JG06 FBAR Dec19 - SLR Consulting€¦ · Registration of water uses in terms of the National Water Act, 1998 (No. 36 of 1998; NWA) is also required where the proposed works cross

South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd Basic Assessment Report for the proposed improvement of the N7, Section 2 between Rooidraai (km 7.49) and Moorreesburg (km 33.90)

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) is proposing to improve 26.41 km of the

National Route 7 (N7), Section 2 between Rooidraai (km 7.49) and Moorreesburg (km 33.90) located within the

Swartland Local Municipality, Western Cape (see Figure 1).

OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT

The proposed project mainly entails the provision of additional climbing / passing lanes and widening the road

and associated infrastructure in certain areas. The existing carriageway would be widened to the following

cross-sections:

• Where no climbing lanes are provided: two 3.7 m-wide lanes and two 3.5 m-wide shoulders;

• Where a climbing lane is provided on one side only: a 1.5 m-wide shoulder (1.0 m surfaced) with

3.5m-wide slow lane and 3.7 m-wide fast lane. The side without the climbing lane would have a 3.7

m-wide lane and a 3.5 m-wide shoulder (3.0 m surfaced); and

• In instances where climbing lanes are provided on both sides: each side would have a 1.5 m-wide

shoulder (1.0 m surfaced) with a 3.5 m-wide slow lane and a 3.7 m-wide fast lane.

Four bridge structures and six major culverts would need widening along the route, and accesses which do not

meet the SANRAL standards for sight distance will be further investigated during the final engineering design

stage in order to determine how the sight distance could be improved. Ancillary works mainly include the

following:

• Installation of concrete-lined side drains with subsoil drains;

• Replacement of minor culverts; and

• Resurfacing of intersections with provincial roads and major farm accesses.

JG Afrika (Pty) Ltd was appointed by SANRAL (under Contract No. NRA N.007-020-2020/1F) to provide

Consulting Engineering Services. SLR Consulting (South Africa) Pty Ltd (SLR) in turn, was appointed by JG Afrika

(Pty) Ltd to complete the Basic Assessment process as part of an Application for Environmental Authorisation in

terms of Chapter 5 of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA), as

amended.

This final Basic Assessment Report (BAR) provides a description of the proposed project, the affected

environment and the BA process followed, and an assessment of the identified potential impacts on the

environment. The compilation of this report has, where applicable, been informed by comments received from

interested and affected parties (I&APs) and authorities during the pre-application notification period and on the

draft BAR. It should be noted that all significant changes to the draft report are underlined and in a different font

(Times New Roman) to the rest of the text.

This report is submitted to the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) for consideration as

part of an application for Environmental Authorisation in terms NEMA.


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FIGURE 1: LOCATION OF THE N7, SECTION 2 BETWEEN ROOIDRAAI AND MOORREESBURG


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NEED AND DESIRABILITY

The road forms part of the national road network of South Africa and carries regional and national traffic. The

relevant section of road carries approximately 5 218 vehicles per day (both directions), of which 21% are heavy

vehicles. A Stage 1 (Feasibility/Preliminary Design Stage) Road Safety Audit highlighted some concerns related

to this section. As a result of the increased traffic and the findings of the Road Safety Audit, Section 2 of the N7

needs to be improved in order to conform to the Geometric Design (G2) Standards.

SUMMARY OF AUTHORISATION REQUIREMENTS

The proposed project triggers the need for a BA process to be undertaken in order for the DEFF to consider

granting or refusing Environmental Authorisation.

Registration of water uses in terms of the National Water Act, 1998 (No. 36 of 1998; NWA) is also required

where the proposed works cross drainage lines, and if water supply is required from a water resource (other

than a municipal supply).

Section 38 of the National Heritage Resources Act, 1999 (NHRA) requires a Notice of Intent to Develop (NID) to

be submitted to Heritage Western Cape (HWC).

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT

Land Use and Character of the Surrounding Area

The terrain is relatively flat in relation to the hills and deeper valleys of the areas that lie to the west and east

of the road. Much of the area has been transformed for many decades by agricultural development and by the

N7 road itself. As a result, most of the natural vegetation cover and aquatic features have been significantly

modified. The nearest urban areas are the towns of Malmesbury, located close to the start point in the south,

and Moorreesburg, at the end point in the north.

