A range of national, provincial and local development policies and plans exist to guide and direct development in South Africa. The Gert Sibande DM SDF and IDP highlight several policies, guidelines and strategies which are of particular importance in the development of the DM . The following sections will briefly describe the extent to which the proposed rail development will contribute to these development initiatives: The National Spatial Developm ent Framework (NSDP) The NSDP provides six principles to guide infrastructure investment in South Africa. The three principles that relates to the Swazi Rail link developm ent are: - Principle 1 : Rapid Econom ic Growth; - Principle 3: Government Spending on fixed investm ent should be focussed on localities of economic growth and/or econom ic potential; and - Principle 5: Economic developm ent should be channelled into activity corridors and nodes that are adjacent to or link the main growth centres. The main areas surrounding the proposed rail line displays both high levels of econom ic potential as well as relatively high levels of poverty. According to the developm ent guidelines these areas should be the focus of m ore extensive infrastructure spending, justifying the development of the Swazi-rail link. Accelerated and shared growth initiative for South Africa (ASGISA) This government instituted initiative is aimed at promoting a growth for all strategies for South Africa. Investment in infrastructure is a significant com ponent of this initiative, justifying the development of the Swazi Rail link as an initiative to promote provincial growth in KwaZuluNatal. The National Transportation M aster Plan 2050 (NATMAP) The main purpose of the National Transportation Master Plan 2005-2050 is to m otivate a prioritised programme of interventions to upgrade the transport system in South Africa. Its goal is develop a dynam ic, long-term, and sustainable land use / m ulti-modal transportation systems fram ework for the development of networks, infrastructure facilities, interchange and term ini facilities and service delivery strategies for South Africa. NATMAP greatly prom otes: â&#x20AC;˘ Greater em phasis on developing rail as a transportation m edium , rather than road-based m odes in South Africa; and â&#x20AC;˘ Greater integration between land use developm ent and transportation planning should be achieved via ensuring that land developm ent is concentrated in and around transport corridors, and that corridors are orientated towards providing sustainable rail transport rather than road-based transport modes (Gert Sibande District Municipality, 2009). It is evident that the Swazi Rail link directly contributes to the achievem ent of both these aims. Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS)

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With the development of the Swazi Rail link the following goals and provincial strategic objectives of the PGDS is expected to be addressed: â&#x20AC;˘ Job Creation: It is anticipated that the Swazi Rail link will open opportunities for local farm ers, by providing export opportunities to external inland m arkets (inbound train). This aligns with the strategies of the DMs that are aimed at: - Unleashing the Agricultural Sector; and - Enhancing industrial development through trade, investm ent and exports (Zululand District M unicipality, 2011). â&#x20AC;˘ Strategic infrastructure: The strategies as set out by the DMs, in order to meet the PGDS strategies were identified as: - Development of ports and harbours; and - Development of road and rail networks. This directly correlates with the developm ent of the Swazi Rail link, indicating the strategic role the development can possibly play in the growth and development of KwaZulu Natal and its DMs. KwaZulu Natal Provincial Growth and Development Strategy This strategy is aim ed at the provision of strategic direction for development and planning in the province and has six provincial priorities that drive development. Those applicable to the Swazi Rail link are: - Integrating investments in com munity infrastructure; and - Sustainable econom ic development and job creation. The Medium -Term Strategic Fram ework (MTSF) The MTSF provides objectives for local governm ents as stipulated in the Constitution of South Africa. The Swazi Rail link is directly applicable to two of these principles, nam ely: - Strategic Principle 1: Speeding up growth and transform ing the economy to create decent work and sustainable livelihoods; and - Strategic Priority 2: Massive programm e to build econom ic and social infrastructure. M illennium Development Goals In September 2000 the UN, World Bank and 189 countries adopted these goals with the prim ary goal of reducing poverty. The Swazi Rail link addresses Millennium Development Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development, through expansion of market access, by linking m arkets both national and international markets, stimulating potential agriculture and mining produce exports.

Local Government manifesto

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The Local Governm ent m anifesto strives to create conditions for an inclusive econom y that will reduce unemploym ent, poverty, and inequality and produce decent jobs and sustainable livelihood. The developm ent program mes on District level that is aligned with this goal are typically local econom ic, tourism , agriculture, business and industrial developm ent. With the exception of tourism , it is believed that the proposed railway developm ent will contribute to the development of each of these sectors. National Outcom e Delivery Agreem ents - Outcome 4: Decent em ployment through inclusive economic growth; - Outcome 5: An efficient, competitive and responsive econom ic infrastructure network; and - Outcome 10: Environm ental assets and natural resources that are valued, protected and continually enhanced Provincial Spatial Economic Developm ent Strategy (PSEDS) The PSEDS highlights the critical relationship between infrastructure developm ent and the econom ic strength of an area. The Swazi Rail link is applicable to the following principles: - Principle 1: Sustained and inclusive econom ic growth is a prerequisite for alleviation of poverty and unemployment; - Principle 2: In areas of high potential, invest in productive infrastructure; and - Principle 4: Focus should be on areas of high need and potential and development is to be channelled into activity corridors and nodes. Therefore, areas targeted for econom ic growth and development are provided with appropriate levels of infrastructure to attract investment interest â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not only to address the immediate need, but also to provide for reliable expansion and growth trends. uMkhanyakude District Vision The uM khanyakude District Vision: 2030 states 7 missions that the DM aim s to achieve. Two of these m ission statements will be directly addressed, nam ely: - Econom ic and industrial growth strategy and projects; and - Sound social and infrastructural developm ent programm e. The DM has also developed specific programm es, designed to achieve the econom ic strategy of the province: - Develop new economic corridors and nodes; - Develop and enhance rural developm ent, particularly farming; - Develop key infrastructure and rehabilitate and extend existing infrastructure; and - Develop District industrial sector, particularly agribusiness (Umkhanyakude District M unicipality, 2012). The Swazi Rail link is expected to act as an econom ic corridor, connecting strategic nodes such as the Richards Bay port. The infrastructure developm ent is expected to provide opportunities

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for growth in especially agriculture, m ining, and tim ber production, therefore addressing the two abovem entioned m ission statements. uThungulu The municipality’s vision, as stated in its IDP is to be “An econom ically viable district with effective infrastructure that supports job creation through econom ic growth.” (Umkhanyakude District M unicipality, 2012). The Swazi Rail link is expected to contribute to providing effective infrastructure in this DM , helping it to achieve its vision. Zululand The mission of the Zululand DM is to create an affluent district by the provision of optim al delivery of essential services; supporting sustainable local economic developm ent; and com munity participation in service delivery (Zululand District Municipality, 2011). It is anticipated that the Swazi Rail link will contribute to sustainable local economic developm ent. From the above section it can be deduced that the development of the Swazi Rail link will prim arily contribute to achieving the econom ic goals of the province, and more specifically the three affected DM S, that is believed to be achieved through infrastructure development. However, this is believed to provide new employm ent opportunities that will have secondary social benefits such as poverty alleviation and comm unity upliftment.

2.3. 2 District Municipality Development Initiatives The SDFs and IDPs of the three affected DMs, namely uMkhanyakude, uThungulu, and Zululand are briefly described below: uMkhanyakude District Municipality The key drivers of the local economy of the uM khanyakude DM has been identified as tourism and retail, and to a lesser extent agriculture and processing. Therefore, most of the development plans for this DM are focussed at stimulating growth and development in these sectors. The most prom inent plans are listed below: Corridor development: • Zulu Ocean Corridor – (Richards Bay – St Lucia – Hluhluwe – Kosi Bay to M aputo); • North South Corridor – (Richards Bay – Mtubu/Habisa – Hluhluwe – Mkhuze – Golela) • • •

(Sim ilar alignm ent to the rail link); Border Heritage Corridor – (Cecil Mack Pass – Ingwavuma – Bam banini – Ngwanase – Kosi Bay); and Aisle of Kings Heritage – (Jozini – Sikhandane – Kwaliweni – Ingwavuma – Cecil M ack Pass). M aputuland Aerotropolis Corridor (including and airport development that can accomm odate small charters and also providing cargo and warehousing facilities) and a waterfront developm ent.

M kuze Regional Airport:

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The development of this airport is aim ed to act as a catalyst or gateway to tourism developm ent and expansion, and is expected to form the basis of econom ic growth in the DM . Jozini Hydro Project: Part of the econom ic growth development strategies for the DM, the Jozini Hydro Project is initiated as an alternative energy generation project for the DM. Other Other • • • •

developm ents: notable developm ent projects for the DM are: New waste treatment facilities (solid waste and effluents); Agriculture and tim ber expansion projects; Pulp mill and timber products manufacturing plants; and Fisihing industry and aquaculture development projects.

The discussed development plans for the uMkhanyakude District Municipality with its strong focus on tourism developm ent is expected to attribute to job creation and economic growth in the DM and subsequently the province. The Swazi Rail link can also support the developm ent of the agriculture and tim ber expansion projects through transportation of the produce to external markets. uThungulu District Municipality In a regional context uThungulu plays an important role in both the provincial and national econom ies as a m ajor conduit of trade through the local port of Richards Bay. In the IDP it is stated that the local economic vision of the DM is to broaden the econom ic base of the district econom y with the establishment of sustainable and wide range of employment opportunities by strengthening and diversifying of economic sectors. The m ain economic focus of the DM is tourism, agriculture and business. Therefore most of the developm ents are aimed at improving infrastructure that prom otes these industries. The district’s transportation infrastructure is under pressure, with heavy vehicles travelling to Richards Bay and the adjoining industrial areas placing considerable strain on the infrastructure. Rail is declining as a transport m ode, with limited industrial linkages, with the exception of the existing coal link from Mpumalanga) (uThungulu District Municipality, 2011). Corridors: - M ulti-sectoral activity corridor; - Agricultural activity corridor; and - Tourism activity corridor. Agriculture and Tourism Developm ents: - Nkandla Essential Oils Farm - KwaBulawayo Tourism Development - Road im provem ents on tourism corridors - Zululand Birding Route

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Forests of Zululand

The development of the Swazi Rail link will contribute to the development of an enabling environm ent for sectoral growth since it is expected to result in additional em ploym ent opportunities, in agriculture and m anufacturing. It will also support the econom y, by allowing the improvement of the road network quality that has a direct im pact on logistics costs. Zululand District Municipality At present the Zululand District is isolated from the national economy mainly due to its location in relation to transport routes and the distance from major centres. Further, access to basic factors of production such as raw materials, skilled labour and infrastructure is generally limited. The raw m aterials that are found in the DM mainly relate to coal mining and agricultural activities such as m aize, beef, tim ber and sugar production. Poor road infrastructure has been identified as one of the main hindrances in developing the econom y of the DM (Zululand District Municipality, 2011). The road infrastructure is deteriorating due to the pressure placed on it by the heavy vehicles. There a number of roads that are of strategic im portance to the DM that are prioritised for improvements as listed below. The existing Richards Bay coal line is the most significant rail line in the DM. What is im portant to note is that the current train does not stop at stations within the corridor except to change crews and all these trains return empty from Richards Bay (Zululand District M unicipality, 2011). Roads/Corridors: The following road im provem ents are prioritised in the DM due to their strategic importance for econom ic developm ent and growth: - P700 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ulundi to Hluhluwe-Um folozi Park; - R66-Ulunid to Nongom a link road; - Belgrade Pongola Road-N2 Status; and - Nongom a Vryheid link road. Nongom a Pongola link road Tourism development projects: In the Zululand DM significant em phasis is placed on tourism. There are several developments planned for this DM : - Emakhosini Opathe Herritage Park; - Uphongolo biosphere reserve; and - Thangami tourism development. Other developm ent plans: - Water im plementation plans - Agriculture development plans The planned developm ents of the Zululand DM have a strong focus on tourism development. The tourism and agriculture developm ent plans is expected to increase the employm ent in the

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DM. The alignment of the rail link should however take the planned tourism developments into consideration. The Swazi Rail link can contribute to the agriculture developm ent of the DM , and also reduce the isolation of the m unicipality. It is im portant to note that the trains traversing the existing Richards Bay coal link take on the return trip with empty container. This empty capacity should be exploited and the potential of exporting produce from the DMs to the inland should be investigated. Conclusion The IDPs and SDFs identify their com petitive advantages that provide a sound basis for a robust vision, economic developm ent strategy that provides a platform for social developm ent in the Districts. It is believed that the Swazi rail link will also become a com petitive advantage in the districts by providing important infrastructure for the movem ent of goods and strategic connections between provinces and neighbouring countries, contributing to the developm ent and growth of the three DM s.

2.3. 3 Social impact assessment M folozi Local M unicipality M bonam bi now called M folozi is an adm inistrative area in the uThungulu District of KwaZuluNatal in South Africa. The m unicipality is named after the M bonam bi Local Tribal Authority, which covers most of the municipal area and has an http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M bonam bi_Local_M unicipality - cite_note-6area of 1, 210km Â˛. Table 1 below provides the demographic characteristics of the population in the m unicipality. Table 1: Mfolozi Local M unicipality Population Characteristics Male

59 020

Female

63 869

Total Households

Average Household Size Female Headed Households Formal Dwellings

122 889 25 584 4.7 46.4% 72,59

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Population Age Distribution (%)

Percentage of Total Population

0-14

36.09%

15-64

59.47%

65+

4.44% 2

Population density (p/km )

101.56 p/kmÂ˛ 1.4% p.a.

Population growth (%) Unemployment rate

42.0%

Youth unemployment rate

50.40%

Household services

Percentage (%)

Flush toilet connected to sewerage

21.72%

Weekly Ref use Removal

8.88%

Piped W ater Inside Dwelling

55.43%

Electricity For Lighting

83.71%

Source: Census 2011 Municipal Fact Sheet, published by Statistics South Africa uMhlathuze Local M unicipality uMhlathuze Local Municipality is an adm inistrative area in the uThungulu District of KwaZuluNatal in South Africa. The m unicipality is nam ed after the Mhlatuze River with and area of 793kmÂ˛. Table 2 below provides the dem ographic characteristics of the population in the m unicipality.

