PROPOSED ‘MFULENI EMERGENCY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT’ ON “MFULENI CENTRAL” A PORTION OF REMAINDER ERF 987 AND A PORTION OF REMAINDER OF ERF 1, WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE (DEA&DP REFERENCE NUMBER: 16/3/3/6/7/1/A4/43/3146/22)

The Information Sheet is a summary of the Basic Assessment Report and is available at the hyperlink.

INTRODUCTION

An Environmental Basic Impact Assessment Report (BAR) has been compiled in support of an Environmental Impact Assessment being undertaken for the proposed construction of a residential development project in the form of serviced sites in the Mfuleni area. The City of Cape Town, the proponent, intends to develop 408 formal residential serviced sites to include electricity, sewerage infrastructure and potable water supply to each site. The Mfuleni Central site forms part of a larger project of the City of Cape Town to develop serviced sites in the Mfuleni area along with the necessary bulk infrastructure that would be required.

The Mfuleni Central site is bounded by Eersriv Way to the east, Mfuleni Road to the north, Mfuleni Primary School as well as Luyolo Street to the west and Ingwamza Street to the south.

PROJECT PROPOSAL

The proposed development entails the construction of 408 formal residential serviced sites, to assist in meeting the need for low-cost housing in the Mfuleni area. The proposed development is intended to provide serviced sites which will be largely allocated to eligible beneficiaries on the City of Cape Town housing application list in the Mfuleni area. The development will include the following:

• Development of the Mfuleni Central Site for the establishment of residential serviced sites connected to water, sewer, and electrical services.
• Provision of community facilities (school) and business use.
• Construction of internal roads, drainage infrastructure and lighting.

ALTERNATIVES

Two layout alternatives have been formulated. Common to both alternatives are the features listed in the bullet points above. The table below show the differences between the two layout alternatives. The SDP for both Alternatives are appended to the BAR as Appendix B1.

LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS

The 2014 National Environmental Management Act [NEMA] Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations of 2014, as amended, apply to the proposed development, and necessitate a Basic Assessment Process. The proposed development includes activities listed in GN983 of the 2014 EIA Regulations, as amended. These are:

Listing Notice 1 (GNR 983 of 2014, as amended)

• Activity 19: The infilling or depositing of any material of more than 10 cubic metres into, or the dredging, excavation, removal or moving of soil, sand, shells, shell grit, pebbles or rock of more than 10 cubic metres from a watercourse.
• Activity 27: The clearance of an area of 1 hectares or more, but less than 20 hectares of indigenous vegetation.

Listing Notice 3 (GNR 983 of 2014, as amended)

• Activity 12: The clearance of an area of 300 square metres or more of indigenous vegetation in the Western Cape within critical biodiversity areas identified in bioregional plans.

IMPACTS IDENTIFIED

The table in the Information Sheet provides a summary of the identified potential impacts in the BAR before and after mitigation. Below is a list of the impacts that have been identified and assessed:

Planning and Design Phase

• Direct loss of the depression wetland on the site
• Loss of vegetation and ecological processes
• Socio-economic impact of the provision of serviced sites
• Socio-economic impact of the provision of erven zoned for community and business use
• Compatibility of the proposed development with surrounding land uses

Construction Phase

• Disturbance of downstream wetlands and the Kuils River
• Waste management impacts during the construction phase
• Dust impacts during the construction phase
• Noise impacts during the construction phase
• Visual impacts of construction activities and vegetation clearing
• Traffic impacts due to construction vehicles
• Employment opportunities during the construction phase

 Operational Phase

• Water quality impacts into the Kuils River as a result of polluted stormwater runoff
• Loss of vegetation and ecological processes during the operational phase
• Loss of species of conservation concern (SCC)
• Household Waste Accumulation.
• Community upliftment.

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the findings of the above summarised impact assessment, Layout Alternative 1 has been identified as the preferred alternative. This is largely due to Layout Alternative 1 providing 53 additional Local Business erven as well as a larger General Business Erf. Alternative 1 will have a greater positive impact on economic development through the provision of ‘business use’ and integrated settlement development and will contribute to job creation during the construction and operational phases. Both layout alternatives would result in the complete loss of the current aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity on the site. While the negative biophysical impacts of the two alternatives would be the same, the positive socio-economic impact of Layout Alternative 1 is greater, making it the preferred alternative.