Climate

Generally, the area has a Mediterranean climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 305 mm and

an average temperature of 18.6°C. The summer months typically have lower rainfall, higher temperatures and

higher evaporation. During winter the area experiences high rainfall and lower temperatures with subsequent

lower evaporation.

Topography

The terrain along this section of road can be defined as flat and occasionally broken up by hills with grades

varying between 1.5% and 4%. The elevation of the study area varies between 123 m and 293 m above mean

sea level.


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Geology and Geohydrology

The geology of the broader study area is dominated by granite of the Paardeberg Pluton, Cape Granite Suite,

greywacke and phyllite of the Moorreesburg Formation, Malmesbury Group and occasional diorite and gabbro

of the Yzerfontein Suite. Boreholes within the study area potentially yield between 0.6 – 0.8 litres/second with

a maximum volume of 15 000 – 25 000 m3/km

2/annum being abstracted while preserving sustained abstraction

within the aquifer system.

Freshwater Ecosystems

The study area is located within the G21D, G10J and G10L quaternary catchments, but primarily G10L. These

catchments are drained by the Diep River, as well as the Moorreesburgspruit and Sout River (tributaries of the

Berg River) respectively. A number of smaller seasonal to ephemeral tributaries of these rivers occur along the

road section. A number of valley bottom wetland areas are associated with the watercourses.

Vegetation

A single main vegetation type (Swartland Shale Renosterveld) occurs in the study area with a limited

occurrence of a second type (Swartland Granite Renosterveld) occurring along the southern parts of the route.

These vegetation types are classified as part of the Fynbos Biome. Swartland Shale Renosterveld has been

largely lost along the entire road section. This is ascribed to intense negative anthropogenic influences over a

long period. The affected vegetation is currently all secondary vegetation that has established since the last

road construction activities along the route.

Biodiversity and Terrestrial Ecosystem Status

There are various areas along the route which crosses Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA) 1 (terrestrial), CBA 2

(terrestrial), CBA 2 (river) and Ecological Support Area (ESA) 2 (Restore from other land use) areas. The entire

route falls within a Critically Endangered (CR) (A1 & D1) area. “A1” indicates irreversible loss of natural habitat,

where the remaining natural habitat is less than the biodiversity target for CR areas, while “D1” indicates

threatened plant species associations, with more than 80% constituting threatened Red Data List species for CR

areas. According to the botanical study no Species of Conservation Concern or IUCN Red List plant species were

found along the road section.

Socio-Economic Aspects

The population of the Swartland Local Municipality increased from 72 116 in 2001 to 133 762 in 2016.

Swartland’s population in 2016 was strongly concentrated in the younger age cohorts. The proportion of poor

people within the Swartland municipal area decreased slightly between 2011 and 2016. An increase in the

number of indigent households between was experienced between 2014 and 2016. The Swartland contributed

28 % in 2015 to the West Coast District’s gross domestic product per region (GDPR). The sectors that

contributed the most to Swartland’s GDPR in 2015 are manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, fishing,

wholesale/retail trade, catering and accommodation. Overall, between 2004 and 2015, every economic sector

in Swartland grew positively in terms of GDPR, except for the mining, electricity, gas and water sectors.


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Cultural Heritage

No heritage resources occur within close proximity to the proposed project. The Swartland is an important

cultural landscape with strong agricultural characteristics. Occasional large gum trees occur along the road and

are considered as being features of the Swartland cultural landscape. These occur in three places, i.e. km 20.50

northbound and km 29.67 – 32.80 southbound (in two locations).

IMPACT ASSESSMENT CONCLUSIONS

The majority of potential impacts are expected to occur during the construction phase of the proposed project.

All potential negative impacts related to the proposed project (during both construction and operations) are

rated as VERY LOW to LOW significance after mitigation. Socio-economic benefits related to employment

opportunities is rated as VERY LOW (POSITIVE) significance after enhancement, while the improvement in road

user safety and traffic accommodation is rated as HIGH (POSITIVE) significance after enhancement.

Implementation of the No-Go option would mean that the planned road improvement would not proceed.

Implementation of the No-Go alternative would not make provision for the anticipated increase in future traffic

along the road section and the related improvement of road user safety would not be realised.