Table 2: uMhlathuze Local M unicipality. Population Characteristics Male

162 942

Female

171 517

Total

334 459

Households

Average Household Size

86 609 3.6

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Female Headed Households

40.7% 88,30

Formal Dwellings Population Age Distribution (%)

Percentage of Total Population

0-14

29.33%

15-64

67.47% 3.19%

65+ 2

Population density (p/km ) Population growth (%) Unemployment rate Youth unemployment rate Household services

421.76 p/kmÂ˛ 1.5% p.a. 31.0% 40.80% Percentage (%)

Flush toilet connected to sewerage

64.41%

Weekly Ref use Removal

54.97%

Piped W ater Inside Dwelling

92.37%

Electricity For Lighting

93.47%

Source: Census 2011 Municipal Fact Sheet, published by Statistics South Africa

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UPhongolo Local M unicipality uPhongolo Local M unicipality, is a local municipality in the northern area of Zululand, in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. The m unicipality has an area of 3, 239km Â˛. Table 3 below provides the dem ographic characteristics of the population in the municipality. Table 3: UPhongolo Local M unicipality Population Characteristics Male

59 728

Female

67 510

Total Households

Average Household Size Female Headed Households Formal Dwellings Population Age Distribution (%)

127 238 28 772 4,4 48.6% 83,46 Percentage of Total Population

0-14

36.68

15-64

58.64

65+ Population density (p/km2 ) Population growth (%) Unemployment rate

4.68 39.28 p/kmÂ˛ 0.6% p.a. 35.5%

Youth unemployment rate Household services

Percentage (%)

Flush toilet connected to sewerage

17.00%

Weekly Ref use Removal

23.52%

Piped W ater Inside Dwelling

52.22%

Electricity For Lighting

73.00%

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Source: Census 2011 Municipal Fact Sheet, published by Statistics South Africa Jozini Local Municipality Jozini is an administrative area in the Umkhanyakude District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and has an area of 3, 442km Â˛. Table 4 below provides the demographic characteristics of the population in the m unicipality.

Table 4: Jozini Local Municipality Population Characteristics

86 116

Male Female

100 386

Total

186 502 38 849

Households

4,8

Average Household Size Female Headed Households

53.7% 76,45

Formal Dwellings Population Age Distribution (%)

Percentage of Total Population

0-14

41.26

15-64

54.81 3.93

65+ 2

Population density (p/km ) Population growth (%)

54.18 p/kmÂ˛ 0.1%

Unemployment rate

44.1%

Youth unemployment rate

52.70%

Household services

Percentage (%)

Flush toilet connected to sewerage

32.36%

Weekly Ref use Removal

11.91%

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc 07 October 2013 Revision 2 Page 29

Piped W ater Inside Dwelling

30.33%

Electricity For Lighting

29.09%

Source: Census 2011 Municipal Fact Sheet, published by Statistics South Africa The Big 5 False Bay Local Municipality The Big Five False Bay is an administrative area in the Um khanyakude District of KwaZuluNatal in South Africa. The municipality has an area of 2, 487kmÂ˛. Table 5 below provides the dem ographic characteristics of the population in the municipality. Table 5: The Big 5 False Bay Local Municipality Population Characteristics Male

16 505

Female

18 753

Total

35 258 7 998

Households

4.0

Average Household Size Female Headed Households

51.9% 79,63

Formal Dwellings Population Age Distribution (%)

Percentage (%)

0-14

37.51%

15-64

58.13%

65+

4.35% 2

Population density (p/km )

17.89 p/kmÂ˛

Population growth (%)

1.1%

Unemployment rate

26.5%

Youth unemployment rate Household services Flush toilet connected to sewerage

31.60% Percentage (%)

38.98%

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Weekly Ref use Removal

24.65%

Piped W ater Inside Dwelling

43.51%

Electricity For Lighting

42.57%

Source: Census 2011 Municipal Fact Sheet, published by Statistics South Africa M tubatuba Local M unicipality M tubatuba is an adm inistrative area in the Um khanyakude District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa with an area of 1, 970kmÂ˛. Table 6 below provides the demographic characteristics of the population in the m unicipality.

Table 6: Mtubatuba Local M unicipality Population Characteristics Male

81 314

Female

94 111

Total

175 425

Households

34 905

Average Household Size Female Headed Households Formal Dwellings Population Age Distribution (%)

4.9 52.8% 80,49 Percentage of Total Population

0-14

39.37%

15-64

56.19%

65+

4.44%

Population density (p/km2 ) Population growth (%)

89,04 p/kmÂ˛ 1.8%

Unemployment rate

39.0%

Youth unemployment rate

46.90%

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Household services

Percentage (%)

Flush toilet connected to sewerage

29.13%

Weekly Ref use Removal

14.66%

Piped W ater Inside Dwelling

50.75%

Electricity For Lighting

65.05%

Source: Census 2011 Municipal Fact Sheet, published by Statistics South Africa Hlabisa Local M unicipality Hlabisa is found in Um khanyakude District of KwaZulu-Natal. The municipality the vicinity of four Tribal Authorities, viz. Mkhwanazi Tribal Authority, the Authority, and two Hlabisa Tribal Authorities. The m unicipality is assumed characterised by isolated rural comm unities with high levels of poverty. The

is situated within M dletshe Tribal to be generally m ost significant

land use is subsistence agriculture and dispersed settlements, plantations and agriculture are found throughout the m unicipality. The m ajor draw card of Hlabisa is believed to be the tourism industry centred on the adjacent game reserve. Table 7 below provide dem ographics of the population in the m unicipality. Table 7: Hlabisa Local M unicipality Population Characteristics Male

32 942

Fem ale

38 983

Total

71 925

Households

12 586

Average Household Size

5.6

Fem ale Headed Households

58.9%

Formal Dwellings

8 273

Population Age Distribution (%)

Percentage of Total Population

0-14

58%

15-64

35%

65+

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc 07 October 2013 Revision 2 Page 32

Population density (p/km2)

46.3 p/kmÂ˛

Population growth (%)

0.38%

Unemploym ent rate

52.60%

Household services

Total

Flush toilet connected to sewerage

4 365

Weekly Refuse Removal

958

Piped Water Inside Dwelling

4 322

Electricity For Lighting

6 978

Source: Census 2011 Municipal Fact Sheet, published by Statistics South Africa

2.3. 4 Socio-economic environment Labour and Econom ic Analysis In the analysis of the labour and em ployment situation in a m unicipal area, it is necessary to focus attention on the size and spatial distribution of the labour force. Secondly, the characteristics of the labour m arket should be analysed. To this end, it is necessary to exam ine the supply of labour, which is derived from figures on the econom ically active population in a m unicipal area. The dem and for labour, on the other hand, is an indication of em ploym ent opportunities, which are determined by the econom ic structure of an area along with the level and growth in econom ic activities. Unemploym ent, and in a sense transfrontier comm uting, provides an indication of the difference between supply and demand and im plies that equilibrium in the labour m arket necessitates both expansion of economic activity and the curtailm ent of population growth.

Figure 9: Composition of the labour force

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A third issue that should be addressed is involvement in the peripheral sector, as not all potential workers are active in the labour market. Finally, the quality of the labour force needs to be analysed as it provides information on the em ployability of the workers. The term labour force refers to those people who are available for employm ent in a certain area. Figure 9 illustrates the different com ponents of the labour force and the relationship between them . Formally employed refers to people who are selling their labour or who are self-em ployed in the form al sector of the economy, for pay or profit. Informally employed includes all people who are active, for pay or profit, in the inform al or unregistered sector of the economy. Unemployed are persons actively looking for a job, but who are not in any type of paid employm ent. Description of the labour force Table 8: KwaZulu Natal LM labour force (2011)

Description Population Economically activ e Formal and informal (Total) Formal Formal - Highly skilled Formal - Skilled Formal - Semi- and unskilled Informal Unemployed

UPhongolo Local Municipality

Joz ini Local Municipality

The Big Five False Bay Local Municipality

Mtubatuba Local Municipality

Mbonambi Local Municipality

uMhlathuze Local Municipality

Number

144,573

217,005

36,853

49,189

123,984

348,142

59,302

81,591

17,903

27,581

56,789

188,400

21,037

19,455

6,489

17,560

19,773

88,328

16,869

14,922

4,836

14,003

14,562

69,235

3,168

2,936

831

2,868

1,770

12,441

6,129

6,329

2,136

5,868

5,704

29,385

7,572

5,657

1,869

5,268

7,087

27,409

4,168

4,533

1,652

3,556

5,211

19,093

7,872

8,546

1,020

1,532

6,138

17,754

Unemployment rate (%)

27.2

30.5

13.6

8.0

23.7

16.7

Labour force participation rate (%)

35.5

23.8

36.2

63.7

34.8

46.9

Table 8 describes the labour force of the LM s in KwaZulu Natal that will be directly affected by the proposed rail link. According to the 2011 data acquired from the Quantec database the LMs have a varying rate of employment. The unemploym ent rate varies between 8% and 30% for the M tubutuba LM and Jozini LM respectively. This is accompanied by a labour force participation rate ranging between 24% and 64% for the same extrem e LMs. Although this data is regarded as a good representation of the actual situation, the size of the informal sector, which includes subsistence agriculture (highly applicable in the municipal areas), is difficult to establish with a reasonable degree of accuracy and can easily be underestim ated. One reason for this is that people involved in inform al activity often classify them selves as unemployed. Obtaining the participation rates, involves calculating the labour force or the economically active population relative to the potential labour force, (i.e. the population in the age group 15 to 64

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc 07 October 2013 Revision 2 Page 34

years). These rates reflect the percentages of the said population that are actually economically active. The following figures describe each of the m ost im portant elements over tim e. This is done to establish patterns in the Labour force and to assess any changes that m ight have taken place. The econom ic active population includes the formally em ployed, the unemployed, and those persons active in the informal/ unregistered sector. The terms ‘supply of labour’ and the ‘labour force’ are used as synonym s for the economically active population. The number of people in the econom ically active population is highly dependent on the population age distribution. The percentage of the population that is economically active range between approximately 40% to 50%. The population em ployed in the form al sector exceeds the informal sector em ployment and the unem ployed population. Em ployment rates are highly influenced by the regional and national econom ic clim ate, and during econom ic hardship the form al sector employment tend to decrease. This usually lead to an increase in unemploym ent, but also often an increase in informal sector employment as people who lose their jobs undertake entrepreneuring ventures. Labour force participation rate indicates the labour force (economically active population) as a percentage of the population in the age group 15– 64 years. An increase in the participation rate can be the result of more wom en entering the labour market or the outflow of the potential economically active people from a municipal area due to harsh econom ic conditions, which would ‘artificially’ increase the participation rate. A low participation rate in a m unicipal area can be ascribed to the large num ber of male m igrant workers m oving out of the m unicipal area or the proliferation of peripheral activities in the municipal area. The latter does seem to be the case for som e of the LMs, especially those close to the borders of the neighbouring countries. Employment productivity Employment is always a priority for the Council and it is obvious that development and growth strategies will have to support job creation. The table below shows the em ployment per sector. The structure of em ployment and the extent of the link between em ployment and the level of econom ic activity is im portant.

Total

General government [SIC: 91, 94]

Community services [SIC: 92, 95-6, 99, 0]

Business services [SIC: 8]

Transport [SIC: 7]

Trade [SIC: 6]

Construction [SIC: 5]

Utilities [SIC: 4]

Manufacturing [SIC: 3]

Mining [SIC: 2]

Agriculture [SIC: 1]

Table 9: Employment per sector (KwaZulu Natal LM s)

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_Golela to Nsezi_02.doc 07 October 2013 Revision 2 Page 35

uPhongolo Jozini Big Five Mtubatuba Mbonambi

1996

15,900

625

1,339

1,089

2,477

552

674

1,403

1,512

25,654

2001

13,249

252

1,343

124

876

2,528

511

921

2,153

1,968

23,927

2006

8,816

143

1,595

103

1,422

2,980

564

1,029

3,095

2,976

22,724

2011

2,834

221

1,587

1,916

3,099

709

1,131

4,057

5,415

21,037

Avg. Chang e

-4.8%

-3.6%

1.4%

-0.9%

4.2%

1.5%

1.9%

5.1%

12.0%

17.0%

-1.0%

1996

2,720

871

433

980

1,917

376

765

2,235

2,194

12,509

2001

2,112

123

259

585

1,927

380

994

2,997

2,443

11,844

2006

2,523

698

677

3,507

622

1,206

3,563

2,991

15,882

2011

1,277

155

1,244

762

5,158

1,046

1,436

4,072

4,300

19,455

Avg. Chang e

-3.2%

-4.9%

9.8%

-3.8%

-1.6%

9.7%

11.1%

6.3%

5.1%

6.3%

3.2%

1996

3,757

183

306

735

310

129

358

435

6,230

2001

2,069

220

371

944

266

316

609

613

5,451

2006

1,866

426

291

1,726

156

265

718

745

6,232

2011

805

1,062

6,489

782

552

233

2,686

117

213

Avg. Chang e

-4.8%

2.0%

13.1%

97.5%

-0.9%

16.6%

-3.6%

8.1%

8.6%

10.3%

0.1%

1996

5,393

1,152

516

1,423

307

507

1,112

1,739

12,216

2001

3,676

983

472

2,016

273

943

1,617

2,100

12,158

2006

3,743

1,506

717

3,089

378

1,037

2,139

2,862

15,546

2011

1,586

1,912

921

4,045

565

1,152

2,615

4,650

17,560

Avg. Chang e

-4.3%

8.6%

3.9%

0.7%

4.7%

12.2%

5.1%

10.9%

8.4%

10.9%

2.4%

1996

8,193

1,152

2,195

2,144

2,470

1,084

765

1,386

640

20,056

2001

7,324

521

1,625

1,055

2,215

784

1,024

2,360

944

17,882

2006

5,917

457

2,821

1,360

3,534

1,187

1,421

2,089

899

19,733

2011

2,045

831

3,917

1,667

4,762

1,934

1,724

1,926

920

19,773

Avg. Chang e

-4.5%

-1.3%

4.3%

3.6%

-1.8%

5.0%

4.3%

8.6%

3.4%

4.1%

-0.2%

1996 uMhlathuze

2001 2006 2011 Avg. Chang e

8,902

3,931

9,706

214

7,091

12,856

5,618

7,432

10,664

9,600

76,015

9,041

1,804

12,338

348

6,206

15,868

4,961

10,059

13,592

10,355

84,572

9,164

1,402

12,046

345

5,773

17,800

4,774

11,269

14,273

11,426

88,272

3,772

2,600

10,677

274

5,400

17,992

5,415

12,751

15,121

14,326

88,328

-3.4%

-1.7%

1.4%

2.0%

-1.4%

2.8%

-0.1%

5.4%

2.6%

3.3%

1.3%

The most noticeable is the differential growth rates in em ploym ent creation between the sectors. The agriculture industry has seen a decline in all of the LMs and the industries of the tertiary sector has seen an increase for all 6 of the LM S. The total employm ent for most of the LMs has also increased with the exception of two (Mbonambi and uPhonglo) that saw a slight decrease. The implication of job losses in the agriculture industry is im portant since these workers are jobless and have to leave farms. They usually end up in inform al settlements on the urban periphery. This lead to a high num ber of people being affected that subsequently implies a need for about new households to be provided with services. The variation in prim ary and secondary sector employm ent and the steady growth in the tertiary sector em phasis the role of the LMs as service centres.

