Lekwa Local Municipality 2013/14 - Co-operative Governance and ...

“To be the leading, people centered municipality excelling in economic growth, development and governance”These areas are not necessarily currently used for agricultural purposes, but should be protected againstdevelopment. Approximately 34% of highly suitable soil is currently not used for agricultural purposes.Land excluded from Subdivision of Agricultural Land Act (no. 70 of 1970) is not protected against thesubdivision of farming units into small unviable portions and can thus be used for non-agricultural purposes.These areas are mostly around Standerton, along some of the major routes, and around Grootdraai Dam andMorgenzon. In some instances these are in areas that are highly suitable for arable agriculture, most notablyaround Standerton, and indicate the pressure of urban development on agricultural land.Figure 9: Soil PotentialSummary of the Environmental aspectThe analysis of the environmental aspects of the Lekwa LM reveals the following:• The area is relatively flat, resulting is several pans and wetlands;• There is an extensive river system, the most important of which is the Vaal River and Grootdraai Dam;• A small percentage of the area is made up of important biodiversity sites and conservation areas, the mostimportant of which centres around the Vaal River;• A large portion of the municipal area is suitable for arable agriculture.• Agriculturally valuable land is under threat from urban development;• There is conflict between agricultural practices and the hydrological system as agriculture contributes tothe pollution and destruction of water resources;Almost 60% of the total area of the LLM should be reserved for either agriculture or natural habitats57 | P a g e - D r a f t i n t e g r a t e d D e v e l o p m e n t P l a n 2 0 1 3 / 2 0 1 4