Although medium negative impacts have been identified in this Basic Assessment Report, the nature of the area, the needs of the communities, and the current and future sustainability of the sensitive ecological areas necessitates that suitable botanical offsets be found to compensate to some extent for the loss of the identified biophysical areas on this site. The socio-economic positive impacts of this development, with the reality that the ecological sensitive areas cannot be practically conserved and properly managed in the future, makes the offset process applicable in this case. Authorisation for the proposed residential development is thus recommended provided that that all botanical offset conditions that will be formulated are adhered to by the applicant, the City of Cape Town Municipality.

 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Public participation is a key component of the environmental assessment process as it introduces the proposed activity to the public and provides an opportunity for comments and concerns to be raised. Public participation will be undertaken in terms of Section 41 of the 2014 NEMA: EIA Regulations, as amended.

The draft Basic Assessment Report will be made available to the broader public, identified Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) and Organs of State for their perusal and comment from
26 May 2023 until 26 July 2023 by the following means:

• The draft BAR will be distributed to the relevant Organs of State for comment via email (with a link for larger files, if necessary).
• The Information Sheet (summary of the BAR) will be distributed to via email or hand-delivered to the following identified I&APs: occupiers of the site, directly adjacent landowners/occupiers and key I&APs such as the Ward Councillor and any Community Organisations in the area such as a Ratepayers Association.
• An electronic copy of the draft BAR and Information Sheet will be placed on The Environmental Partnership’s website (enviropart.co.za).
• A media notice will be published in the City Vision local newspaper.
• Site notices will be placed in conspicuous locations around the site.
• A hard copy of the draft Basic Assessment Report will be placed at the Mfuleni Public Library for the duration of the commenting period.
• Where written comments cannot be provided, provision will be made for telephonic communication.

WAY FORWARD

This draft Basic Assessment Report is being made available for a 30-day commenting period from 26 May 2023 until 26 July 2023.

The BAR and all appendices are available for perusal at www.enviropart.co.za. Furthermore, a hard copy of the BAR, as well as several copies of the Information Sheet, have been placed at the Mfuleni Public Library and will be available for the perusal of members of the public for the duration of the commenting period.

All comments and concerns raised by I&APs in this commenting period will be addressed by the EAP and project team. Upon completion of the 30-day period, a PPP Report will be compiled and appended to the next revision of the BAR. The revised BAR will then be made available to the registered public for a further 30-day commenting period.

Comments on this report may be submitted on or before 26 July 2022 to:

The Environmental Partnership

P O Box 945, Cape Town, 8000

Tel: 021 422 0999

Email: comments@enviropart.co.za

Basic Assessment Report

Mfuleni – Central Draft BAR

Appendices

Appendix A1- Locality Map

Appendix B1 -Site Development Plans

Appendix B2 – Environmental sensitivity map

Appendix C- Site-Photographs

Appendix E1 – NID Response from HWC

Appendix E21 – Zoning Map

Appendix G(i) – Botanical Assessment Report (Nicolson, 2022)

Appendix G(ii) – Botanical Offset Report (Nicolson, 2022)

Appendix G(iii) – Faunal Screening Report (Jackson, 2022)

Appendix G(iv) – Butterfly Survey and Terrestrial Biodiversity CS (Edge, 2022)

Appendix G(v) – Aquatic Ecosystems Assessment report including offset recommendations (Day, 2023)

Appendix G(vi) – Traffic Impact Assessment (Mowana Engineers, 2022)

Appendix G(vi) – Traffic Impact Assessment Addendum (GIBB, 2022)

Appendix H – EMPr

Appendix I(i) – Screening Report

Appendix I(ii)_Site Sensitivity Verification

Appendix K – Need and Desirability

Appendix L – Engineering Bulk Services Report

Appendix M – Stormwater Management Plan

Appendix N – Master Landscape Plan

Appendix O – NOI Response from DEA&DP

Appendix P – Map of Greater Mfuleni Housing Development Project

Appendix R – Existing Mining EA