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Table 10 shows the em ploym ent distribution per sector. These figures are expressed in terms of the distribution of employment across the sectors. It should be noted that the largest econom ic sectors (GVA contributors) are not necessarily the biggest contributors to employm ent creation.

General government [SIC: 91, 94]

3.4%

5.4%

19.3%

25.7%

100.0%

Jozini Local Municipality

6.6%

0.8%

6.4%

0.0%

3.9%

26.5%

5.4%

7.4%

20.9%

22.1%

100.0%

Big Fiv e False Bay Local Municipality

12.0%

0.2%

8.5%

0.4%

3.6%

41.4%

1.8%

3.3%

12.4%

16.4%

100.0%

Mtubatuba Local Municipality

9.0%

0.6%

10.9%

0.1%

5.2%

23.0%

3.2%

6.6%

14.9%

26.5%

100.0%

Mbonambi Local Municipality

10.3%

4.2%

19.8%

0.2%

8.4%

24.1%

9.8%

8.7%

9.7%

4.7%

100.0%

uMhlathuz e Local Municipality

4.3%

2.9%

12.1%

0.3%

6.1%

20.4%

6.1%

14.4%

17.1%

16.2%

100.0%

Total

Community services [SIC: 92, 95-6, 99, 0]

14.7%

Transport [SIC: 7]

9.1%

Trade [SIC: 6]

0.3%

Construction [SIC: 5]

7.5%

Utilities [SIC: 4]

1.0%

Manufacturing [SIC: 3]

13.5%

Mining [SIC: 2]

UPhongolo Local Municipality

Agriculture [SIC: 1]

Business services [SIC: 8]

Table 10: Em ployment distribution per sector

Employment is not a static issue and changes in employm ent are very important. The figures below provide a comparison between the em ployment situation in in the respective LM s in 1995 and in 2011. From the tables the overall decrease in primary sector employment becomes evident. The drastic decrease in agriculture em ployment can be seen, as well as the decrease in m ining and quarrying (with the exception of M tubutuba LM that saw a very slight (alm ost constant) increase). The secondary sector em ployment is very variable in each of the six LMs. Uphongolo and M tubutuba saw an increase over each of the secondary sector industries. The other m unicipalities all saw an increase in m anufacturing, but a decrease in the construction sector. All tertiary sector industries increased in all six of the LM s.

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Figure 11: Changes in employm ent in 1995 and 2011 - Jozini LM

Figure 10: Changes in employmentin 1995 and 2011 - uPhongolo LM 60 % 50 % 40 % 30 % 20 % 10 % 0%

Figure 12: Changes in employment in 1995 and 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Big Five False Bay LM

1995 2011

Figure 13: Changes in employm ent in 1995 and 2011 - Mtubutuba LM

Project 109578 File Final Scoping Report_G olela to Nsezi_02.doc 07 O ctober 2013 Revision 2 Page 38

45 % 40 % 35 % 30 % 25 % 20 % 15 % 10 % 5% 0%

1995 2011

Figure 14: Changes in employmentin 1995 and 2011 - M bonambi LM

Figure 15: Changes in employm ent in 1995 and 2011 - uMhlatuze LM

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Econom ic structure and performance Econom ic performance of a municipal areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s econom ic system, in term s of factors such as production activity, can be measured by the Gross Value Added (GVA). The analysis will focus on the GVA produced by the primary, secondary and tertiary econom ic sectors over tim e; the GVA produced by each LM and compare the GVA of the six LM s. The primary sector of the economy involves changing natural resources into primary products. M ost products from this sector are considered raw m aterials for other industries. Major businesses in this sector normally include agriculture, agribusiness, fishing, forestry and all m ining and quarrying industries. The secondary sector generally takes the output of the primary sector and manufactures finished goods or where they are suitable for use by other businesses, for export, or sale to dom estic consumers. This sector is often divided into light industry and heavy industry. The sector is made up of m anufacturing, electricity, gas and water, and construction. The tertiary or serv ices sector consists of the "soft" parts of the econom y, i.e. activities where people offer their knowledge and time to improve productivity, perform ance, potential, and sustainability. The basic characteristic of this sector is the production of services instead of end products. Businesses in this sector include wholesale and retail trade, catering and accomm odation, transport, storage, com munication, finance, insurance, real estate, business services, comm unity, social and personal services, and general government.

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The table below shows the GVA output per labour sector for each of the LM s over the past 16 years. Table 11: GVA output per labour unit (Râ&#x20AC;&#x2122;million)

Secondary Sector

116

144

339

278

355

430

1095

2278

3864

140

139

146

370

398

363

442

1603

2881

4120

1997

511

231

452

183

506

153

137

148

389

431

349

448

1722

3150

4274

1998

544

220

473

175

527

167

133

137

419

466

310

451

1773

3276

4484

1999

501

219

499

127

542

183

126

133

446

408

297

464

1410

3607

4695

2000

515

241

532

118

568

200

133

143

482

449

311

483

1430

4173

4958

2001

517

268

575

106

600

217

131

157

521

439

323

515

1432

4375

5233

2002

529

277

615

103

641

232

136

169

561

423

351

557

1358

4644

5488

2003

520

294

663

105

698

245

151

184

610

445

382

609

1435

4660

5774

2004

488

330

707

110

749

250

159

214

660

446

443

658

1411

4738

5978

2005

415

369

774

107

105

834

262

159

252

736

423

529

738

1274

4935

6348

2006

401

412

841

118

132

919

108

272

156

298

815

394

633

816

1179

5133

6671

2007

391

459

928

130

166

1023

124

296

165

349

895

387

763

933

1163

5430

7066

2008

386

474

999

144

203

1112

139

311

198

385

972

395

887

1027

1122

5461

7338

2009

326

491

150

226

1191

140

323

203

399

1026

363

840

1098

1046

4231

7399

2010

345

524

1091

138

265

1243

154

352

212

443

1089

394

953

1136

1107

4622

7626

2011

336

562

1187

140

291

1330

156

386

216

485

1186

397

993

1226

1131

4900

7938

10.1

11.2

24.0

12.4

10.9

0.19

6.8

% Growth Per annum

16.3

10.1

0.1

5.0

14.0

14.7

2.5

10.6

Tertiary Sector

Primary Sector

124

Tertiary Sector

-0.1

Secondary Sector

497

Primary Sector

472

Tertiary Sector

188

Primary Sector

143

436

Tertiary Sector

409

220

Primary Sector

208

Tertiary Sector

396 486

Primary Sector

Secondary Sector

uMhlathuz e Local Municipality

Primary Sector

Mbonambi Local Municipality

Tertiary Sector

Mtubatuba Local Municipality

Secondary Sector

The Big Fiv e False Bay Local Municipality

1996

1014

Secondary Sector

Jozini Local Municipality

1995

-0.9

Secondary Sector

UPhongolo Local Municipality

6.2

It is not possible to draw any specific conclusion regarding labour productivity. The interplay between labour and capital is not assessed. In agriculture there was a decline in GVA output per labour unit. All other labour units reported an increase in GVA output to labour. If one assumes that these labour units show significant opportunities for substituting labour with capital, then one m ight conclude that there was an overall increase in labour productivity over the assessm ent period.

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Figure 16: Combined GVA per econom ic sector (R'million) Figure 16 indicates the largest and strongest growing economic sector over the complete study area is the tertiary sector. This m eans its econom y is dominated by the service sector. The secondary sector has shown some increase in recent years, but the effect of the international recession can be clearly seen in 2009. The prim ary sector is getting smaller and does not contribute a lot to the economy in term s of GVA. Figure 17 compares total the GVA contribution of each of the studied LM s. Interestingly is the significant contribution of uMhlathuze LM compared to the other LMs. This is attributed to the significant role Richard Bay situated in this LM plays in exports and other secondary activities. The decline in 2009, coinciding with the international recession is most likely due to fewer exports and lower econom ic activity that goes hand in hand with a recession.

Figure 17: Comparative GVA

The level of diversification or concentration of a m unicipal areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy is m easured by a tress index. A tress index of zero represents a totally diversified economy. On the other hand, the higher the index (closer to 100), the more concentrated or vulnerable the m unicipal areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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econom y to exogenous variables, such as adverse climatic conditions, com modity price fluctuations, etc. The following two figures display the respective tress indices for the LM s compared to each other, as well as the national and provincial rates.

Figure 18: Tress index (10 industries) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; KwaZulu Natal Section Part 1

Figure 19: Tress index (10 industries) - KwaZulu Natal Section Part 2 Figure 18 shows that the tress indices of the uPhongolo LM and Jozini LM follow a sim ilar trend to the national and provincial indices, with uPhongolo showing a slightly higher level of diversification. The Big Five False Bay LM however has shown a decrease in diversification over the past 10 years, increasing the vulnerability of the LM . The Tress indices indicated in Figure 19 for the three LMs follow the same pattern and are very similar to the provincial and national indices. Basic/Non-Basic ratios are calculated in order to determine the drivers of an economy. The ratio is expressed as the employment in a sector in the local economy divided by the total employm ent in the local econom y. This is in turn divided by the same ratio for the district, provincial or national econom y. A ratio greater than one, implies that there is relatively m ore employm ent in this sector than in the corresponding econom y it is com pared to. It therefore

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Agriculture, forestry and fishing

Mining and quarrying

Manufacturing

Electricity, gas and water

Construction

Wholesale and retail trade, catering and accommodation

Transport, storage and communication

Finance, insurance, real estate and business services

Community, social and personal services

General government

generates m ore than what can locally be consum ed and the sector is thus a net exporting sector. This implies that it generates income for the local economy. The opposite is then true for ratios sm aller than one.

P5D06M02: UPhongolo Local Municipality

5.90

0.28

1.10

1.26

1.62

0.79

0.89

0.42

1.11

1.33

P5D07M02: Joz ini Local Municipality

2.74

0.21

0.84

0.16

0.56

1.55

1.27

0.43

1.52

1.42

P5D07M03: The Big Fiv e False Bay Local Municipality

5.23

0.09

1.14

1.56

0.67

2.34

0.31

0.26

0.86

0.96

P5D07M05: Mtubatuba Local Municipality

4.28

0.16

1.33

0.35

0.66

1.27

0.84

0.33

0.94

1.52

P5D08M01: Mbonambi Local Municipality

3.79

1.00

1.93

0.72

1.02

1.10

1.58

0.44

0.36

0.18

P5D08M02: uMhlathuz e Local Municipality

1.32

0.83

1.74

1.08

0.91

0.86

1.37

0.59

1.06

0.69

Table 12: Location coefficient: South Africa When compared at a national level the Agriculture, Manufacturing, trade and governm ent sectors show the best perform ance. At this level agriculture is all LMs strongest perform ing sector. uMhlathuze however shows the best perform ance in wholesale and retail trade, that is attributed to the Richard Bay Port and associated activities.

Manufacturing

Construction

Wholesale and retail trade, catering and accommodation

Transport, storage and communication

Finance, insurance, real estate and business services

Community, social and personal services

3.28

1.27

0.85

1.25

1.81

0.75

0.67

0.50

1.11

1.57

P5D07M02: Joz ini Local Municipality

1.52

0.96

0.64

0.16

0.63

1.47

0.95

0.51

1.53

1.68

P5D07M03: The Big Fiv e False Bay Local Municipality

2.91

0.42

0.87

1.55

0.75

2.22

0.23

0.31

0.86

1.14

P5D07M05: Mtubatuba Local Municipality

2.38

0.72

1.02

0.35

0.74

1.20

0.63

0.40

0.95

1.80

P5D08M01: Mbonambi Local Municipality

2.11

4.58

1.48

0.72

1.14

1.05

1.18

0.53

0.36

0.21

P5D08M02: uMhlathuz e Local Municipality

0.73

3.78

1.34

1.08

1.02

0.82

1.02

0.71

1.07

0.81

General government

Mining and quarrying

P5D06M02: UPhongolo Local Municipality

Electricity, gas and water

Agriculture, forestry and fishing

Table 13: Location coefficient: Kwazulu-Natal

In the provincial context Agriculture remains the best performer. Trade and governmental services also show good overall performance. M bonambi and uMhalthuze however displays the best perform ance in the m ining and quarrying sector. When economic sectors are analysed in terms of how well it functions at district level, some important aspects emerges. With the exception of M bonam bi LM, agricultural contribution is no

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longer seen as such an im portant econom ic sector (it still plays an important role in some of the LMs, but not all). This indicates that other local m unicipalities in the district contribute much m ore to this sector than the studied LMs.

