Case Decision - 192548

SAHRA would like to thank you for submitting the Lucky Star St Helena Bay Emergency Intervention Plan for the proposed desalination plant at Lucky Star, St Helena Bay.
SAHRA has been asked to comment on the possible disturbance of any maritime heritage during the construction of the desalination plant particularly in respect to the installation of the pipelines for the intake and discharge of seawater and brine effluent. The new discharge pipeline will measure approximately 1.3km and will be attached to the current discharge pipeline which runs along the length of an existing jetty. The proposed intake pipeline measures 200m in length and therefore falls outside the current remit of the National Heritage Resources Act.
As well as the Emergency Intervention Plan, the applicant has provided the design and location for the pipeline and a divers Seabed Survey report as requested by SAHRA during email correspondence.
In terms of the National Heritage Resources Act, No 25 of 1999 (NHRA), Sections 2 and 35 stipulates that any wreck, being any vessel or aircraft or any part thereof older than 60 years old lying in South Africa's territorial waters or maritime cultural zone is protected and falls under the jurisdiction of SAHRA's Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit. These heritage sites or objects may not be disturbed without a permit from the relevant heritage resources authority.
With regard to maritime and underwater cultural heritage it is important to note that the number of known shipwrecks along the South African coast is approximately 2800. The positions of the large majority of these are not known, only that they occurred and an approximate location. There are no known wrecks recorded in the vicinity of the proposed pipeline. The nearest recorded wrecks are those of the Good Hope(1910), Huis te Vlotter (1731), Oceana Point(1974) and Reflector(1851). The location of these wrecks is not known and they are just historically recorded as wrecking in St Helena Bay. The divers’ survey report stated that there were no shipwrecks or underwater cultural heritage visible on the seabed.
SAHRA has no objections to the proposed desalination plant, however while there are no known shipwrecks within the development area there is always the potential for unknown wrecks or shipwreck material to be uncovered during the works. Should anything of archaeological or paleontological significance be exposed during the proposed project, work must cease immediately and SAHRA must be informed of its discovery without delay. In this event, work may not commence until feedback has been received from SAHRA.
If cultural heritage material is discovered in the development area and is at risk of damage or disturbance as the result of the works associated with the desalination plant, a permit shall be required in order for the works to continue. SAHRA may impose no-go zones for development on the basis of the presence of cultural heritage material.