A summary of the assessment of potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed project is

provided in the table below:

ISSUE / POTENTIAL Impact IMPACT SIGNIFICANCE

WITHOUT MITIGATION WITH MITIGATION

CONSTRUCTION PHASE

LAND USE

Impacts on the Land Use MEDIUM VERY LOW

GENERAL CONSTRUCTION RELATED IMPACTS

General construction related impacts VERY LOW VERY LOW

FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS

Impacts on Aquatic Habitats HIGH MEDIUM

Impacts on Surface Water Quality MEDIUM LOW

VEGETATION

Impact on Swartland Shale Renosterveld MEDIUM VERY LOW

Impact on Fynbos patch (N7PM54) HIGH LOW

BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS

Biodiversity and Terrestrial Ecosystems HIGH VERY LOW

SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECTS

Employment VERY LOW (POSITIVE) VERY LOW (POSITIVE)

Inconvenience to Road Users LOW VERY LOW

Land Acquisition MEDIUM VERY LOW

CULTURAL HERITAGE

Cultural Heritage Impacts LOW LOW

OPERATIONAL PHASE

FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS

Impacts on Aquatic Habitats and Surface Water Quality LOW VERY LOW


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ISSUE / POTENTIAL Impact IMPACT SIGNIFICANCE

WITHOUT MITIGATION WITH MITIGATION

VEGETATION

Impacts on Vegetation LOW VERY LOW

BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS

Biodiversity and Terrestrial Ecosystems LOW VERY LOW

SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECTS

Road User Safety and Traffic MEDIUM (POSITIVE) HIGH (POSITIVE)

RECOMMENDATIONS

In light of the above, this study recommends that the proposed Improvement of the N7, Section 2 between

Rooidraai (km 7.49) and Moorreesburg (km 33.90), if authorised, be implemented with due consideration of

the recommendations outlined in this report. These mitigation measures are all considered to be feasible and

have been included in the Environmental Management Programme for the proposed project.

The key recommendations are set out below:

Construction Phase:

Land Use

• Avoid as much land acquisition outside the road reserve as far possible during the design.

• Avoid acquiring prime agricultural land (i.e. land currently under cultivations) as far as possible.

General Construction Related Impacts

• Ensure that the generation of dust is minimised by implementing a dust control programme (with due

consideration to conserving water).

• Ensure vehicles and equipment are adequately maintained and in good working order.

• Ensure that the exposed soil and material stockpiles are adequately protected against the wind.

• Ensure that vegetation clearance is kept to a minimum.

• Ensure that the generation of dust is minimised and shall implement a dust control programme (with

due consideration to conserving water).

• Ensure that the exposed soil and material stockpiles are adequately protected against the wind.

• Limit activities resulting in high noise levels (e.g. pile driving, grinding, road material loading/unloading,

hammering, excavating, etc.) to the daytime.


• Ensure the identified location-specific mitigation measures are implemented during construction in

addition to the general mitigation measures as outlined below.

• Limit work within the watercourses and wetland areas as far as possible.

• Ensure disturbed areas are rehabilitated a soon as possible.


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• Ensure construction adjacent to the watercourses and wetlands are undertaken during the drier

months of the year as far as possible.

• Ensure construction within the watercourses takes place during the no flow period (November to

March) as far as possible.

• Remove excess spoil material and solid waste and ensure it is disposed of at approved disposal waste

sites.

• Once construction is complete, rehabilitate the area to resemble that of the surrounding natural

landscape (using suitable local indigenous plants as occur at that particular area).

• Ensure that culvert and bridge structures do not concentrate the flow or alter the current watercourse

channel shape and bed level from that upstream and downstream of the road.

• Ensure that stormwater runoff from the road, particularly where there are steeper gradients, do not

lead to erosion and sedimentation of the watercourses and wetland areas.

• Ensure invasive alien plants within the road reserve are monitored, removed and disposed on an on-

going basis according to appropriate methods.

• Prevent the direct discharge of potentially contaminated runoff into the watercourses and wetland

areas.

• Store and handle all hazardous materials and waste in a suitable manner, and at least 32 m outside of

the watercourses and wetlands.

• Do not place laydown areas or stockpiles within 32 m of the watercourses and wetlands.

Vegetation

• Fence off and restrict access to the area of the Fynbos patch located at waypoint N7PM54 (S 33° 21’

37.87”; E 18° 42’ 14.02”). The working zone in this area should not exceed a distance of 3 m from the

current road edge.

• Conserve shrubby vegetation (excluding alien invasive plant species) along the route where possible.

• Disturbed areas must be seeded with Hyparrhenia hirta.