Wholesale and retail trade, catering and accommodation

communication

Finance, insurance, real estate and business services

Community, social and

1.25

1.46

1.77

0.71

0.84

0.90

1.11

0.91

P5D07M02: Joz ini Local Municipality

0.74

0.63

0.75

0.26

0.78

1.06

1.57

0.96

1.12

1.16

P5D07M03: The Big Fiv e False Bay Local Municipality

1.41

0.28

1.02

2.52

0.94

1.60

0.38

0.59

0.63

0.79

P5D07M05: Mtubatuba Local Municipality

1.15

0.47

1.19

0.57

0.92

0.87

1.04

0.74

0.69

1.24

P5D08M01: Mbonambi Local Municipality

1.46

1.39

1.23

0.80

1.07

1.22

1.13

0.73

0.34

0.28

P5D08M02: uMhlathuz e Local Municipality

0.51

1.15

1.11

1.20

0.95

0.98

1.00

1.07

General government

Construction

0.35

personal services

Manufacturing

1.49

Transport, storage and

Mining and quarrying

P5D06M02: UPhongolo Local Municipality

Electricity, gas and water

Agriculture, forestry and fishing

Table 14: Location coefficient: Sisonke

From Table 14 the following are deduced: uPhongolo LM is a large contributor to the construction sector when com pared to the greater Zululand district m unipality, it however also contributes significantly to agriculture, manufacturing, electricity, and comm unity services. Jozini LM is m ostly contributing to transport services. The Big Five False Bay LM contributes mostly to the utilities industry, but also has a large contribution to agriculture and trade. M tubatuba LM contributes largely to governmental services, followed by manufacturing and agriculture. M bonam bi LM contributes m ostly to the primary sector, and uM hlathuze to utilities, m ining, m anufacturing, and government services. Land Use The Province is characterised by a large number of scattered rural settlements and villages, with a vast number of these settlements and villages occurring within the affected District M unicipalities of Zululand, uMkhanyakude and uThungulu. The presence of villages, informal settlements, and formal urban areas increase towards the coastline with the most significant urban conurbation located within the eThekweni M etropolitan M unicpality. Although the m ajority of urban areas are predominantly located in a southerly location along the coastline and towards the inland, an extensive urban area is however found towards the north at Richards Bay within the uM hlathuze Local M unicpality. Richards Bay represents one of the largest secondary activity nodes in the Province. Richards Bay Port and the Port of Durban together handle approximately 78% of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cargo tonnage. Richards Bay is also the operational centre for South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s alum inium industry

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while Richards Bay Coal term inal ensures the country’s position as the second largest exporter of steam coal in the world. The following high-level observations can be made from the image: • The start of the section at Jozini dam; • Prim arily forest, woodland and plantations; • The only urban/built up areas are at the start and the end at Richards Bay. The following sections will provide a more detailed description of the land cover of the affected areas. Zululand District M unicipality The Zululand District M unicipality is situated in the north-eastern part of KwaZulu Natal and has an area of 15,307 km 2. The district’s economic and settlement pattern are largely rural, prim arily due to the fact that it was previously a “hom eland”, and subsequently severely deprived from of governm ent investm ent in infrastructure and services for many years. Zululand remains one of South Africa’s poorest districts, and needs investm ent into basic infrastructure and econom ic activities. This region has been selected as one of the focus areas for national governm ent’s integrated sustainable rural developm ent strategy (ISRDS) program me, aim ed at creating em ployment. Jozini Local Municipality The following land uses are significant: • There are m any areas of conservation and environm ental interest within the Jozini area, nam ely the Ndumu gam e reserve and the Pongola floodplain; • The structuring elements of the area include, the Lebom bo Mountain Range, Jozini

•

• •

Dam , the Ingwavum a, Pongolo and Mkuze Rivers as well as the two hospitals within the area, i.e. Ubom bo and Ingwavuma. These elements present both opportunities and obstacles to the developm ent of the municipality in terms of tourism attractions and the provision of infrastructure and services; The inherent potential of the m unicipality includes areas of high agricultural potential and a number of tourism and historical sites, such as, the Makhatini Flats, Mkuze Farms, Dingaan’s Grave, Border Cave and Usuthu Gorge; Jozini’s location provides for a number of transfrontier opportunities, as mooted in the Lebombo SID, along the international borders of Swaziland and M ozambique, including the Cecil Mack Pass etc; there are a num ber of urban areas (nodes) as well as a population settlem ent pattern; and some areas within the Jozini m unicipality have lim ited potential, both in terms of access to tourism and conservation areas and good soils. In such areas, survival strategies, including improved m ethods of subsistence agriculture should be pursued.

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2.3. 5 Cultural and Archaeological Assessment In the National Heritage Resources Act, no 25 of 1999 (NHRA), Section 2 (vi), it is stated that ‘‘cultural significance’’ means aesthetic, architectural, historical, scientific, social, spiritual, linguistic or technological value or significance. This is determined in relation to a site or feature’s uniqueness, condition of preservation and research potential. The purpose of this Heritage Impact Assessm ent (HIA) is to review the current state of cultural heritage resources that occur in the vicinity of the alignm ent of a new railway line that is planned by Transnet. Preliminary desktop studies have revealed the following facts regarding the KwaZulu-Natal section of the project: Stone Age From available evidence, it seem s that very little habitation of the region took place during the Early Stone Age. This change during the M iddle Stone Age and some sites are known to occur to the north of the study area. Although no sites dating to the Later Stone Age are known from the larger region, som e very important sites occur in the Ukhahlamba M ountains, Biggersberg and Ngome escarpment. The latter sites are mostly rock shelters that were occupied on and off over a long period of time. Iron Age Iron Age people started to settle in southern Africa c. AD 300, with one of the oldest known sites at Broederstroom south of Hartebeespoort Dam dating to AD 470. M ost inform ation on the region is based on surveys that were done in the Hluhluwe Nature Reserve (Natal Museum Database). Sites dating to all periods, except the Early Iron Age, were identified in the park. The occupation of the larger geographical area (including the study area) started during the socalled Early Iron Age and is part of the Kalundu Tradition that links with the Kwale sites of Kenya. These early sites occur almost always in the dunes of the coastal forest belt, extanding inland ito the lower-laying savannah areas in the vicinity of rivers - see for example the various m aps in Huffman 2007). During the Late Iron Age settlements seems to move to higher ground further away from rivers. This seems to indicate a defensive position. The latter part of this period was characterised by increased m ilitary tension, the reason of which is quite complex but has to do with changing environm ental circumstances, population increase, penetration of white settlers into the region and lucrative trade networks with the coast. Historic period By 1824 the entire Zululand was under the control of the abaKwazulu, previously a small and insignificant clan. The Bulawayo capital of the Zulu was moved from the Mkubane site and rebuilt on a hilltop overlooking the Mhlatuze River near the present Eshowe / Empangeni road. It was here that Shaka, king of the Zulu, met pioneer Natal settlers Fynn, Farewell and Isaacs.

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The Hluhluwe area was originally a royal hunting ground for the Zulu kingdom , but was established as a park in 1895. The Umfolozi and Hluhluwe reserves were established primarily to protect the white rhinoceros, then on the endangered species list.

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LEGISLAT IVE FRAMEWORK

The management and mitigation of the environmental impacts experienced during construction is governed by environm ental legislation. It is of utmost importance that this project is constructed in compliance with all relevant environmental legislation whether National, Provincial and / or Local.

The environmental legislative fram ework and components for South Africa can best be unpacked and summarised as follows.

3.1 National Legislation 3.1.1 The Constitution Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act, 108 of 1996 provides the basic right to an environm ent which is not harm ful to a person’s health or well-being, as well as to have the environment protected through legislation and any m easures which:•

Prevent pollution and / ecological degradation;

•

Prom ote conservation;

•

Secures ecological sustainable developm ent; and

•

The sustainable use of resources.

At the sam e time, Section 25 of the Constitution guarantees everyone the right of access to information which is essential for them to exercise their Constitutional right including any information pertinent to the environm ental assessm ent (EA) or EIA process.

For this reason,

Public Participation is considered an essential mechanism for inform ing stakeholders of their rights and obligations in terms of the project.

3.1.2 The National Environmental Management Act, 107 of 1998 (NEMA) The National Environm ental M anagement Act (NEM A) creates the fundam ental legal fram ework that gives effect to the environmental right guaranteed in Section 24 of the Constitution and sets out the fundamental principles that apply to environm ental decision making.

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a. The Principles of NEM A The Principles of NEM A (Chapter 1) not only serve as a framework upon which Environmental M anagement is based (Section 2(1)(b)), but ensures that people and their needs are always considered (Section 2(2)). This is achieved through avoiding and m inim ising: •

Disturbance on ecosystems or loss of biological diversity (Section 2(4)(a)(i));

•

Pollution and degradation of the environm ent (Section 2(4)(a)(ii)); and

•

Negative im pacts on the environm ent and people’s environm ental rights (Section 2(4)(a)(viii));

The principles of NEM A further require that a cautious, m ethodological approach be applied which takes into account knowledge or information gaps (Section 2(4)(a)(vii)) so that, as far as possible, all positive or negative impacts on the environm ent are considered and assessed in order to facilitate the decision-m aking process in mitigating these adverse impacts (Section 2(4)(a)(i)).

b. Integrated Env ironmental Management (Chapter 5) Section 24(1) of NEM A requires that the potential im pacts of projects or activities m ust be considered, investigated, assessed and reported to the Com petent Authority, while Section 24(2) empowers the Minister (or M EC) to identify such projects or activities which require authorisation.

These activities are listed in Government Notice R 544 of 18 June 2010

(activities requiring Basic Assessment); GNR 545 of 18 June 2010 (activities requiring full Environm ental Impact Assessm ent) and GNR 546 of 18 June 2010 (activities requiring Basic Assessm ent dependent on provincial requirem ents) published in terms of Section 24D of NEM A.

Section 24 (5) of NEMA empowers the M inister (or MEC) to draft regulations which

provide a fram ework for the authorisation process, and which is provided in GNR 543 of 18 June 2010.

In term s of Section 24F, failure to obtain environm ental authorisation for listed activities constitutes an offence and, either jointly or severally, convicted persons can be fined up to R5 000 000 as well as face im prisonm ent for up to ten years.

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3.1. 3 Additional Acts and Frameworks In addition to NEMA, the following Acts have som e bearing on the proposed activities: •

Hazardous Substances Act, 15 of 1973;

•

The Conservation of Agricultural Resource s Act, 43 of 1983;

•

Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993;

•

Development Facilitation Act, 67 of 1995;

•

National Road Transport Act, 93 of 1996;

•

Extension of Security Tenure Act, 62 of 1997;

•

Basic Conditions of Em ployment Act, 75 of 1997;

•

Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act, 19 of 1998;

•

The National Water Act, 36 of 1998;

•

South Africa National Road Agency and National Roads Act, 7 of 1998;

•

The National Heritage Resource s Act, 25 of 1999;

•

Prom otion for Administrative Justice Act, 3 of 2000;

•

M ineral Petroleum Resources Development Act, 28 of 2002;

•

The National Environm ental M anagem ent: Protected Areas Act, 57 of 2003;

•

The National Environm ental M anagem ent: Biodiversity Act, 10 of 2004;

•

The National Environm ental M anagem ent: Waste Act, 59 of 2008;

•

Traditional Leadership and Governance Fram ework Amendment Act, 23 of 2009; and

•

National Railway Safety Regulator Act, 16 of 2002.

Application to the DEA for Environm ental Authorisation in terms of NEM A does however not absolve the applicant from complying with other statutory requirements, and in addition the following national and provincial legislation will apply inter alia to the project.

It should also be noted that the Swaziland section of the project will also follow a separate EIA process undertaken in terms of the Swaziland legislation. This process com menced in June 2013 in collaboration with Swaziland Railway and the Swaziland Environment Authority (SEA).

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3.1. 4 GN R 543 – the Environmental Authorisation process The Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessm ent process is identified in Part 3 of Chapter 3 of the 2010 EIA regulations (regulations 26 to 35), which prescribes the process to be followed as well as the content of the Scoping, Plan of Study for EIA (PoSfEIA) and EIA Reports. The contents of all specialist reports as well as the EM P are specified in Regulations 32 and 33 respectively, while the public participation process is described in detail in Chapter 6 of GNR 543.

Based on NEMA and GNR 543 Transnet requires Environmental Authorisation from the com petent authority, the Department of Environm ental Affairs in collaboration with the KZNDAE, as comm enting authorities, to com mence with developm ent.

3.1. 5 GN R 543 – the Environmental Authorisation process The Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessm ent process is identified in Part 3 of Chapter 3 (regulations 26 to 35), which prescribes the process to be followed as well as the content of the Scoping, Plan of Study for EIA (PoSfEIA) and EIA Reports. The contents of all specialist reports as well as the EMP are specified in Regulations 32 and 33 respectively, while the public participation process is described in detail in Chapter 6 of GNR 543. Based on NEMA and GNR 543 Transnet requires Environmental Authorisation from the com petent authority, the Departm ent of Environmental Affairs. The provincial environmental authority, the KZNDEA will function as a commenting authority. Application to the DEA for Environm ental Authorisation in terms of NEM A does however not absolve the applicant from complying with the above m entioned statutory requirements. In this regard the following national and provincial legislation will apply inter alia to the project.

