State of the Bay Report 2010-Final - Anchor Environmental

Anchor Environmental
interferes with certain coastal processes such as sand deposition and migration. Expansion of tarred
areas will also increase the volumes of storm water entering the marine environment, which
ultimately has a detrimental effect on ecosystem health via the input of various contaminants and
nutrients (See section §4.3 for more detail on these issues).
Table 4.2. Total human population and population growth rates for the towns of Saldanha and
Langebaan from 1996 to 2004 (Saldanha Bay Municipality, 2005).
Location Total Population
1996
Total Population
State of the Bay 2010: Saldanha Bay and Langebaan Lagoon 47
2001
Growth 1996-2001
(%/yr)
Saldanha 16 820 21 626 5.73
Langebaan 2 735 4 272 7.02
Table 4.3. Projected total human population and population growth rates for the towns of Saldanha and
Langebaan (Saldanha Bay Municipality, 2005).
Location 2005 2010 2015 2020
Saldanha 28 265 39 477 55 136 77 006
Langebaan 6 050 9 348 14 442 22 312
Industrial development in and around Saldanha Bay has been matched with increasing
tourism development in the area, specifically with the declaration of the West Coast National Park,
Langebaan Lagoon being declared a National Wetland RAMSAR site and establishment of holiday
resorts like Club Mykonos and Blue Water Bay. The increasing tourism capacity results in higher
levels of impact on the environment in the form of increased pollution, traffic, fishing and
disturbance. Recent data on numbers of visitors to the West Coast National Park indicate strong
seasonal trends in numbers of people visiting the area (peaking in the summer months) but no
indication of growth in numbers in recent years since (Figure 4.7).
In terms of the Municipal Systems Act 2000 (Act 32 of 2000) every local municipality must
prepare an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) to guide development, planning and management
over the five year period in which a municipality is in power. An IDP was prepared for the Saldanha
Municipality in 2006 and is due for revision in 2011 following the municipal elections. A core
component of an IDP is the Spatial Development Framework (SDF) which is meant to relate the
development priorities and the objectives of geographic areas of the municipality and indicate how
the development strategies will be co-ordinated. The objective of an SDF is to guide decision making
on an ongoing basis such that changes, needs and growth in the area can be managed to the benefit
of the environment and its inhabitants. The SDF for the Saldanha Bay Municipality is currently under
revision and a draft is available on the Saldanha Bay Municipality website for viewing and comment.
The “Growth Potential of Towns” study conducted as part of the provincial SDF identifies Langebaan
and Saldanha as having a high growth potential. It was estimated that, given the projected
population figures, there would be a future residential demand of 7 200 units in Saldanha and 2 793
units in Langebaan. The draft SDF proposes addressing these demands by increasing the residential
density in specified nodes in both towns and by extending the urban edge of Saldanha towards
Vredenberg, and that of Langebaan inland towards the east. Furthermore a feasibility study is
currently underway to determine whether an industrial development zone can be established within
the Saldanha Municipal Area.