Skukuza Hotel Progress (Kruger National Park)

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leachy

Here the most important graphs from SANPArks presentation:

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EXIGO
Skukuza Safari Lodge Basic Assessment – Public meeting


AGENDA
1.Introductions
2.Purpose of the Meeting
3.Meeting Conduct
4.Project Overview
5.Specialist Findings
6.Way Forward
7.Discussion
8.Closure


INTRODUCTIONS
• Independent Facilitator
o Dr David de Waal (AECOM)
• Environmental Assessment Practitioners (Exigo)
o Herman Gildenhuys – Project Manager & Technical, Specialist team management
o Reneé Kruger– EIA administrator & Public Participation Coordinator
• Key Environmental Specialists
o Flora Impact Assessment - Dr. Buks Henning (Exigo)
o Fauna Impact Assessment – Dr. Alan Kemp (Eco Agent)
o Heritage Impact Assessment - Neels Kruger (Exigo)
o Traffic Impact Assessment - Cobus Havenga (Corli Havenga Traffic Engineers)
o Visual Impact Assessment - Graham Young (Newtown Landscape Architects)
• SANParks
o Glenn Phillips (Acting Chief Executive Officer)
o Giju Varghese (Head: Business Development)
o Annemi van Jaarsveld (General Manager: Business Development Unit – Tourism Division)
o Blake Schraader (General Manager: Technical Services, KNP)
o Freek Venter (General Manager Conservation Services, KNP)
o Joep Stevens (Strategic Tourism: Skukuza)
o Michele Hofmeyr (Manager: Skukuza Indigenous Nursery, KNP)
o Tracy-Lee Petersen (Acting Senior Manager: Conservation Management, KNP)


MEETING CONDUCT
1. Focus on the purpose of the meeting
2. Fair and structured meeting
3. Work via the Chairperson
4. Please put cell phones on silent
5. Don’t get personal - Please do not interrupt others
6. Minute purposes: Briefly introduce yourself (name and interest in the project) before asking a question or making a comment
7. Please keep questions or comments to the discussion


PURPOSE OF THE MEETING
1. To provide feedback on the Skukuza Safari Lodge Draft Basic Assessment Report to Interested and Affected Parties
2. To discuss potential impacts and proposed mitigation measures
3. To clarify the way forward


PROJECT DESCRIPTION
1. Location: Skukuza Rest Camp and Skukuza Village, Kruger National Park
2. Safari lodge will be a 128 key (256 bed) facility
3. Additional staff accommodation
4. Contractors camp
5. Upgrades to services infrastructure
• Water treatment works and water reticulation network
• Sewer pump system and pipelines as well as an anaerobic digester
• Minor road and storm water upgrades


LAYOUT



LODGE CONCEPT DESIGN (Top Floor)



LAYOUT OF LODGE (Side View)

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GREEN BUILDING DESIGNS
• Incorporate international best practice principles and interventions in line with recognised and renowned green building rating systems as well as SANS 1162:2011 Responsible tourism
• These best practices will be incorporated into the following categories:
• Sustainable sites
• Water Efficiency
• Energy and Atmosphere
• Materials and resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Socio-economic sustainability


SERVICES
• Electricity
o Sufficient supply from Eskom exists (to be supplemented with solar power)
• Water
o Proposed abstraction volumes within current allocation from the Sabie River
o Grey water re-use
• Sewage
o Upgrades – sewage pipelines and anaerobic digester


MOTIVATION
• Skukuza Conference Centre requirement for additional accommodation specifically suited to the conferencing market
• Broaden the accommodation product
• Responsible Tourism as a Conservation Strategy


WHY THIS SITE

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SPECIALIST FINDINGS – VISUAL IMPACT
• Visual significance of the baseline landscape
o Skukuza is the most ‘commercial’ of the camps and occurs in the high intensity leisure zone; however it could be vulnerable to change if the proposed development is inappropriately handled.
o Protection, restoration and enhancement of the existing character of the camp is therefore important.
• Visual quality and sense of place
o Areas with the strongest visual and aesthetic appeal - along the Sabie River and the heavily treed areas dotted with the typical round rondavels.
o Landscape in the vicinity of the lodge and housing units have a moderate value as it exhibits some positive character but which has evidence of alteration/degradation/erosion of features. Visual simulations done showing the after the lodge scenario from various perspectives in the Skukuza camp (with and without mitigation).

SPECIALIST FINDINGS – VISUAL IMPACT
Staff housing units:
• The units are located out of sight of any tourist activity and no negative impact is expected during the construction and operational phases. Water and sewer pipelines
• Pipelines near the 4 way crossing will be visible during the construction phase.
• Impact will be of short duration and incremental and will not constitute a major nuisance.

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SPECIALIST FINDINGS – TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT
The traffic impact assessment utilized the following information:
• Gate entry data dating (2007 to 2012).
• Traffic Impact Study done for the Conference Facility, dated May 2008.
• Traffic Assessment (TA) done for the Marula Region Strategic Environmental Assessment Kruger Park, dated July 2008. The Marula Region TA measured the current densities and determined acceptable road congestion thresholds, as perceived by visitors.
• Based on the maximum acceptable number of vehicles at any sighting, a threshold value (guideline) of 2 vehicles per kilometre was accepted by SANParks.


