Case Decision - 196543

The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) would like to thank you for submitting the final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the Proposed Gas to Power Powership Project at the Port of Saldanha Bay, Saldanha Local Municipality, Western Cape, South Africa.
SAHRA had previously commented on the Draft Scoping Report in November 2020 and asked that a survey for maritime heritage be undertaken prior to the installation of the pipeline and included in the EIA. When the DEIA was submitted to SAHRIS in March 2021 SAHRA was disappointed to note that both the DEIA and DEMPr still made no reference to maritime heritage. A comment was issued by SAHRA requesting that a survey be undertaken and the results referenced in the EIA. A subsequent letter from the applicant stated that relevant sections in the document were going to be updated to include references to maritime heritage.
Having reviewed the EIA SAHRA is pleased to note that maritime heritage has now been addressed. Section 4.2.3 outlines the results of the survey and section 8.3.13 sets out recommendations regarding maritime heritage. The heritage survey states that while the chance of uncovering underwater maritime heritage is considered low, there exists a chance that shipwreck material and/or pre-colonial sites (shell middens and stone tools) may be found in the dunes and on the beach during construction. If such materials are found, the steps in the recommendations must be followed. The recommendations set out in section 8.3.13 must be adhered to should any cultural heritage come to light. The recommendations must also be included in any EMPr produced for the project.
Should any shipwrecks be identified as part of this project then SAHRA must be notified to enable the information to be added to the national shipwreck database. Any new discoveries or updated data is a valuable resource in adding to our knowledge of South Africa’s maritime history.