Case Decision - 190088

Final Comment
It must be noted that the Visual Impact Assessment conducted for the proposed development identified a high visual impact to the R354 Upper Plateau and a medium impact to the R354/R356 Buffels Valley. With regards to several other nearby Wind Farm developments, this road has been previously identified as a scenic route. Recommendations with regards to the impact on this road have included that no turbines must be constructed within 3 km of the R354 (See Case ID: 473). The R354/R356 adjacent to the proposed project area contains the Verlatenkloof Pass which was designed and built by Thomas Baines (http://mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za/find-a-pass/northern-cape/item/3…) and is marketed as a scenic tourist route. In terms of section 3 (3) h of the National Heritage Resources Act, 1999 (NHRA), the road can be considered as a heritage place with a strong association with the life or work of a person of importance in the history of South Africa i.e. Thomas Baines.
Regarding archaeological and palaeontological heritage resources, the SAHRA Archaeology, Palaeontology and Meteorites Unit accepts the submitted Integrated AIA and PIA and their respective recommendations. The following additional conditions must be adhered to and must form part of the final EIA and Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) for the project:

A bufferzone of 60 m must be maintained from all identified heritage and palaeontological resources. Micro adjustment of all relevant proposed infrastructure must occur in order to achieve this;
The stone cairn/possible grave (Feature 4), should be demarcated and fenced off with a perimeter buffer zone of 60m;
No turbines may be located within three (3) kilometers from the R354/R356. This is in line with comments issued on surrounding Wind Farm projects;
A Conservation Management Plan must be developed to ensure the on-going conservation of identified heritage resources during the life of the development. The report must include a map of all identified heritage and palaeontological resources with buffer zones of 60 m in relation to the proposed development. This report must be submitted to SAHRA if the EA has been approved and must form part of the final EMPr; and
On-site monitoring of excavations deeper than 1 m must be conducted by a qualified palaeontologist during the construction phase of any infrastructure located within the Abrahamskraal formation. Site monitoring reports must be submitted to SAHRA upon completion.

If any evidence of archaeological sites or remains (e.g. remnants of stone-made structures, indigenous ceramics, bones, stone artefacts, ostrich eggshell fragments, charcoal and ash concentrations), fossils or other categories of heritage resources are found during the proposed development, SAHRA APM Unit (Natasha Higgitt/Phillip Hine 021 462 5402) must be alerted. If unmarked human burials are uncovered, the SAHRA Burial Grounds and Graves (BGG) Unit (Mimi Seetelo 012 320 8490), must be alerted immediately. A professional archaeologist or palaeontologist, depending on the nature of the finds, must be contracted as soon as possible to inspect the findings. If the newly discovered heritage resources prove to be of archaeological or palaeontological significance, a Phase 2 rescue operation may be required.