3.1. 6 GNR 545 – activities requiring an EIA. The proposed project and activities are listed in GNR 545, specifically:Number

and Activity No (s) (in terms Description of listed activ ity as per the project

date of relevant of the relev ant notice)

description

notice GN No. R 545

This section of the proposed project is basically the construction of railway line from Golela to

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Nsezi in KwaZulu-Natal. Other listed activities listed in GNR 544 and 546 are also triggered: Activities are listed in GNR 544 (activities requiring a Basic Assessm ent), specifically:Number

and Activity No (s) (in terms Description of listed activ ity as per the project

date of relevant of the relev ant notice)

description

notice GN No. R 544

9 (i) & (ii)

Storm

water

management

facilities will

installed in some areas of the railway. It is expected that the facilities will exceed the 1000m length. GN No. R 544

11 (ii), (iii), (x) & (xi)

The proposed project will entail the construction of facilities as well

as associated infrastructure

(bridges, channels, buildings and infrastructure & structures) of the railway line of m ore than 50m 2 within a watercourse or within 32 metres of a watercourse. GN No. R 544

Facilities for the storage of diesel

will

established along the line for refuelling purposes. The total volum e of diesel to be stored at each of the storage facilities is expected to be m ore than 80m 3 but less than 500m 3. GN N0. R 544

18 (i)

M aterial shall be removed from watercourses and concrete material introduced during construction of the bridges for the proposed railway link.

GN N0. R 544

The upgrade and construction of the TransnetSwazi Rail link will require fill material to be sourced from

borrow pits. Establishment and

operation of borrow pits require m ining perm its in terms

the

M ineral

Petroleum

Resources

Developm ent Act, 2002 (Act No. 28 of 2002) or renewal thereof. GN No. R 544

37 (a) & (b)

An extension to existing storm water facilities and sewage lines m ay be required. A total extension

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of m ore than 1000m and increase of throughput by 10% or m ore can be expected. GN N0. R 544

39 (iii)

The proposed project will require the upgrade, expansion or replacem ent of existing bridges and/or other structures. The upgrade will take place outside the existing servitude which in turn will increase the current footprint.

GN No. R 544

40 (iii) & (iv)

The proposed project will entail the upgrading of existing

facilities

infrastructure

as more

well

associated

than 50m 2 within a

watercourse or within 32 metres of a watercourse. GN No. R 544

49 (i), (ii) & (iii)

The proposed project m ay include the expansion of

facilities

infrastructure

for

transportation

dangerous

goods,

the

bulk

namely

industrial chemicals, in gas, liquid or solid form , outside an industrial com plex or zone by an increased throughput capacity of 50m 3 or more per day. GN No. R 544

53 (i) & (iii)

The proposed Transnet-Swazi Rail link entails the upgrade of the existing railway line. The entire upgrade will take place outside an industrial area. It is envisaged that parts of the upgrade will be outside the reserve of the existing railway lines.

The proposed project and activities are listed in GNR 546 (activities requiring Basic Assessm ent on provincial requirements), specifically:Number

and Activity No (s) (in terms Description of listed activ ity as per the project

date of relevant of the relev ant notice)

description

notice GN No. R 546

3 a(ii) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; aa, cc & ee

The

proposed

railway

link

will

include

establishment of a num ber of m asts along the line for comm unication purposes which might occur in the geographical areas identified in the listing notice, this will be confirmed through specialist

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studies. GN No. R 546

4 a(ii) – aa, cc & ee

The proposed construction and upgrade of the Transnet-Swazi Rail link will include the building of gravel m aintenance roads that may be wider than 4m .

These roads m ight occur in the

geographical areas identified in the listing notice. This will be confirmed through specialist studies. GN No. R 546

10 a(ii) – aa, cc, ee & ii

There will be areas of refuelling along the line. This will constitute storage of diesel in volumes less than 80m 3 which m ight occur within the geographical areas identified in the listing notice. This will be confirmed through specialist studies.

GN No. R 546

12 (a) &(b)

The construction and the upgrade of the railway line

will

constitute

rem oval

indigenous

vegetation in areas that exceed 300m 2. The affected areas m ay include critically endangered ecosystem s depending on the alignment; this will be confirmed through the specialist studies. GN No. R 546

13 c(ii) – aa, cc & ee

Construction and upgrade of the proposed railway will involve clearing of areas m ore than 1ha where indigenous vegetation can constitute more than 75% of the total vegetation cleared which m ight fall within the geographical areas identified in the listing notice. This will be confirm ed through the specialist studies.

GN No. R 546

14 a(i)

The construction and the upgrade of the railway line will constitute removal indigenous vegetation with the total area that exceeds 5ha which m ight fall within the geographical areas identified in the listing notice. This will be confirm ed through the specialist studies.

GN No. R 546

16 (iv) a(ii) – aa, dd & ff

The

proposed

infrastructure will

railway

line

and

associated

include the construction of

buildings and infrastructure exceeding or covering 10m 2 or more within a watercourse or within 32

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m etres of a watercourse. GN No. R 546

19 a(ii) – aa, cc, ee & ii

The planned roads for construction will require the lengthening of a road by more than 1 kilom etre, and possibly the widening of a road by m ore than 4 metres.

GN No. R 546

23 a(ii) – aa, cc, ee & ii

The project may involve upgrade of the diesel storage areas that are currently in operation along the railway line and which could fall within the geographical areas identified in the listing notice. This will be confirmed through the specialist studies.

GN No. R 546

24 a(ii) – aa, cc & ee

The project may also involve the expansion of buildings or infrastructure, expanded by 10m 2 or m ore within a watercourse or within 32 m etres of a watercourse.

3.2

Provincial legislation

The following KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislation will be taken into account during the EIA process: • • • • • • •

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal

Nature Conservation Ordinance 15 of 1974. Tourism Act No 7 of 1996. Nature Conservation Act No 9 of 1997. Heritage Act No 10 of 1997. Planning and Development Act No 5 of 1998. Provincial Roads Act No 4 of 2001. Traditional Leadership and Governance Act No 5 of 2005.

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THE EIA PROCESS DESCRIPTION

4.1

Objectives of the EIA

The objectives of the EIA are as follows: •

To ensure compliance with relevant environm ental legislation and objectives;

•

To identify and address significant issues and concerns through public participation;

•

To describe the status quo (biophysical, physical and social) of the environment;

•

To objectively assess various alternatives for the project;

•

To evaluate the potential impact of the project, specific com ponents of the project or activities to be conducted in an objective, independent manner based on the status quo environment; and

•

To propose mitigation of these impacts and the implementation of the proposed measures, in the form of an Environm ental M anagement Plan, which will conform to international and national best practise and environm ental objectives.

4.2

Process to Date

The activities conducted to date in the Environmental Im pact Assessment are indicated below in Table 15. Table 15: EIA activities to date. Activ ity

Timeframes

Lodging of application with DEA

14 May 2013

Registration of Project with DEA

07 June 2013

Initial

notification

and

registration

21 June 2013

stakeholders Draft Scoping Report review period Notification

Stakeholder

and

11 July 2013 – 14 August 2013 I&AP

10 – 12 July 2013

meetings Stakeholder and I&AP meetings

30 July 2013 – 2 August 2013

Stakeholder, I&AP and Focus meetings

August 2013

Submit Scoping Report

28 August 2013

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Final Scoping Report review period

4.3

2 August 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 October 2013

Assumptions and Limitations

In undertaking this investigation and com piling this Scoping Report (SR) the following has been assumed or are lim itations of the study, unless otherwise indicated: â&#x20AC;˘

Identification of all landowners and/or occupiers of land potentially affected by the development is still in process due to incom plete available SG information. In certain instances there is also no owner information available from the Deeds office. Landowner identification and notification is ongoing.

Notwithstanding the aforem entioned limitations, this study is consistent with the requirem ents of content of SR as stipulated in the NEM A 2010, EIA Regulations.

4.4

Authority Involvement

Aurecon, on behalf of Transnet, applied to the DEA for a deviation from regulation 15(1) on 09 April 2013. As no response was received from the DEA, and thus Aurecon submitted the application form s for the Davel to the Swaziland Border section of the Swaziland Railway Link project on 14 May 2013, attaching the above mentioned request for deviation thereto. The Departm ent responded on 28 M ay 2013, rejecting the application form s on the grounds of rejection of the application for deviation from regulation 15(1). However, after a m eeting between Transnet and the DEA on 29 M ay 2013, the DEA issued the project with an acceptance letter dated 07 June 2013. The acceptance of the applications was on condition that regulation 15(1) is fulfilled and proof of notification to landowners submitted to the Departm ent no later than 30 June 2013. This condition has been complied with and the proof of such notification has been subm itted to DEA on 28 June 2013. The KZNDAE was also inform ed of the subm itted application.

4.5

Context of this Report

As outlined above, the Environm ental Assessment process undertaken to date has culm inated in the production of a comprehensive draft SR.

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To ensure that the requirements of NEM A are m et, the Scoping Report contains the following information:

Table 16: Context as required by NEMA GN R543

CONTENT AS REQUIRED BY NEMA

CHAPTER/ ANNEXURE

28(a)

Details of (i) the EAP who compiled the

Before Table of Contents

report; and Details (ii) the expertise of the EAP to

Appendix A

carry out an scoping procedures; 28(b)

A detailed description of the proposed

Chapter 1

activity; 28(c)

description

any

feasible

and

Chapter 1

reasonable alternatives that have been identified; 28(d)

A description of the property on which the activity is to be undertaken

and

Not Applicable

the

location of the activity on the property, or if it is â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (i)

a linear activity, a description of

Chapter 1

the route of the activity; or (ii)

ocean-based

activity,

coordinates where the activity is to

the

Not Applicable

undertaken; 28(e)

A description of the environment that may

Chapter 2

be affected by the activity and the manner in which the physical, biological, social, economic and cultural aspects of the environment

may be affected by the

proposed activity; 28(f)

An identification of all legislation and

Chapter 3

guidelines that have been considered in the preparation of the scoping report. 28(g)

A description of environmental, social and

Chapter 2

economic issues and potential impacts,

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including cumulative impacts, that have been identified; 28(h)

Details of the public participation process

Chapter 5

conducted in terms of regulation (27)a, including â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (i)

steps undertaken in accordance

with the plan of study; (ii)

proof

advertisements

that

notice

boards,

and

notices

notifying

Appendix C

potentially interested and affected parties of the application have been displayed, placed or given; (iii)

a list of persons, organisations and

Appendix C, Annexure E

organs of state that were identified and registered in terms of regulation 55 as interested and affected parties; (iv)

summary

comments

and

Appendix C, Annexure F

issues raised by registered interested and affected parties, the date of receipt of these comments and the response of the EAP to those comments; 28(i)

A description of the need and desirability

Chapter 1

of the proposed activity and identified potential

alternatives to the proposed

activity,

including

advantages

and

disadvantages that the proposed activity or

alternatives

may

have

the

environment and the community that may be affected by the activity; 28(j)

description

alternatives

of the

identified proposed

potential

Chapter 1

activity,

including advantages and disadvantages that the proposed activity or alternatives may have on the environment and the community that may be affected by the

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activity; 28(k)

Copies

any

representation,

and

Not Applicable

comments received in connection with the application of the scoping report from interested and affected parties; 28(l) and (m)

Copies of the minutes of any meetings

Not Applicable at this stage

held by the EAP with interested and affected parties and other role players which record the views of the participants; and any response by the EAP to those representation, comments and views; 28(n)

A plan of study for Environmental Impact

Chapter 6

Assessment which sets out the proposed approach to the environmental

impact

assessment of the application, which must include (i)

A description of the tasks that will be undertaken

environmental process, reports

part

impact

Chapter 6

the

assessment

including any specialist or specialised processes,

and the manner in which such tasks will be undertaken; (ii)

An indication of the stages at which the

competent

authority will

Chapter 6

consulted; (iii)

description

method

the

proposed

assessing

the

issues

and

environmental

Chapter 6

alternatives, including the option of not proceeding with the activity; (iv)

Particulars of the public participation process during

that the

will

Chapter 6

be conducted

environmental

impact

assessment process;

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28(o)

Any specific information required by the

Chapter 4

competent authority; 28(p)

Any other matters required in terms of

Not Applicable

sections 24(4)(a) and (b) of the Act. 28(2)

In addition, a scoping report must take

Not Applicable

into account any guidelines applicable to the kind of activity which is the subject of the application.

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THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS (PPP)

5.1

Introduction

Consultation with the public form s an integral com ponent of the environmental authorisation process. The PP Process in particular allows Interested & Affected Parties (I&APs) and other identified stakeholders to be informed about potential decisions that may affect them, and it affords them the opportunity to influence those decisions. Through effective Public Participation informed decision making by the Competent Authority is ensured as the views of all parties affected by a proposed activity has been considered.

As per the Integrated Environmental Management Guidelines Series 7 (2010), published by the Departm ent of Environmental Affairs, the benefits of public participation include the following: •

It provides an opportunity for I&APs, EAP’s and the Com petent Authority to obtain clear, accurate and understandable information about the environm ental impacts associated with the proposed activity or im plications of s decision;

•

It provides I&APs with an opportunity to voice their support, concerns and questions regarding the project, application or decision;

•

It provides I&APs with the opportunity of suggesting ways for reducing or mitigating any negative im pacts of the project and for enhancing its positive im pacts;

•

It enables an applicant to incorporate the needs, preferences and values of affected parties into its application;

•

It provides opportunities for clearing up misunderstandings about technical issues, resolving disputes and reconciling conflicting interests, it is an im portant aspect of securing transparency and accountability in decision-making; and

•

5.2

It contributes toward m aintaining a healthy, vibrant democracy

APPROACH TO THE PP PROCESS

The approach followed for the PP Process up to date and which will continue throughout the EIA Process is as per Chapter 6 of the Environmental Im pact Assessment Regulations, 2010, published in Government Notice No 543 of 18 June 2010. The following Guideline Documents published by the DEA are also being utilised to inform the Public Process;

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•

Integrated Environm ental Management Guideline Series 7 – Public Participation in the EIA Process, Department of Environm ental Affairs (2010); and

•

5.3

Public Participation Guidelines, Guideline Docum ent 4 of 2006.

