Draft Status Quo Report for the Pixley Ka Seme ... - SRK Consulting

SRK Consulting in association with BKS
Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality EMF – Draft Status Quo Report Page 16
2.4 Stakeholder engagement
The EMF development process described above is
reliant on a consultation strategy, as per the DEA EMF
guidelines. The purpose of the consultation process is
to:
• Raise awareness about the EMF development
process;
• Provide an opportunity for inputs from interested
and affected parties (I&APs); and
• Ensure feedback on the results of the process and
allow an opportunity for them to respond.
As such the public participation process has been
separated into three phases, namely:
• Phase 1: Awareness raising;
• Phase 2: Input; and
• Phase 3: Feedback and response.
2.4.1 Phase 1: Awareness raising
The intention of the PKSLM to compile an EMF was
advertised in newspapers. In addition, all I&APs on the
stakeholder database were sent personal invitations to
one of three focus group meetings held on 8 and 9 June
2010. A database of invited and registered I&APs was
kept as a record.
A background information document (BID) was sent to
all I&APs who registered. The BID provided a brief
explanation of the EMF process, the full extent of the
study area and what the EMF aims to achieve. It also
included details of the public participation process and
how I&APs could get involved. Contact details of the
consultants were provided for I&APs to register or to
enquire further.
2.4.2 Phase 2: Input
The input phase involves the presentation of
information related to the EMF process and the roles
and responsibilities of the stakeholders. In addition, the
opportunity will be provided for I&APs to inform the
baseline data and raise specific concerns/issues that
would influence the analysis of sensitivities and the
associated guidelines. The matters raised at the
meetings will be recorded in proceedings that are
distributed for review. Attendance registers of all
meetings held with stakeholders and the general public
will be kept.
2.4.3 Phase 3: Feedback
Once the relative sensitivities of components of the
environment have been rated and guidelines developed
in consultation with the PSC, the draft EMF report
(including the SEMP) will be made available for the
public to peruse. Phase 3 of the public participation
process will therefore consist of the review of the
report, and public and focus group meetings to present,
explain and discuss the findings with registered I&APs.
Comments and concerns raised at these meetings and
noted in the proceedings will form part of the final EMF
report. Additional comments may also be received by
fax, e-mail or post.
2.5 Assumptions, limitations and
uncertainties
This section lists the key assumptions, limitations and
uncertainties identified by the project team and the
specialists during the course of the status quo
assessment.
It must be noted that the status quo assessment does not
include any primary research or comprehensive groundtruthing.
Thus the assessment is reliant on the review of
existing secondary information sources. There is a risk
that specialist investigations, given their reliance on
existing sources for data, could be limited by what has
been produced and the quality of the information
provided. It was assumed that the data provided was the
most up-to-date, accurate and adequately
comprehensive.
Surface water
Much of the information presented at quaternary and
sub-catchment level is desktop information that has
been extrapolated from a limited number of monitoring
sites.
Groundwater
SRK did not carry out large-scale baseline investigation
of the groundwater resources and the data used was
largely sourced from the Mpumalanga Department of
Agriculture, Rural Development and Land
Administration, MDEDET, Water Research
Commission studies, DWA and existing data within
KILI/BEAT G:\404946_PIXLEY EMF\7REPORTS\Status Quo report\Draft report\Draft status quo report, July 2010.docx July 2010