GEORGE NEWS - Environmental approval has been granted for the operation of a sand mine near Kleinkrantz for 20 years on ecologically sensitive land.
The decision was met with dismay by a neighbour, Helmut Ernst of Winelands Resort Development (Pty) Ltd, the company that had acquired the land adjacent to the proposed sand mine site for the purpose of a residential and retirement development.
"The only chance to stop the destruction of the natural beauty of the Garden Route now would be the refusal of the George Municipality to allow the rezoning of the property," said Ernst.
The applicant, PVVK Management Services CC, from Moorreesburg, has notified interested and affected parties that it will now apply for a mining licence. Objections may be submitted within 20 days from 5 August.
The property identified for the intended Kleinkrantz Sand Quarry - Remainder of Portion 3 of Farm 191 - is located to the east of Kleinkrantz and abuts the land of Winelands Resort Development. The proposed mining operations will cover 6,58 hectares out of the total 9,05 hectares of the property.
PVVK motivation
According to the background information document that formed part of the application, the Langvlei Dunes area is an established sand mining area. Because the property is adjacent to the Garden Route National Park, due care was required for the selection of the site.
The site has not been mapped as a critical biodiversity area and it is covered in alien trees. Reference is made to an existing turning lane on the N2 that can provide access to the proposed quarry.
A 60-metre wide buffer zone with dense vegetation between the quarry and the N2 will ensure that mining activities are not visible from the N2, according to PVVK.
The applicant also says it plans a long-term conservation outcome through rehabilitation and joining to the local conservancy. It reckons the short-term disturbance through mining will not result in any long-term costs to conservation.
Objections and concerns
Objections and comments regarding the application were submitted by, among others, CapeNature, SANParks, Wilderness & Lakes Environmental Action Forum (Waleaf), and Paradise Ridge Conservancy.
Paradise Ridge Conservancy in its submission said the final recommendations of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) are "drastically inconsistent" with guidelines for protected areas. The report repeatedly omits that the proposed property's conservation designation in the Western Cape Biodiversity Spatial Plan is "Protected Area", which is "significant".
Furthermore, it says "Sanral's decision for the position of access off the N2 had not yet been concluded and therefore the final impact assessment in the report is skewed in favour of the applicant's preferred access".
Winelands Resort Development objected on the grounds that the operations will have a direct negative effect on their residents for the entire operational lifetime of the sand mine.·
A report by the environmental agency Biriku, prepared on behalf of Winelands, states the proposed sand mine is inconsistent with the spatial planning objectives for the region in light of the Garden Route Environmental Management Framework (EMF). The land forms part of the faunal corridor between the Garden Route National Park and coastline and it is ecologically, topographically and visually highly sensitive.
Biriku's report states that the application also lacked, among others, specialist input regarding socio-economic, traffic and noise impact, as well as impact on property values.
Buffer zone
Waleaf in its comment said that the Kleinkrantz/Langvlei Dunes Spatial Development Plan demands that no further mining take place and that degraded areas be rehabilitated.
The forum aired concern about the removal of all vegetation, top soil and the endemic seed bank through the proposed mining activities. It also objected to PVVK's application referring to the area as an "established sand mining area", saying that mining properties comprise only about 10% of the total number of properties in the area.
Appeals
Appeals may be submitted to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment:
- Directorate Appeals and Legal Review
- Email : appeals@dffe.gov.za
- By post: Private Bag X 447, Pretoria, 0001
A copy of the lodged appeal must be sent to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy:
- Regional Manager: Western Cape Region
- By facsimile: 021 427 1046
- Email: Pieter.Swart@dmre.gov.za
- By post: Private Bag X9, Roggebaai, 8012
The Kleinkrantz Sand Quarry lies east of Kleinkrantz. Image from the report of Stephen Davey, Klipberg Consulting.
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