Biodiversity and Terrestrial Ecosystems

• Ensure that the above mentioned operational phase mitigation measures for freshwater ecosystems

and vegetation as described above, as well as those listed below, are implemented effectively.

• Avoid construction work during the night-time where possible.

• Instruct staff not to disturb, injure, capture or hunt any fauna.

• Ensure that collection of wood (for fire) from areas with indigenous vegetation does not take place.

• Ensure that vegetation clearance is kept to a minimum


• Ensure that the “willing buyer willing seller” model is pursued for the proposed land acquisition as far

as possible.

• Provide fair and timely compensation to landowners affected by land acquisition.

• Ensure that safe and effective traffic control is implemented during construction.

• Provide sufficient signage to warn road users of the presence of construction works and of traffic

arrangements


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• Establish a Project Liaison Committee (PLC), comprising of representatives of SANRAL, the main

contractor and members of the local community (as elected by the community).

• Ensure that procurement specifications as stipulated in the SANRAL Procurement Policy is

implemented, with a focus on project area-specific local employment.

Cultural Heritage

• If possible, avoid removing or damaging the other mature Eucalyptus trees along the route.

• The Contractor should develop and implement a cultural heritage Chance Find Procedure (with

particular focus on excavations) prior to commencement of construction. This procedure shall contain

steps on who to notify, and what to do in the event of discovering archaeological or heritage resources

(including burial grounds/graves).

Operational Phase:


• Conduct maintenance works in accordance with an approved Routine Road Maintenance Programme.

• Implement the following as part of the Routine Road Maintenance Programme:

o Minimise the spatial extent of disturbance;

o Minimise the frequency of (or requirement for) maintenance activities;

o Do not impede the movement of aquatic and riparian biota;

o Minimise alterations to flow- and sediment-capacity;

o Rehabilitate and re-vegetate disturbed areas as soon as possible;

o Clear alien invasive plant species;

o Restrict maintenance activities to the dry season where possible;

o Prevent erosion and rehabilitate eroded areas;

o Use existing access routes as far as possible;

o Store and handle all hazardous materials and waste in a suitable manner, and at least 32 m

outside of the watercourses and wetlands;

o Remove excess spoil material and solid waste and ensure it is disposed of at approved waste

disposal sites;

o Ensure maintenance activities do not lead to channelization or canalisation of the

watercourses; and

o Remove cleared woody material from the areas adjacent to the watercourse and wetlands to

prevent it being washed into the watercourses or wetlands.

Vegetation

• The Routine Road Maintenance Programme should include specifications for alien vegetation control.

Specific measures for the effective control of Acacia saligna (Port Jackson Willow) Pennisetum

setaceum (fountain grass) must be included in the programme.

• Ensure that steps are implemented during routine road maintenance to avoid blanket vegetation

clearance at the Fynbos patch located at waypoint “N7PM54”.


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Biodiversity and Terrestrial Ecosystems

• Ensure that the above mentioned operational phase mitigation measures for freshwater ecosystems

and vegetation as described above, as well as those listed below, are implemented effectively.

• Implement the following during the routine road maintenance periods:

o Avoid maintenance work during the night-time where possible.

o Instruct staff not to disturb, injure, capture or hunt any fauna.

o Ensure that collection of wood (for fire) from areas with indigenous vegetation does not take

place.

o Ensure that vegetation clearance is kept to a minimum.

o Limit work within the watercourses and wetland areas as far as possible.

o Ensure maintenance work within the watercourses takes place during the no flow period

(November to March) as far as possible.

o Ensure invasive alien plants within the road reserve are monitored, removed and disposed on

an on-going basis in accordance with appropriate methods.

o Once maintenance work is complete, rehabilitate the area to resemble that of the surrounding

natural landscape (using suitable local indigenous plants as occur at that particular area).

o Prevent the direct discharge of potentially contaminated runoff into the watercourses and

wetland areas.

o Conserve shrubby vegetation (excluding alien invasive plant species) along the route where

possible.


• Ensure that the above mentioned mitigation measures for the operational phase are included in the

Routine Road Maintenance Programme and implemented effectively.

• Other than the implementation of the safety and traffic accommodation measures as indicated in the

proposed project design, no other enhancement measures have been identified.

Documents

JG06 FBAR Dec19 - SLR Consulting€¦ · Registration of water uses in terms of the National Water Act, 1998 (No. 36 of 1998; NWA) is also required where the proposed works cross