Initiation of Public Participation Process up to date

The public participation process commenced in June 2013 and included the activities as listed below.

5.3. 1 Placement of Advertisement A legal notice was placed in two local newspapers and in one national paper as the project extends into the provincial boundaries of both M pum alanga and KwaZulu-Natal. The content of the legal notice published in English, Afrikaans and IsiZulu included: •

Details regarding the application;

•

The nature and location of the proposed activity;

•

Where further information on the application or activity can be obtained from ; and

•

M anner in which representations in respect of the application m ay be made and details of the applicable contact person.

The notices appeared as follows: •

The Zululand Observ er (KwaZulu-Natal): 24 June 2013 (Afrikaans & English);

•

Die Beeld (Afrikaans Edition, National): 25 & 27 June 2013 (Afrikaans); and

•

The Umlozi (IsiZulu Edition for KwaZulu-Natal): 20 June 2013 (IsiZulu)

Refer to Newspaper Adv ertisements: date of publication (Annexure C of Appendix C)

5.3. 2 Direct notification of landowners and other identified I&APs In conjunction with the placem ent of newspaper advertisem ents a Background Information Document (BID) with comment and registration sheet and a notification letter was com piled and distributed through registered post to directly affected landowners along the route alignment. These documents were also distributed to other I&APs which have been identified. The BID was also available for download from the Aurecon and Transnet websites. A copy of the BID

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and notification letters is included in Annexure B of Appendix C. Proof of notification of landowners is also included in this attachment. Affected land owners were identified following receipt of a Transnet stakeholder database which was based on existing railway line servitude inform ation. Aurecon then proceeded to overlay the proposed alignment/corridor onto digital cadastral Surveyor General Information in order to identify parent farms and farm portion boundaries which were affected by the railway alignment. Som e of the available SG inform ation was incomplete. Once a list of the affected properties was com piled, deed searches were undertaken in order to obtain postal addresses for the owners of affected land. Contact details for the owners of certain of the properties were however not available through the Deed searches and Aurecon is investigating alternative m ethods for notifying these landowners. From past experiences it is noted here that it is not always practically possible to hand deliver notification letters due to the nature of certain of the properties (e.g. no one resides on the property, locked gates prevent acess). Every effort will be m ade to ensure that all affected property owners are informed of the proposal during the EIA Process and are provided with a fair opportunity to subm it their comm ents. A land owner database has been com piled and is included in Annexure E of Appendix C. Aurecon anticipates that the placement of the legal notices will assist with the identification and participation of landowners. Aurecon is also in the process of com municating with the Kwambonam bi

and

Um folozi

Farm ers

Association,

Kwambo

Conservancy

Residents

association and other landowners and will request assistance with the identification of affected landowners. Furthermore requests have been sent to the local Municipalities requesting assistance with the contact details for certain of the properties, refer to Annexure F of Appendix C for a copy of the requests which were sent.

Other stakeholders identified and notified other than directly affected property owners included: • Organs of state which have jurisdiction in respect of the activity (National, Provincial and Local Authorities); • Parastatals such as Eskom and Telkom who may be affected by the proposed activity; • Non-governm ent organisations such as the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the KZN Wetland Forum; • Local comm unities and Farmers Associations; and • Other organisations potentially affected by the activity.

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A register (I&AP database) has been opened and is being maintained which contains the contact details of: • All persons / institutions / organisations and associations that have been notified; • All persons / institutions that have requested to be included in the database’ • All organs of State which have jurisdiction in respect of the activity. The I&AP database can be found in Annexure E of Appendix C. Note that the identification of affected stakeholders is an on-going process and this list should not be seen as final. Affected stakeholders m ay register throughout the lifespan of the EIA Process.

5.3. 3 Site notice boards In order to notify the surrounding com munities and imm ediate adjacent landowners of the proposed developm ent, and to invite them to participate in the EIA Process site notices were erected in conspicuous locations along the route of the railway alignm ent. To ensure adequate notification of potential stakeholders, notice boards were also erected at public facilities such as M unicipal Buildings, Public Libraries and popular shopping centres frequented by local residents. The notices were prepared in English, Afrikaans and IsiZulu. Refer to annexure D of Appendix C for a complete list indicating the locations at which the notice boards were erected. An A4 copy of the Notice boards as w ell as photos of site notices erected along the route is also included under this attachment.

5.3. 4 Issues and Response Trail Issues, comments and concerns raised during the public participation process are com piled into an Issues and Response Report (refer to Annexure G of Appendix C). All comm ents received up to date have been captured and distributed to m embers of the project team for further consideration. Responses have been provided on com ments which have been received. The Issues and Response Report is used for the evaluation of environm ental impacts and serves to identify issues which require further scrutiny during the EIA investigation. Comm ents captured during the public m eeting held held in Richards Bay have also been included in the Issues and Response Report.

5.3. 5 Draft Scoping Report available for public review The Draft Scoping Report was made available for review and comm ent by registered I&APs and key stakeholders between 15 July – 23 August 2013. The Report with Appendices has been

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m ade available for download from the Aurecon website at www.aurecongroup.co.za as well as on Transnet’s website at www.tran snet.co.za . Hard copies of the Reports were available for review by the public at the following venues: • Jozini Public Library; • Ghost M ountain Inn, M kuze; and • The Richards Bay Public Library. Registered I&APs were notified of the availability of the Draft Scoping Report through post, facsimile and email. The following organs of state were provided with copies of the Draft Scoping Report: •

Departm ent of Water Affairs;

•

Provincial Roads Authorities

•

Departm ent Public Works

•

Departm ent Agriculture And Land Adm inistration

•

Affected Municipalities

•

Eskom

•

Telkom

•

South African National Roads Agency Lim ited (SANRAL)

•

South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA)

•

Ezem velo Kzn Wildlife

•

Departm ent of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF)

Refer to Annexure H of Appendix C for the proof of notification.

All com ments received on the Draft Scoping Report have been included in the Issues and Response Report of the Final Scoping Report for submission to DEA. Take note that registered I&APs will again be afforded an opportunity to provide comm ent on the Final Scoping Report.

5.4

Public Consultation

Public consultation up to date have included the following: • •

1 x Public M eeting at the Ghost M ountain Inn, Mkuze (M onday 29 July); 1 x Public M eeting at the Richards Bay Civic Centre (Tuesday 30 July).

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The purpose of these meetings was to afford I&APs an opportunity to discuss the findings of the Draft Scoping Report with mem bers of the project team and to provide more project information where available. Furtherm ore these meetings also provided an opportunity for the EAP to explain the EIA Process and to ensure that I&APs understand the im portance of their participation. It also served to identify som e additional stakeholders that would be contacted and invited to participate in the process.

Refer to Annexure G of Appendix C for a copy of the

M inutes which were captured at these m eetings. Refer to Annexure I of Appendix C for a copy of the attendance register.

5.5

Comment on the Draft and Final Scoping Report

Following the subm ission of the Scoping Report to DEA, registered I&Aps will be notified of the subm ission and also inform ed of the opportunity to comment on the Scoping Report during a 21 day com ment period, viz. 30 August 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 19 September 2013. I&Aps will also be inform ed that com ments within this period must be subm itted directly to DEA and that a copy should be sent to the EAP.

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ISSUES IDENT IFIED DURING T HE SCOPING PHASE

The proposed construction of the Golela to Nsezi border section of the Swaziland Railway Link project is anticipated to im pact on a range of biophysical, social and econom ic aspects of the environm ent. One of the main purposes of the EIA process is to understand the significance of these potential impacts and to identify suitable m itigation measures. A summ ary of issues raised to date are indicated below. The Plan of Study for the EIA in Section 7 provides a detailed indication of how these issues will be addressed. As this document serves as the draft scoping report, it is important to note that the issues raised during the public consultation process will be added to this section after the report has been distributed for comments. The detail contained below has been sourced from the prelim inary specialist input reports which can be found in Appendix B, annexures A through I.

6.1

Environmental Issue s Raised

6.1.1 Ecologic al Issues Raised Sixty five (65) non-perrennial and ten (10) perrenial watercourses cross the existing, as well as the proposed 35m wide railway corridors. These watercourses form the basis for identifying potential wetland and riparian areas to be investigated during field surveys. These alignments, including the footprints of access roads, crew camps, borrow pits and refuelling yards, will be extensively surveyed to identify all wetlands and riparian areas within 500m of the proposed activity footprints. Relevant functional and integrity assessm ents will be conducted based on the findings of the site survey. All waterbodies that lie within 500m of the proposed developm ent footprints will be investigated during a dedicated field survey as set out in this docum ent. For the purpose of activities within the 1:100 year floodline or the wetland/riparian area (whichever is the greatest), an application for a Water Use License must be m ade. In addition, activities close to wetlands are excluded from the General Authorization for S21 (c) and (i) water uses (governm ent gazette No. 389) due to the complexity and potentially cum ulative im pact on a wetlands and rivers and the resources as a whole (DWA, 2010). Therefore all activities within 500m of wetlands or rivers should be subject to an application for authorization. The Golela to Nsezi line falls within a large num ber of catchments associated with the following m ajor rivers or lakes: • • • • • • •

Phongola M kuze M sunduzi Hluhluwe St Lucia Nyalazi M folozi

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•

Nhlabane

All of these system s have been classified as part of the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Atlas (NFEPA) project (Nel et al., 2012). The majority of the wetlands within the study area have been shown to be natural, and form part of the important M aputoland Wetland Cluster. However som e of these would be considered m odified and have a conservation rating score of Z1 or Z2, i.e. low conservation im portance. The remaining natural wetland areas associated with the local streams, pans floodplain wetlands, lakes and estuaries were mostly rated as A/B or C, i.e. Pristine to m oderately m odified or largely modified respectively (Nel et al., 2012). These would then be considered carefully in the EIA phase, firstly to establish their exact form and function through delineation and then determ ine their Present Ecological State (PES). This would also be a requirement by the Department of Water Affairs should any of the proposed line be within 500m of a wetland boundary thus, construction activity would require a Water Use License Application for a Section 21 c & i use. During the EIA phase, intensive habitat m atching will be conducted and ground-truthed to determine the exact status and im portance of the habitats observed at a finer scale as well as identify the presence any Species of Special Concern (Faunal & Floral). The following issues and im pacts have been identified together with potential impacts which will be investigated during the EIA phase: Issue 1 – Destruction of natural habitat. • Impact 1 - loss of habitat and removal of vegetation – terrestrial • Impact 2 - loss of habitat and removal of vegetation – wetland and waterbodies o Impact 2 - Loss of corridors o Impact 3 – Loss of ecotones Issue 2 – Loss of endangered species • Impact 1 – Loss of rare and endangered species • Impact 2 – Introduction of alien and invasive species Issue 3 – Removal of topsoils and soil erosion • Impact 1 – an increase in soil erosion Issue 4 – Introduction of alien vegetation • Impact 1 – introduction of alien or invasive plants

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6.2

Social, Economic and Cultural Issue s Raised

6.2.1 Social Issues Raised Negative Socio-econom ic Impacts • A loss of land and assets to the railway servitude or areas to be occupied by projectrelated surface infrastructure; • A population influx (due to the presence of a construction and operational workforce, as

• • •

well as an influx of job-seekers into the area), with a possible concomitant increase in social pathologies and increased pressure on existing infrastructure and services; Disruption of access routes and daily m ovement patterns by the construction and/or perm anent servitude; Impacts on sense of place. Such impacts m ay arise as a result of the visual intrusion of project-related infrastructure, as well as noise and traffic impacts during construction Dust caused by the construction works and from movem ent of heavy equipment. During

•

the construction phase, the local com munity and construction workers would be inconvenienced by the dust generated by the construction works. Noise and vibration due to the construction works and from movem ent of heavy equipment. Movem ent of heavy machinery on existing local roads m ay be one of the core problems for the local comm unity during the construction phase. Vibration may also dam age structures located nearby. Socio-cultural differences and conflicts between m igrant workers and the local

•

com munity. Single m en predom inately occupy the construction camps which could create social conflicts, usually as a result of cultural differences, alcohol abuse or being away from their wives or girlfriends for extended periods of tim e. A possible reason for conflict would be the perception among locals that the outsiders are taking up jobs that could have gone to unemployed mem bers of the local com munity. An influx of unem ployed job seekers could also add to the potential for conflict. Diseases associated with the arrival of tem porary labour in the area. Various social

•

pathologies, such as drug/alcohol misuse, abuse of wom an and children and incidences of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) may increase with the influx of job-seekers into the area. Crim e. An inflow of construction workers and job seekers m ay also be accom panied by an increase in crime. Even if specific instances of crime are not as a result of the newcom ers, they m ay still be ascribed to them by local communities. Informal settlem ents. Once construction is concluded and the camp is vacated, it m ay be illegally occupied by unlawful tenant.

Positive Socio-econom ic Im pacts • Local employm ent and job opportunities. The construction phase of the project will have a positive impact on the local labour market. It is anticipated that the operational phase will also create permanent em ployment opportunities for the local affected comm unities though som e level of technical skills and qualifications m ay be needed.

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â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Local economy opportunities and economic em powerm ent. The construction phase of the project will have temporary positive im pacts on the local econom y. Establishment/ upgrading of services.

The specialist will investigate the above mentioned impacts further in the EIA phase in collaboration w ith the tourism, heritage and social specialists.

6.3 Health and Safety issue s raised during the Scoping Phase 6.3.1 Safety and Security Aspects An emergency response plan should be com piled and incorporated into the EMPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s construction and operational phase. Issues pertaining to regular inspections, monitoring mechanisms, m aintenance and emergency response will be incorporated into this EM P. Safety requirem ents linked to the existing development footprint of the proposed construction site will be investigated and reported in the legislative and institutional requirements of the EIA report. These aspects will further be incorporated into the design and layout of the proposed facility. Where necessary, m onitoring and inspection mechanisms will be included in the construction and operational phases of the EMP.

