Whether approval is needed depends on both what you are proposing to do and where the site is located.
For projects in George and the wider Garden Route, it is worth checking this early, particularly where the site contains or is close to natural vegetation, wetlands, watercourses, the coast or other environmentally sensitive areas.
What triggers Environmental Authorisation?
South Africa’s Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations identify certain activities that require Environmental Authorisation before they can proceed.
These are generally referred to as listed activities.
They can relate to things such as:
- the type of development
- the size or footprint of the proposed activity
- infrastructure being constructed
- clearing or disturbance of vegetation
- work near watercourses or wetlands
- activities in environmentally sensitive locations
Some activities are only triggered when they occur within particular geographic or environmentally sensitive areas.
This means two similar developments can have different environmental requirements depending on where they are located.
Why the site location matters
The Garden Route contains a wide range of sensitive environments, often close to developed or developable land.
Depending on the site, environmental considerations may include:
- indigenous vegetation
- wetlands
- rivers and other watercourses
- estuaries
- coastal areas
- dunes
- biodiversity-sensitive areas
- protected or conservation areas
The presence of one of these features does not automatically mean that a development cannot proceed.
It may, however, affect what approvals, assessments or specialist input are required.
Basic Assessment or full EIA?
Projects that require Environmental Authorisation generally follow one of two assessment routes.
Basic Assessment
A Basic Assessment is commonly used for listed activities where the potential environmental impacts are reasonably understood and can be assessed through a more focused process.
Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment
Larger or potentially higher-impact activities may require a more detailed process involving Scoping followed by an Environmental Impact Assessment Report.
The correct process depends on which listed activities are triggered by the proposed project.
When should this be checked?
Ideally, environmental requirements should be considered early in the project.
This is particularly useful:
- before purchasing land for a specific development
- during early project planning
- before finalising a site layout
- before clearing vegetation or starting construction
- where there is uncertainty about environmental constraints on the property
An early review can help identify potential environmental requirements while there is still time to adjust the project if necessary.
What information is useful for an initial review?
A preliminary review can usually start with basic project information such as:
- the property or site location
- erf or farm details if available
- a short description of the proposed development
- approximate development footprint
- any available site plans or layouts
- photographs or existing environmental information
From there, the likely environmental requirements can be considered in more detail.
Environmental Authorisation support in the Garden Route
AWEC is based in George and assists with projects across the Garden Route, including Mossel Bay, Knysna, Oudtshoorn and the surrounding Southern Cape.
Andrew West has more than 40 years of experience in the environmental field and handles projects directly.
If you are unsure whether a proposed development requires Environmental Authorisation, an early review of the site and project is usually the simplest place to start. AWEC’s Environmental Authorisation and Basic Assessment services cover this initial review and, where required, the assessment process that follows.