N2 ‘green’ concerns addressed
A Wild Coast Toll Road environmental monitoring committee has been formed.
WITH environmental issues a major concern of opponents of the controversial N2 Wild Coast Toll Road project, the announcement by South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) that it had established an independent environmental monitoring committee should be met with some relief.
The announcement was made at the committee’s inaugural meeting in Port Edward last week. It will oversee the environmental aspects during the construction of the 560km road between the East London and Durban route, a project that has attracted ‘green’ concerns since it was first suggested more than 10 years ago.
While about 80 percent of the proposed route will follow the existing R61 and N2 roads, environmentalists have pointed out that the 90km section of new roads – the greenfields section – would be constructed through an environmentally sensitive area, the Pondoland Centre of Endemism. This has been described by KwaZulu-Natal conservationist Dr Keith Cooper as one of the most fascinating areas of botanical study in the world.
Dr Cooper said the Pondoland Centre was a small area of only 180 000ha in which an amazing 1 800 plant species had been identified. Renowned botanist David Styles has described it as “without doubt one of the most beautiful and conservation significant parts of South Africa”.
According to Sanral‘s environmental manager, Mpati Mkoa, the environmental authorisation by the Department of Environmental Affairs for the construction of the toll road had been subject to conditions that had included the establishment of a representative environmental monitoring committee, with an independent chairperson.
The committee would monitor developments relating to conventional engineering, the construction of the haul roads to the construction sites and the construction of the two mega-bridges. It would perform watchdog, monitoring and auditing functions to ensure compliance with specific conditions of the environmental authorisation, the requirements of the approved environmental management programme and the conditions of all other environmental permits issued for the project.
The committee comprises representatives of South African conservation and wildlife organisations, environmental subject matter experts, government departments and state entities, local municipalities and representatives of the Traditional Authorities of Mpondoland. At its inaugural meeting the agenda included confirmation of members and representatives and its administrative functioning.
It will also provide a forum for discussing and resolving environmental issues, promote participation of concerned people in environmental monitoring and provide the opportunity to reach common understanding between interested groups about the nature, scope and results of monitoring.
Mr Mkoa claimed that the toll road route had been planned to minimise the impact on environmentally sensitive biomes and existing human communities and settlements. Extra measures had been put in place to ensure this and, where possible, to enhance positive environmental outcomes.
These measures include a ‘search and rescue’ process through which rare, endangered and endemic plants and those of conservation value would be translocated to suitable nurseries. This was to assist with the rehabilitation of disturbed areas after construction and to re-establish them in an existing conservation area where applicable.
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