6.4 Institutional and Legal Aspects Raised During the Scoping Phase 6.4.1 Project Lifecycle The project is effectively in the prelim inary design phase, and no detailed design is available as such. Where applicable com ment and suggestions m ade during the scoping phase will be incorporated into the design.

6.4.2 Alternatives to and Need for the Project A detailed alternatives assessment will be conducted in the EIA phase, based on alternatives identified during the Scoping Phase (Chapter 1.2). These alternatives include evaluation of the no-go option; alternatives to site selection; and alternatives to construction m ethodologies and site layout. The need for the project will be evaluated and presented in the EIA report.

6.4.3 Availability of Specialis t Reports and Information Relevant to the Application All documentation relevant to this environm ental application, particularly specialist reports and background information used to com pile the Scoping Report will be appended to the final reports and made available during the required comm ent periods.

6.5

Issues raised during the Public Participation Process

The following issues in Error! Reference source not found. constitute an extract from the issues and response report (IRR) and the Minutes captured at the public meeting held in Richards Bay. No Minutes were captured at the M kuze m eeting as there were no attendees.

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The IRR containing all the issues raised by the public during the public participation meetings held can be found in Appendix C, Annexure G. Response Issue What is the anticipated construction The project is subject to various work packages. Anticipated tim eframe for the comm encement of schedule construction of the new link from Lothair through Swaziland is early 2014, but is dependent on the issuing of an Environmental Authorisation. Following construction of the new link, upgrades to the existing work packages will comm ence. Construction to end in 2017. If lev el crossings w ill be Engineers have now been appointed for the detailed decommissioned, w ill they be engineering designs. Therefore details regarding replaced by under or ov er passes, which level crossings will be done away with and how will this be done and w ill local residents be prov ided with decent access roads. The current access road near my property is in a very poor condition

where under and over passes will be implem ented are not yet available. Concerns raised by stakeholders will be given through to the engineers for consideration in the design. Elim inating level crossings as far as reasonably practicable is part of the design criteria. Information regarding level crossings will be determined during detailed design in FEL 3.

Condition of access roads to be addressed by technical team [design engineers] The railway line is being upgraded The com ment has been sent to the Rail planning team how ever I am unable to send my for confirmation on how SM MEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will be supported timber to Umkomaas as there are no trucks. Transnet is looking at a Local communities can benefit from job opportunities massiv e export picture yet there is during the construction and operational phases. The no local infrastructure, therefore no upgrade of certain sections such as Davel to Lothair in Mpumalanga includes local wood and other general benefits for the locals freight. Will impact of this proj ect on No impact on current operations as line between Golela and Nsezi will be constructed parallel to the existing rail traffic be considered? Richards Bay M inerals currently existing line within the existing servitude. Therefore it mov es about tw o million tons of will be operations as norm al on the existing line. product on that rail line. Any disruption to this activity w ill result Apart from its strategic value the link line is constructed primarily for the purpose of re-routing in economic impacts. general freight traffic from the Coal line and by so Will increased traffic on new rail doing freeing up capacity for the export of coal. line have an impact on existing Traffic impacts will be considered by the engineers. traffic. If w e are directly affected land Affected land owners will be contacted directly. The

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owners, in other words if there is a divergence in the alignment on our property w ill w e be contacted on a one on one basis, and if so w hen w ill this happen as w e need to first know how w e are going to be affected before we can provide comment. Not all affected land ow ners hav e been notified.

Social Scientist M rs Noeleen Greyling will plot all infrastructure affected by the alignment in a GIS program me. Then all affected land owners will be visited and be requested to undertake a questionnaire. The inform ation gathered through this process will be used in determ ining the potential Social Impact of the project. Once information has been gathered from affected land owners the information will also be given through to Transnet’s stakeholder engagem ent work stream for use in their land acquisition process. This process is now com mencing and is not subject to the 23 August 2013 date which requires submission of com ments on the Draft Scoping Report. Transnet’s land acquisition work stream will also be in contact with affected land owners. The land acquisition process is managed by Transnet and is separate to the EIA Process being undertaken by Aurecon. Contact details for all property owners were not available from the Deed Searches undertaken by

In terms of efficiency the shortest route to Richards Bay is not through Sw aziland, have alternativ e routes been considered or is the purpose to mainly beneficiate Swaziland

What is the overall programme to open the line from Richards Bay to Dav el Biggest concern is the lack of upgrade at the port, w hich is currently the biggest bottle neck w hich is resulting in economic losses, due to the waiting periods required for offloading. Transnet is proposing to increase the tonnage going through the port how ev er

Aurecon. Aurecon is in the process of obtaining details but also requests assistance from stakeholders. If you are aware of a neighbour/landowner that m ay be potentially affected please provide us with their details. A very detailed concept study that was done by Transnet included the screening of four highly conceptual routes. Two of these, were discarded as non-feasible at an early stage. The remaining 2 routes were recomm ended for further study, with the indication that proposed route as presented in the Scoping report (the Davel – Lothair – Sidvokodvo link) is technically feasible and presents a sound option The plan is to have the first train on the track in April 2017 and it will be a phased approach. The entire system will however be constructed to full 26 ton axle loading capability. For Richards Bay there is an allocation of approximately R18 billion to upgrade the ports, which will make provision for 4 additional berths. Transnet is looking into the expansion of the port capacity within the next 7 years. This process is not yet at a stage where detailed project program me information is available. Please refer to the Transnet website for details regarding the proposals at the Richards Bay

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there is no mention of upgrades to port the port to make provision for the commencement date of April 2017

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PLAN OF ST UDY FOR T HE EIA

7.1

Tasks to be undertaken during the EIA

7.1.1 Specialist Assessments Detailed specialist assessm ents will be conducted once the final scoping report and the plan of study for Environm ental Impact Assessm ent (EIA) have been accepted by the Departm ent of Environm ental Affairs. The specialist studies proposed for the EIA are: •

Hydrological assessment

•

Waste m anagement

•

Social im pact assessment (including possible resettlement action plan)

•

Socio-economic im pact assessment

•

Geohydrological study

•

Ecological assessment

•

Wetland assessment and delineation

•

Air quality assessment

•

Noise and vibration studies

•

Cultural/archaeological assessm ent

The plan of study sum mary with regards to the individual specialist studies to be undertaken can be found in Table 17. The individual scoping reports from each of the above mentioned specialists can be found in Annexures A through I of Appendix B.

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Table 17: Plan of study for EIA with respect to the preliminary specialist studies that have been done.

During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken Ecological

Due to the lim ited level of detail that is norm ally considered during a screening assessment, it is considered

Assessment

im perative to conduct detailed ecological (flora and fauna) investigation within areas earm arked in this report (See Section 2.5). This would include, but not necessarily be limited to:

Flora: •

Provide a description of the general floristic species diversity and com munity com position;

•

Evaluating the occurrence of potential Red Data taxa;

•

Demarcating physiognom ic units based on floristic relevès; and

•

Provide an indication on the ecological condition (successional stage) of the predeterm ined physiognomic units.

Fauna: •

A detailed faunal assessm ent based on field observation;

•

An avifaunal assessment with particular reference towards the occurrence species sensitive to the placem ent of railway lines;

•

An evaluation of the occurrence of any of the listed conservation needy species.

Wetlands and rivers:

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken As highlighted in the above sections a large proportion of the available habitat related to sensitive or im portant taxa, are associated with the wetland / riverine / moist habitats. The EIA phase will thus focus on critical assessment of the wetland / riverine system s in the following way: •

Delineation of any im portant wetland and river boundaries using the requisite techniques based upon the latest Wetland Classification systems (SANBI, 2009);

Waste M anagem ent

•

Indicate suitable buffer zones as prescribed by the relevant provincial policies / conservation plans

•

Assess the status of the observed faunal and floral populations observed;

•

Assess the potential impacts on the functioning of these system s.

The proposed m ethodology for the application for Waste Management License will be governed by the National Environm ental M anagement Waste Act, 59 of 2008.

National Env ironmental Management Waste Act 59 of 2008. Schedule (Section 19(1)) Category A states that: “Any person who wishes to commence, undertake or conduct an activity listed under this Category (A), must conduct a basic assessment process, as stipulated in the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations made under Section 24(5) of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) as part of a waste management licence application.”

The following are listed Category A activities that m ay apply to the proposed sites:

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken Storage and transfer of waste 1. The temporary storage of general waste at a facility, including a waste transfer facility and container yard that has the capacity to receive in excess of 30 tons of general waste per day of that has a throughput capacity in excess of 20m3 per day, including the construction of a facility and associated structures and infrastructure for such storage.

And Possibly;

Recycling and Recov ery 3. The sorting and shredding of general waste at a facility that has the capacity to receive in excess of one ton of general waste per day, including the construction of a facility in associated structures and infrastructure for such sorting or shredding. Socio - Economic Im pact Assessment

The socio-econom ic impact assessment will be undertaken in order to assess socio-cultural and economic data on affected populations and comm unities. This study will depend on the results of the Scoping Phase and existing baseline data focusing on the following key socio-econom ic indicators: â&#x20AC;˘ Demographic characteristics (i.e. population number, population density by km2, annual population growth rate, m ale/fem ale ratio, etc); â&#x20AC;˘

Human Developm ent Indicators;

â&#x20AC;˘

Settlem ent and m igration pattern, housing and household econom y;

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken •

Poverty and livelihoods;

•

Em ployment (i.e. unem ployment rate, em ployment by sector, form al and inform al sectors, agricultural activities);

•

Economic activity (total annual income, income sources – i.e. cash incom e and incom e derived from subsistence activities, household incom e and per capita income; agricultural activities and livestock husbandry; artisanal activities, natural resources related activities, household division of labour);

•

Local political and decision m aking structure s and authority;

•

Health indicators; and

•

Services (i.e. health and education services, electricity access, water supply)

This inform ation will be used to compile a report describing the socio-economic and cultural environment for the areas affected by the project. Any potential im pacts that may arise from the proposed project will be identified and assessed, and mitigation measures will be proposed where applicable to mitigate any negative im pacts and enhance positive im pacts. Potential positive and negative impacts of the proposed undertaking on the socio-econom ic environm ent will be identified and assessed during its various phases. It is anticipated that these may include the following: •

The creation of em ploym ent opportunities and opportunities for local enterprises;

•

A loss of land and assets to the railway line servitude or areas to be occupied by project-related surface

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken infrastructure; •

Physical and/or economic displacem ent of people (e.g. non-landowning tenants);1

•

A population influx (due to the presence of a construction and operational workforce, as well as an influx of job-seekers into the area), with a possible concomitant increase in social pathologies and increased pressure on existing infrastructure and services;

•

Disruption of access routes and daily m ovement patterns by the construction and/or permanent servitude;

•

Im pacts on sense of place. Such impacts may arise as a result of the visual intrusion of project-related infrastructure, as well as noise and traffic im pacts during construction;2 and

•

Potential safety and security im pacts, which m ay result from an increase in traffic during construction, as well as increased crim inal activity due to easy access to properties via the permanent pipeline servitude.

Such m itigation m easures m ay include: •

Optimisation of project benefits through employment creation and corporate social investm ent by the project proponent;

•

Involvement of affected landowners and residents to negotiate appropriate compensation m easures to address the possible loss of, or dam age to, land or property as a result of the project; and

•

Liaison with local and regional authorities to address the increased strain on services and infrastructure.

Althoug h the study will estimate the numbers of households and individuals that will be displaced by the project, and will make recommendations reg arding mitig ation/ compensation measures to ensure that displaced persons are not worse of as a result of the project, it will not involve the compilation of a Resettlement Action Plan. 2 Althoug h an impact on an area’s sense of place may result in an effect on property values, the study will not attempt to quantify the latter impact. It is assumed that, if it is found that property values may suffer a sig nificant impact because of the project, a separate specialist study will be undertaken to q uantify this impact.

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken Cultural /

The following will be required to manage the heritage resources within the final corridor alignment.

Archaeological Assessment

Methodology

(Heritage)

Aerial Photographical Survey Aerial photographs will be utilised to identify possible places where archaeological sites might be located.

Physical Surveying The fieldwork component will consist of a selective walk through/site visit of the proposed salignm ent and is aim ed at locating heritage resources falling within (and directly adjacent to) the proposed alignment. The locations of all heritage resources that are recorded during the survey will be documented using a hand-held GPS. Furthermore, the documentation will reflect a brief qualitative description and statem ent of significance for each site and includes a photographic record of all the sites.

It is im portant to also note that informal social consultation (i.e. with local comm unity m em bers, residents and knowledgeable individuals) will be undertaken during the fieldwork component. The aim of social consultation is to identify any tangible and intangible resources (i.e. sacred places, myths and indigenous knowledge system s) that may exist.

Deliverable A report will be written which would include the following components: â&#x20AC;˘

The identification and mapping of all heritage resources in the affected area;

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken

Social Im pact Assessment

•

An assessm ent of the significance of such resources in terms of the heritage assessm ent criteria;

•

An assessm ent of the im pact of the development of such heritage resource s;

•

If heritage resources will be adversely affected by the proposed developm ent, consideration of the

•

alternatives; and

•

Proposed mitigation of any adverse effects during and after the completion of the proposed development.

The following methodology is proposed to be adopted for the undertaking of the SIA: • • • • •

A desktop study of the general socio-dem ographic context for the proposed project with reference to the relevant project phases, affected provinces and the respective district and local environm ents; Description of the organisational and institutional context of this project based on the same desktop review; Semi-structured interviews with affected persons and households to develop a description of the social environment for each of the proposed phase with reference to the socio-demographic context; Where concentration of households are affected (for instance, small farm com munities), focus group discussion s will be used to develop a description of the social environment; and Where appropriate, key informant interviews will be conducted with social leaders and representatives from relevant institutions of governance.

