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Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Phase 1 in

South Africa

Lydia Cape, Abulele Adams, Wisaal Osman, Surina Laurie & Rudolph du Toit

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

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SIP 1: Unlocking the northern mineral belt with Waterberg as the catalyst SIP 2: Durban-Free State-Gauteng logistics and industrial corridor SIP 3: South-Eastern node & corridor development SIP 4: Unlocking the economic opportunities in North West SIP 5: Saldanha-Northern Cape development corridor

SIP 9: Electricity generation to support socio-economic development

SIP 6: Integrated municipal infrastructure project SIP 7: Integrated urban space and public transport programme SIP 11: Agri-logistics and rural infrastructure

SIP 12: Revitalisation of public hospitals and other health facilities SIP 13: National school build programme SIP 14: Higher education infrastructure

SIP 15: Expanding access to communication technology

SIP 17: Regional integration for African cooperation and development SIP 18: Water and sanitation infrastructure

Geographic

Knowledge

Social

Infrastructure

Energy

Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs)

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South Africa's National Environmental Management Act

(NEMA) [Act No. 107 of 1998]

• NEMA promotes the integrated environmental management of activities that

may have a significant effect (positive or negative) on the environment.

• Several integrated environmental assessment and management tools fall under

NEMA and facilitate the integration of environmental assessment and

management principles into environmental decision-making.

• NEMA provides for Environmental Management Instruments 24(5)(bA), among

others (largely untested):

environmental management frameworks;

strategic environmental assessment

environmental management programmes;

norms or standards;

spatial development tools;

minimum information requirements; or

any other relevant environmental management instrument

that may be developed in time.

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• Is not an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

• Determines environmental implications of policies & plans

• Integrates environmental, social and economic considerations

• Integrates requirements between authorising departments –

agreements through a Cabinet process

• Considers of cumulative impacts at regional scale

• Integrates environmental and sustainability objectives into

strategic decision-making rather than focusing merely on the

assessment of impacts

Strategic environmental assessment

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Key objective of the SKA Phase 1 SEA

The key objective of the SKA Phase 1 SEA is to provide a

platform to coordinate research and data collection within the

SKA study area and streamline the environmental

authorisation process ensuring that environmental factors

are adequately considered and environmental principles

implemented at the strategic planning stage.

DEA has committed to streamlining and integrating as far as

possible environmental legislative requirements

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Intended outcomes: SKA – SIP 16

• Exclude the EA requirement by the adoption of a management plan &

standard EMPR – one approval for phased construction

• Listing of allowable activities - excluding others, e.g. mining

• Intention to list area as a protected environment for scientific research

• Integrate various management measures into one plan & one

management authority

Alien invasive management plan

Protected areas management plan

Biosphere plan

Long term research program

Science awareness program

• Set research methodologies for biodiversity data collection in the Karoo

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SEA Study Area

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GIS analysis, specialists’ studies and fieldwork

• Soils, Erosion and Agricultural Potential

• Terrestrial Ecology

• Freshwater Aquatic Ecology

• Heritage (including Archaeology, Palaeontology

and Cultural Heritage)

• Socio-Economics study

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Stakeholder engagement

The SEA stakeholder engagement will focus on

exchange of local knowledge on the study area,

issues and concerns of stakeholders with respect to

the SKA SEA and the review of the draft Integrated

Management Plan which will be generated during the

SEA for the SKA Phase 1 South Africa.

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SEA Website

• The SEA website can be accessed on the internet at

www.skaphase1.csir.co.za.

• It is open to the public, updated and maintained during the

entire duration of the SEA.

• All stakeholders can register on the SEA stakeholder database

on the website directly.

• Relevant documents will also be uploaded to this website for

stakeholders’ consultation.

Comments on the SKA website are welcome

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Announcements in Newspapers

Comments on the newspapers chosen for announcements are welcome

Newspaper Distribution places and time Language used for

the advert

Gemsbok Brandvlei and Kenhardt weekly on

Wednesday Afrikaans

Noordwester/Oe

wernuus

Carnarvon, Williston, Copperton, Vosburg

and Van Wyksvlei weekly on Friday Afrikaans

Noordkaap Kimberley and its surrounding areas

weekly on Wednesday Afrikaans

Victoria West

Messenger Loxton weekly on Friday Afrikaans

Sunday Times National weekly on Sunday English

City Press National weekly on Sunday English

Rapport National weekly on Sunday Afrikaans

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Public Meetings

Purpose: to provide background information on the SEA and receive local knowledge and inputs from local stakeholders.

Van Wyksvlei Monday 16 November 2015 at 5pm at the Van Wyksvlei

Community Hall (Hanekom Road)

Carnarvon Tuesday 17 November 2015

at 5pm at Carnarvon Primary School (Van Wyksvlei Road)

Williston Wednesday 18 November 2015

at 5pm at the Karoo Kombuis (5 Lutz Street)

Brandvlei Thursday 19 November 2015 at 5pm at the VG Church Hall

(Church Street)

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Government Meetings

Purpose: to provide background information on the SEA and discuss existing plans and programmes for the study area as well as receive inputs from provincial government, district and local municipalities .

Van Wyksvlei

Tuesday 17 November 2015

at 10am at the Van Wyksvlei Community

Hall (Hanekom Road)

Carnarvon

Tuesday 17 November 2015

at 2pm at Kareeberg Library

(Lang Street)

Williston

Wednesday 18 November 2015

at 10am at the Williston Municipal

Boardroom (1 Herbst Street)

Brandvlei

Thursday 19 November 2015

at 10am at the Brandvlei Municipal

Boardroom (342 Hoof Straat)

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Background Information Document (BID)

Available for download on the SEA website at www.skaphase1.csir.co.za Harcopies of the Background Information Document (BID) are available at: • Van Wyksvlei : Municipal Office in Van Wyksvlei and Library in Van

Wyksvlei; • Carnarvon: Kareeberg Municipal Office in Carnarvon and Kareeberg

Library in Carnarvon ; • Williston: Municipal Office in Williston and Library in Williston;

Brandvlei: Hantam Municipal Office in Brandvlei and Library in Brandvlei.

Comments on the selected locations for placing hardcopies of the BID and suggestions

for other locations are welcome.

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• Public Meetings during the week of Monday 16th November to Friday

20th November 2015 in Carnarvon, Williston, Van Wyksvlei, and

Brandvlei.

• Background Information Document (BID): info on SEA process,

specialists’ studies, stakeholder engagement and the release of

document for stakeholders’ review.

• Meeting with the local municipalities and commenting authorities.

Stakeholder engagement

Phase 1 of the Stakeholder engagement:

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• Public Meetings in February 2016. Draft Integrated Management Plan

will be provided to local stakeholders for their review. Meeting with the

local municipalities and commenting authorities

Phase 2 of the Stakeholder engagement:

• The final Integrated Management Plan should be released to DEA in the

third quarter of 2016. The public review of the final Integrated

Management Plan will be conducted by DEA directly as part of the

official public review on the gazette of the SKA Phase 1 Integrated

Management Plan.

Phase 3 of the Stakeholder engagement:

Stakeholder engagement (cont.)

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You are invited to register on the SEA stakeholder database and

provide inputs into the SEA process.

For more information about the SEA, visit our webpage at

www.skaphase1.csir.co.za

For more information about the SKA project, visit our webpage at

www.ska.ac.za

If you cannot access the webpage or for any further enquiry about the

SEA, please contact us: Email: Skaphase1@csir.co.za / Telephone:

021 888 2482/2408