SEA in Spatial Planning
SEA in South African Spatial Development Frameworks
The Ekurhuleni Experience
Elsabeth Olivier
September 2005
Legislative Framework:• The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,
1996• The Municipal Systems Act, 32 of 2000
– Integrated Development Plan (IDP) – Spatial Development Framework (SDF)
• Local Government: Municipal Planning and Performance Management Regulations, 2001 – SEA for SDF
• National Environmental Management Act, 107 of 1998 (NEMA) – Environmental Management Frameworks
EKURHULENI CASE STUDY
• Established in 2000, consisting of 9 previous local authorities and 2 regional services councils.
• Population ± 2 500 000;
• Area ±190 147 hectares (1 900km²)
• Northern area …..
Railways
Legend
Freeway
EMM Boundary
Under-Developed Areas
4 Far East Activity Belt
3 Greater JIA / R21 Area
2 Central /Activity Belt
1 Alrode-Wadeville Corridor
Economic Focus Areas
Infill Priority Areas
Urban Edge
Northern SDR
Southern SDR
Eastern SDR
1
3
2
4
4
N12
N17
N3
R21
R59
M2
JIA
14%
24%
14%
12%
Eastern SDREastern SDRSouthern SDRSouthern SDR
Northern SDRNorthern SDR
Strategic Development Areas
Kempton Park
Edenvale
Vosloorus
Thokoza
Boksburg
Benoni
Germiston
Alberton
Brakpan
KwaThema
TsakaneDuduza
Daveyton
Etwatwa
N i g e lN i g e l
S p r i n g sS p r i n g s
Customer Care Centre
Ekurhuleni Spatial Framework
Gautrain
Tshwane
Sandton
Bapsfontein
Katlehong
Thembisa
STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN
• The main purpose of the Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) is to establish constraint zones, which indicate the environmental suitability of certain land parcels to accommodate various types of land uses or activities.
• The SEMP is not prescriptive in terms of land use and does not indicate which land uses must occur in which zones.
• Rather, the SEMP indicates specific minimum environmental requirements, through management parameters, which have to be met satisfactorily before approval of a development application could be considered.
• Similarly the SEMP indicates the level of assessment expected and required in the specified zone(s)
The most significant constraints for development in the area include:
• Occurrence and distribution of red data fauna and flora species;• sensitive surface hydrological features, including wetlands, pans,
rivers and streams; • significant natural open space connectors• occurrence of large areas of medium and high potential agricultural
land;• areas with potential geotechnical constraints;• potential noise constraints due to flight paths of aircrafts departing
and arriving at Johannesburg International Airport (JIA);• potential noise constraints due to noise emanating from major roads;• potential pollution sources from local and regional industrial, waste
facilities, and irrigation agriculture; and• constraints to development due to the position of the urban edge.
NSDR has been categorised into the following eight constraint zones:
• Agricultural constraint zone• Geotechnical constraint zone• Ecological/hydrological constraint zone• Agricultural and geotechnical constraint zone• Agricultural and ecological/hydrological constraint zone• Geotechnical and ecological/hydrological constraint zone• Geotechnical, ecological/hydrological and agricultural
constraint zone• No to Low constraint zone.