While the background study will be based on secondary data sources, interaction with the social environm ent will be qualitative in nature to allow for the collection of rich data. Data analysis will be largely determ ined by the data categories inherent to the social data. We anticipate focusing on the following social impacts: •

Presence of (temporary) construction workers;

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken • • • •

Displacem ent and dispossession, including com peting interests in scarce, non-renewable natural resources; Diversification of econom ic activities in the region; Diversification of land use; and Enhanced transport and rural accessibility.

Approach Due to the dispersed location of the project phases (across2 provinces and in Swaziland) and the time constraints for this project, it is important to allow sufficient time for the project initiation and planning phases to ensure that all matters have been clarified, concepts well defined and boundaries and protocols are set for social and stakeholder engagem ent. Three social specialists will be deployed concurrently on the project in order to m eet the tim eframes. The following activities are envisaged: • • •

• •

Collection of background docum entation from the client and other secondary sources (e.g. IDP, SDF, Census data, etc.); Developm ent and review of the research instrum ents (interview and focus group guidelines). The instrum ents will be approved by the client before the comm encem ent of fieldwork; Fieldwork. Each project area will be visited (preferably in conjunction with other site visits that require comm unity interaction) during which key informant and sem i-structured interviews will be conducted with affected people. Where appropriate, focus group m eetings will be held during the sam e time. Tim ely field preparation will be dependent on the amount of available information from the client and meetings with affected parties m ay have to be arranged at short notice; Data analysis will be done for each area separately but the SIA will be compiled per province and consolidated into a comprehensive SIA for the proposed project; Compilation of draft SIA report with a social management plan and presentation to the client; and

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken •

Review of com ments and finalisation of assessm ent report.

Deliverables The following deliverables will be presented at the end of this study:

Geohydrological

• •

A provincial SIA (integrated with the EIA) for Mpum alanga and KwaZulu Natal; A consolidated SIA for the entire project; and

•

Social management plan.

Geohydrol ogical Description along the Rail Link

Assessment A desk study of all relevant available data, reports and m aps will be m ade. It will be necessary to liaise and consult with the relevant government departments to access information applicable to the investigation. Data from South Africa & Swaziland’s national groundwater database will be requested and assessed. The “Groundwater Resource M aps” of South Africa & Swaziland will be used as base inform ation in the process of delineating aquifers along the railway line. Upon completion of the desk study a report port will be compiled sum marising the findings of the study.

Baseline Geohydrol ogical Inv estigations at 3 Refuelling Depots The following phased approach will be followed: Phase 1: Site visit & Desk study

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken Phase 2: Hydrocensu s & Geophysical Survey Phase 3: Drilling Phase 4: Perm eability tests and sam pling of newly drilled boreholes Phase 5: Reporting Phase 1: Desk study & Site visit This phase will consist of a desk study of all available information (topographical m aps, ortho-photos, geological maps, hydrological information and previous relevant reports) and a site walk-over to familiarise ourselves with the site and its layout. Phase 2: Hydrocens us & Geophysical surv ey A borehole census will be done in the area 1 kilometre from the boundary of the project area. The census is necessary to identify legitimate groundwater users and establish the quality, quantity and usage of groundwater in the vicinity of the site. Water sam ples will be analysed for DRO & GRO (diesel and gasoline range organics), as well as the major inorganic elem ents.

Where possible groundwater levels will also be

measured which will assist in the understanding of groundwater flow at the site.

Upon com pletion of the hydrocensus, a geophysical ground survey utilising a combination of techniques such as Electromagnetics, Magnetics or Resistivity will be conducted to locate any geological structures such as dykes or faults which may act as preferential flow paths. Based on the geophysical data the localities for up and downstream monitoring boreholes will be selected. Phase 3: Drilling

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken Drilling of boreholes is required to investigate the occurrence and quality of groundwater in the area. Norm ally one up- and two downstream boreholes of 30m deep each should be adequate. Boreholes will be delivered with UPVC casing, a gravel pack, bentonite seal a concrete plinth and lockable cap. Drilling supervision will include appointing a driller contractor and seeing that drilling is executed to specifications. Recording of the lithologies and water strikes intersected in each borehole is recorded during drilling. Phase 4: Permeability tests and sampling of the newly drilled boreholes Newly drilled boreholes are given a ~ 1 week period to settle and to allow for water levels to return to their static levels. Thereafter a falling head test to determine the hydraulic conductivity of the geological formations underlying the site will be done. Sampling of the water for chemical analysis will be done on completion of the falling head tests. Phase 5: Reporting The product of this investigation will be a report, constructed in such a way that it can easily be incorporated into the final EIA document. Hydrological

The im pact assessment will entail the following:

Assessment

â&#x20AC;˘

Evaluation of environmental impacts - a detailed evaluation of the potential surface water impacts will be undertaken. Potential im pacts identified from other specialist studies, such as groundwater, water quality, cumulative im pacts, and risks associated with the proposed railway on the surface water resources and downstream users, will be considered. The extent, duration, intensity, probability of occurrence, significance, and degree of confidence in the predictions, will be described. Mitigation actions will be recommended. Where appropriate, sim ple runoff models will be em ployed to estim ate the m agnitude of

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken the potential quantity im pacts, including an estimate of channel form ing discharge (i.e. 1 in 5 year or 1 in 10 year flood peaks) at identified appropriate river crossing s. •

Risk analysis and programm e risk m anagement - A risk analysis would be undertaken for each potential surface water resource im pact. The potential impacts of flooding by major rivers on the proposed railway will be described qualitatively as well as a first order assessment of the areas at risk of inundation. Risk managem ent and impact mitigation is dealt with under the Environmental Management Plan.

•

Environmental M anagem ent Plan and mitigation measures - The purpose of this task is to evaluate or propose control measures that can either prevent a hazardous event from occurring, or to reduce its consequences if it occurs.

In terms of hydrology and flooding the focus will be on proposed flood

protection and discharge control measures as well as specifying com pensation flows for downstream water users. Air Quality

The following scope of work is entailed in the AQIA during the EIA phase:

Assessment •

Determ ine and docum ent the baseline, ambient air quality conditions of the study area. This should include a description of the pre-project pollutant levels where possible and existing sources of em issions to ambient air quality (if any) associated with the project area;

•

Identify potential sources of particulate emissions from the proposed project.;

•

Model the fallout of pollutants of concern and emissions from the project during the construction and operation phases and determ ine the zones of influence around em ission sources accordingly;

•

Describe any sensitive receptors (e.g. local com munities) within the zones of influence identified above;

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken •

Assess the significance of im pacts to the receiving air quality environm ent and sensitive receptors within the zone of influence according to criteria to be provided by Aurecon (based on the nature, extent, duration, extent, m agnitude and probability of the im pacts). This assessment is to be conducted for the construction, operation, closure / decom missioning and post-closure phases (if applicable);

•

Identify and assess any potential cumulative im pacts in terms of the above criteria;

•

Provide practical and implem entable mitigation measures by which to manage the identified impacts throughout the life of the proposed project. Any changes to the significance of im pacts resulting from im plem entation of mitigation or m anagement m easures must be illustrated;

•

Report on all legislation, provincial legislation and any ordinances at a local or municipal level that will im pact this project and what perm its this project will require going forward;

•

Describe a monitoring protocol to be im plem ented throughout the life-of-project;

•

Provide shape-files illustrating sensitive receptors, zones of im pact etc.;

•

Complete, submit and follow-up AEL application forms for the 3 fuel transfer stations.

Deliverables 1 Baseline air quality and meteorological assessment, 2 Air quality im pact assessment via dispersion modelling, 3 Recomm endations in terms of mitigation measures and monitoring plans 4 Specialist air quality study report.

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken 5 AEL application forms for fuel transfer stations

Outputs 1. Specialist air quality study report 2. AEL applications Noise and Vibration studies

SANS 10328:2008 (Edition 3) specifies the methodology to assess the noise im pacts on the environm ent due to a proposed activity that might impact on the environment. The standard also stipulates the m inim um requirements to be investigated for Scoping purposes. These minimum requirem ents are: 1. The purpose of the investigation; 2. A brief description of the planned developm ent or the changes that are being considered; 3. A brief description of the existing environment; 4. The identification of the noise sources that may affect the particular developm ent, together with their respective estimated sound pressure levels or sound power levels (or both); 5. The identified noise sources that were not taken into account and the reasons why they were not investigated; 6. The identified noise-sensitive developm ents and the estimated im pact on them; 7. Any assum ptions made with regard to the estim ated values used; 8. An explanation, either by a brief description or by reference, of the m ethods that were used to estim ate the existing and predicted rating levels; 9. The location of the m easurem ent or calculation points, i.e. a description, sketch or m ap; 10. Estimation of the environmental noise im pact;

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken 11. Alternatives that were considered and the results of those that were investigated; 12. A list of all the interested or affected parties that offered any comm ents with respect to the environmental noise impact investigation; 13. A detailed summ ary of all the comm ents received from interested or affected parties as well as the procedures and discussion s followed to deal with them ; 14. Conclusions that were reached; 15. Recom mendations, i.e. if there could be a significant impact, or if m ore inform ation is needed, a recommendation that an environmental noise im pact assessment be conducted; and 16. If rem edial m easures will provide an acceptable solution which would prevent a significant impact, these rem edial m easures should be outlined in detail and included in the final record of decision if the approval is obtained from the relevant authority. If the remedial measures deteriorate after tim e and a follow-up auditing or m aintenance programm e (or both) is instituted, this program me should be included in the final recom mendations and accepted in the record of decision if the approval is obtained from the relevant authority. In addition, the Scoping report should contain sufficient information to allow the Environmental Assessm ent Practitioner (EAP) to compile the Plan of Study for Environmental Im pact Assessment (EIA), including the Noise com ponent. In this regard the following will be included to assist the EAP in the compilation of the Plan of Study (PoS) for the ENIA: â&#x20AC;˘ The potential impact will be evaluated (where possible) in terms of the nature (description of what causes

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During the EIA phase of the proj ect the following activ ities relev ant to the different specialist studies will be undertaken the effect, what/who might be affected and how it/they might be affected) as well as the extent of the im pact. This will be done by means of a site visit, where appropriate ambient sound levels will be determ ined and the identification of potential noise-sensitive developm ents/areas; â&#x20AC;˘

A statement regarding the potential significance of the identified issues based on the evaluation of the issues/impacts;

â&#x20AC;˘

The identification of issues to be investigated in m ore detail during the Environmental Impact Assessm ent phase; and

â&#x20AC;˘

Details regarding the m ethodology followed to estim ate and assess the potentially significant impacts during the ENIA phase.

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Swaziland Rail Link projec t: Da vel to The S waziland Bord er – Draf t Scoping Re port

7.2

Pag e 93

Consultation with Competent Authorities

Consultations with the authorities w ill occur on the following occasion:Consultations with the authorities will occur on the following occasion:• After the Draft Scoping Report has been m ade available for comm ent within the public

• • • •

dom ain, comm ents will be incorporated into the Comm ents and Response Journal and final Scoping Report. The Final Scoping Report will once again be made available for comm ent within the public dom ain. Any final comm ents will be incorporated into the Final Scoping Report for submission to DEA. A site visit with DWA and KZNDAE is proposed once the Final Scoping Report has been subm itted. After the Draft EIA report has been m ade available for com ment within the public domain, com ments will be incorporated into the Comm ents and Response Journal and Final EIA Report for subm ission to DEA. The Final EIA Report will once again be made available for comm ent within the public dom ain. A second site visit and m eeting with DEA is proposed once the Final EIA report is in its com menting period. Any final comm ents will be incorporated into the Final EIA for submission to DEA. Apart from the above mentioned occasions, further consultation with authorities will occur whenever necessary.

7.3

Assessment Methodology and Approach

7.3.1 Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to describe the assessment methodology utilised in determining the significance of the potential im pacts of the proposed activities on the biophysical, social and econom ic environm ent.

The methodology was developed in 1995 and has been continually

refined to date through the application of it to over 400 EIA processes. The m ethodology is broadly consistent to that described in the DEA’s Guideline Docum ent on the EIA Regulations (1998).

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Pag e 94

7.3.2 Evaluation Methods in Environmental Assessment a)

Identification of environmental, social and economic attributes

Environm ental, social and economic attributes are first identified for which im pacts of the proposed activity will be assessed. This is done through initial investigations by the EAP and then through public participation.

Collection of data and description of Status Quo situation

Baseline inform ation is then required to establish the status quo for the environm ental and social attributes to be evaluated in the impact assessm ent. This is done through collection and collation of existing spatial inform ation (GIS, aerial photographs, planning databases etc) which is then verified through specialist assessm ent s. c)

Identification of environmental, social and economic impacts

The impact of activities to be conducted during various phases of the proposed project on the attributes identified during scoping phase EIA is then evaluated by the EAP through input from the various specialists The preferred methodology to evaluation is a sim ple Impact – Activity Checklist.

Impact – Activ ity Checklist

This section outlines the m ethodology used to assess the significance of the potential environm ental impacts identified. For each impact, the EXTENT (spatial scale), MAGNITUDE (size or degree scale) and DURATION (time scale) are described. These criteria are used to ascertain the SIGNIFICANCE of the im pact, firstly in the case of no mitigation and then with the m ost effective m itigation m easure(s) in place. The m itigation described in the EIR represent the full range of plausible and pragm atic measures but does not necessarily imply that they should or will all be implemented.3 The decision as to which mitigation measures to im plement lies with Transnet and ultim ately with the DEA. The tables on the following pages show the scale used to assess these variables, and defines each of the rating categories.

The applicant will be requested to indicate which alternative and mitigation measures they are prepared to implement.

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Pag e 95

Table 18: Criteria for the evaluation of environm ental impacts CRITERI A