SCOPING REPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF 1 BORROW PITS ON FARM WITZIEHOEK 1926 AS PART OF THE SPECIAL MAINTENANCE IN QWA-QWA PROVENCIAL ROADS, FREE STATE

Please note that after the scoping report was submitted Borrow Pits named Borrow Pit 2, Borrow Pit 3, and Borrow Pit 4 was taken out of the application, thus comments are only needed for Borrow Pit 1 in the scoping report.

The Free State Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport has undertaken to rehabilitate the provincial roads throughout its area of their jurisdiction. This project started in 2013. The objective is to ameliorate the condition of the roads while creating job opportunities for the people of communities and empowering local contractors. The Qwa-Qwa provincial roads was identified by the Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport as a key route that requires special maintenance as the road is in a dire condition and a safety risk to all road users. The road rehabilitation activities planned are base patching, surface patching, edge break repairs, creak seal, cape seal surfacing followed by fog spray.
The Qwa-Qwa provincial roads maintenance project and the 1 Borrow Pit developments are located in Qwa-Qwa in the Free State province, within the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality and the Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality.
The proposed special maintenance of the Qwa-Qwa provincial roads is of strategic importance to the Free State Province. The upgrading of the roads is aimed at accelerating economic growth and development in the designated regions of the province, through an increase in the safety of the flow and ease of transportation on the route.
EnviroMatrix (Pty) Ltd, an Environmental Management Company has been appointed as Independent Environmental Consultants by the Department of Community Safety Roads and Transport, as part to undertake the Mining Environmental Authorisation application as part of the overall project authorisations process. The Mining Authorisation application for the borrow pits excavation and closure is governed by the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, Act 28 of 2002 (MPRDA) and will be submitted to the Department of Mineral Resources with their offices in Welkom.
However, as an organ of state and the Department of Community Safety Roads and Transport has obtained exemption from the provisions of sections 16, 20, 22 and 27 (application process) of the MPRDA in respect of any activity to remove any material for the construction and maintenance of dams, harbours, roads and railway lines and for the purposes incidental thereto, as allowed by the said act in section 106 (1) as published in GN R762 in GG 26501 of 25 June 2004. As such the utilisation of resources is subject only to the preparation of document in accordance with the requirements of National Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA) and its Regulations.
Amended Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014 (GN R982 in GG 38382 of 4 December 2014: National Environmental Management Act (107/1998): Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014 (GN 982) that regulate the environmental authorisation process, list activities that may not commence without Environmental Authorisation from the Competent Authority as in the following regulations:
• GN R983 in GG 38382 of 4 December 2014: Listing notice 1: List of activities and competent authorities identified in terms of sections 24 (2) and 24 D (GN R983)
• GN R984 in GG 38382 of 4 December 2014: Listing notice 2: List of activities and competent authorities identified in terms of sections 24 (2) and 24 D (GN R984)
• GN R985 in GG 38382 of 4 December 2014: Listing notice 3: List of activities and competent authorities identified in terms of sections 24 (2) and 24 D (GN R985)
It is anticipated that the planned Borrow Pit development will trigger the following activities:
GN R983 in GG 38382 of 4 December 2014: Listing notice 1: List of activities and competent authorities identified in terms of sections 24 (2) and 24 D (GN R983) as amended:
• Activity 21; operation which requires a mining permit.
• Activity 27; Clearance of an area (< 20Ha) of indigenous vegetation
GN R985 in GG 38382 of 4 December 2014: Listing notice 3: List of activities and competent authorities identified in terms of sections 24 (2) and 24 D (GN R985) for the Free State:
• Activity 12; Clearance of 300m² indigenous vegetation within a critical biodiversity area, or within 100 metres from the edge of a watercourse or wetland.
A Mining Environmental Authorisation is proposed for the development of the five borrow pits.
Thus, that an Environmental Impact Assessment is proposed to be conducted for the project together with two specialist studies – an Ecological Specialist Study (including wetland assessment) and a Heritage Impact Assessment.


Province(s): Free State