SPECIALIST FINDINGS – TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT
• Of the planned 128 staff members a maximum of 48 staff members will be accommodated in Skukuza, the rest will be transported by bus daily.
• Currently some conference delegates stay outside the Kruger Park due to lack of appropriate accommodation inside Skukuza, adding additional trips.
• During normal operating times the lodge will tend to lower the number of vehicles currently on the roads.
• Conference delegates staying in Skukuza Camp, also travel from their accommodation to the venue – causing doubling of parking spaces to be provided in Skukuza Camp.
• Maximum traffic scenario between the gates and Skukuza: Expected trip generation of 128 trips per day.
• Contribute to a slight increase in traffic on roads surrounding the camp.
• Lodge will have a limited impact on the peak hour densities





GAME VIEW TRIPS•70% day visitors
• 30% overnight visitors
• Vehicle occupancy 3,4 persons/vehicle

Skukuza Lodge




Malelane Hotel
•Park & Ride @ Malelane Gate
•Visitors use game view vehicles




RECOMMENDATIONS

• Park-and-ride facility at Paul Kruger Gate
• Reduce the number of Day Visitors at Paul Kruger Gate
• Provide an alternative route for Road H11 between Skukuza and Road S1
• Selling of package deals for the conference facility with accommodation and transport

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SPECIALIST FINDINGS - HERITAGE
• Majority of surface areas demarcated for development for the lodge and other Infrastructure have been extensively disturbed, altered or built up, largely sterilizing the surroundings of potential heritage remains.
• Two features of heritage potential - two baobab trees, apparently planted by Col. James Stevenson-Hamilton - identified within the footprint area of the lodge.
• Trees will be retained and have been incorporated into the design of the lodge.

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SPECIALIST FINDINGS – FLORA IMPACT ASSESSMENT
• Vegetation units vary from completely modified gardens to slightly degraded thickets, open woodland and riparian woodland areas.
• No natural occurring red data species due to the degraded and modified state of the vegetation.
• Three cycads (Encephalartos lebomboensis and E. Paucidentatus) were planted in the gardens on the lodge site. Do not naturally occur in the area and merely represent garden ornamentals.
• Two large baobab trees planted in the 1930’s by Stevenson- Hamilton.
• Cycads will be kept in the Skukuza Nursery during construction and re-planted as part of the landscaping around the lodge. No permits required.
• Baobabs will be retained in the landscaping of the lodge.
• Sensitive, natural corridors around the Sabie and N’waswitshaka Rivers will not be impacted. Limited impacts of pipeline crossings on drainage channels will form part of a water use licence application.


SPECIALIST FINDINGS - FAUNA
• Vertebrate fauna is always better known for an area than the invertebrates, and so serves as a surrogate for a full faunal investigation.
• Together with the previous study of vegetation composition, we assessed quantity and quality of vertebrate habitats in and around Skukuza.
• We then compiled lists for probability of occurrence of vertebrate species, with special reference to threatened or Red Data species under IUCN criteria.
Mammals
• 3 of 4 major mammal habitats are present on or near the study sites (terrestrial, arboreal and wetland / aquatic).
• 103 mammal species occur in the Skukuza district, including 30 Red Data species.
• Of the threatened species, 11 are Data Deficient, 10 Near Threatened, 7 Vulnerable and 2 Endangered, mainly carnivores and uncommon antelope.
• None of the 30 Red-listed species is under abnormal pressures threatening its natural survival potential in the KNP itself.
Birds
• Most important to birds are the widespread bushveld and restricted riverine/riparian habitats.
• 328 bird species are expected to occur in the area, including 25 Red Data species.
• Of the threatened species, 6 are Near Threatened, 7 Vulnerable and 12 Endangered, mainly predators and scavengers.
• None of these threatened species is expected to be affected by the proposed developments.
Reptiles and Amphibia (herps)
• Wetland vegetation and natural and man-made arboreal and rupicolous habitats, contribute to herp-species richness, while drainage lines function as important dispersal corridors.
• 81 reptile and 30 amphibian species were deduced to occupy the study site.
• Only the Vulnerable Nile Crocodile is a Red Data species present on the study site.
• Its riverine habitat will not be affected by the proposed developments.
Our general faunal assessment was that:
• Terrestrial habitats within the greater Skukuza are have already been widely degraded and/or transformed.
• Perimeter fences isolate all but the smallest terrestrial species, from the Skukuza rest camp and staff/administrative compounds. (Obviously, this does not apply to aerially mobile bats and birds)
• None of the listed Red Data species is expected to be affected by the proposed developments, which, in the context of the extensive surrounding natural habitats, are considered spatially insignificant and environmentally benign.

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SUMMARY OF IMPACTS

Mitigation measures are provided in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and the measures therein will need to be implemented. Compliance will be checked monthly by an on-site Environmental Control Officer (ECO) as well as an independent ECO. Through collaboration with the environmental specialists and planning team, alternatives were identified and mitigation measures proposed to keep impacts to the environment as low as possible. No impacts were identified that are not mitigatable or of high significance following mitigation. Fauna and visual impacts during construction are the most significant impacts identified:
• Fauna impacts during construction outside of the rest camp within natural areas (e.g. new staff housing at living quarters, new sewage pipelines etc.).
• Visual impact of moderate significance during the construction phase.

Long term impacts - all expected to be of low to negligible significance.

[leachy]

thanks toko for copying all those PDFs onto the forum



after the members have been able to digest all the information in it's entirety

i will post the questions that we asked SANParks regarding their presentation

and their answers to our questions........