Africa Wild

Feb. 15. 2012

Just picked this up on the other side, and feel devastated...

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS
NEAS Reference: DEAT/EIA/0000532/2011
National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA): Reference Number: 12/12/20/2446/1

Project Description: SANParks intends to construct 10 new accommodation units, 10 new luxury camping sites (each camp site has their own private ablution facility, approx. 4 km new access road, an 1.3 km landing strip and to upgrade services infrastructure at Nossob Camp, 3 luxury camp sites at Gharagap as well as 10 luxury camp sites at Graig Lockhardt (Mata Mata) in the Kgalagadi National Park.

Applicant: South African National Parks (SANParks)

Location: Nossob, Gharagap and Graig Lockhardt (Mata Mata) - Kgalagadi National Park

Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP): Delron Consulting CC

Notice is hereby given of a joint public participation process in terms of:
 The National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) (“NEMA”)
 The National Environmental Management: Waste Act (Act No. 59 of 2008) (“NEM:WA”)
This is an Application, subject to Basic Assessment, for environmental authorisation to undertake the following activities::
 EIA Activities: GN No. R. 544 of 18 June 2010 - Listing Notice 1: 9(i)(ii), 11(x) (xi), 23(ii), 37(a)(b) and 40 (iii)
 EIA Activities: GN No. R. 546 of 18 June 2010 - Listing Notice 3: 4 (a)(ii)(aa), 6 (a)(ii)(aa), 7(a)(ii)(aa), 8 (a)(ii)(aa), 13 (c)(ii)(aa), 16 (iii)(iv)(a)(ii)(aa), 18 (a)(ii)(aa), 19 (a)(ii)(aa) and 24 (c)(d)(a)(ii)(aa)
 Waste Management Activity: Category A; Activity 11 “The treatment of effluent, wastewater or sewage with an annual throughput capacity of more than 2 000 cubic meters but less than 15 000 cubic meters” (GN No. 718 refers).

Opportunity to Participate: Interested and affected parties (I&APs) are invited to register and provide written comments. I&APs should refer to the relevant DEA reference number above, and must provide their comments together with their name, contact details (preferred method of notification, e.g. e-mail address or fax number) and an indication of any direct business, financial, personal or other interest which they have in the application to the contact person indicated below within 30 days from the date of this notice.

For more information contact:
Mr Pieter De Lange or Mr. Aluwani Khuswana, Delron Consulting CC, PO Box 177, Woodlands, 0072
Tel: (012) 991 5399 Fax: 086 588 4242 Cell: 082 571 5396 E-mail: pieter@delron.co.za

Date of Notice: 15 February 2012

PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION OF 10 NEW ACCOMMODATION UNITS, 10 NEW LUXURY CAMPING SITES, A NEW ACCESS ROAD, UPGRADING OF SERVICES INFRASTRUCTURE AND A LANDING STRIP AT NOSSOB CAMP, A LUXURY CAMP SITE AT GHARAGAP AS WELL AS A LUXURY CAMP SITE AT GRAIG LOCKHARDT (MATA MATA) IN THE KGALAGADI NATIONAL PARK, NORTHERN-CAPE

I didn't do the maths, but I reckon that those developments come close to a hotel in Kruger when you put it into relation. Plus, those
10 luxury camp sites at Craig Lockhardt would be in a heavily visited area with quite some traffic particularly around gate opening and
closing times. And there is no escape to other roads. It's the only one connection MM and TR.

Anyone know the average occupancy rates for the camps in KTP?

No, not really. All I can say is that all camps are usually booked out throughout school holidays.

Maybe one or two accomm per night available during those periods, but mainly camp sites without power. Then there are Grootkolk and Urikaruus
(both have 4 units sleeping 2 each) which are more or less booked out throughout the whole year, closely followed by Kieliekrankie (also 4 units à 2).

BUT: Close to the new proposed site at Craig Lockhardt there is Kalahari Tented Camp with about 20 tents, partly for 4, partly for 2 sleeping.
And that one struggles to be filled up, even in high season.

Gharagab is not very popular either and usually only sells out after all the other wilderness camps have been taken.

Lisbeth wrote:The landing strip is scaring as is all the rest
They cannot even finish the small piece of road from Twee Rivieren..... maybe there is a reason Tarred?

Lis, I kinda can see the airstrip for emergencies (But not for rich tourists landing there and going on luxury safari or dumb stuff like that...)

As for the road - Jannie explained the following on the other side:

Kgalagadi Guru wrote: *snip*
For those who have been in the park lately and have read the reply on the 'closed road' on the forum would have noted that it was mentioned that due to the fact that the previous contractors were taken off the roads as they did not meet their deadline.

As per SANParks policy the whole tender process had to start from scratch again, the new contractors were awarded the project as per the tender process.
The new contractors are very busy with the road and progress can be seen already without any ‘struggle’.

They have 6 months to upgrade (re-surface) and finish the road.

KG

It is inevitable that there will be more traffic; just imagine what it is going to be during the construction work And those roads are just not made for traffic! They are norrow and every time a car is passing sand is raising like clouds. That's why I am afraid that they will end up tarring the whole park, little by little and that will be the end I might not have loved my visit, but that has nothing do with the damage that all this may cause in the last real wilderness park in South Africa apart from Richtersveld

According to the former park manager Nico van der Walt,
the occupancy rate is about 88%.

And oh my goodness, it has been here all the time...
(Just in different areas)

from:
https://www.wildcard.co.za/blog.htm?act ... st&id=2671

The full article:


Update from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park


September 30, 2011, 11:38 AM By: Scott Ramsay |No Comments yet | Tags: Update from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park


As part of his Year in the Wild journey to 31 of South Africa’s most special nature reserves, including all the national parks, Scott Ramsay recently caught up with park manager Nico van der Walt from Kgalagadi.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is one of the most popular among the South African National Parks, and enjoys some of the highest occupancy levels in the country. Nico van der Walt believes that it’s the Kgalagadi’s amazing sense of wilderness which keeps visitors coming back, again and again.

“This is a very natural system, perhaps the most natural in Africa” Nico said sitting on his stoep at his home in Twee Rivieren, the entrance to the park. “We’re one of the luckier parks in that the environment manages itself. It’s a huge area, and is disease free, so we can just leave it alone and it takes care of itself. There’s also very little poaching because it’s so remote.”

A winning formula is not to be tampered with, but Nico hints at a few potential tourism developments which will increase capacity in a park that enjoys 88% average occupancy levels. A new private community lodge near Samevloeing (a few kilometres from Twee Rivieren) will be owned by the San and Mier communities, who have lived in the region for centuries. It will be operated as a concession by an independent lodge company.

A new wilderness camp – mimicking the style of the others in the park – may be built near Jan se Draai in the south east on the road north to Nossob. It will sleep 16 people in 8 separate fully-equipped self-catering chalets, and will be unfenced.

Finally, the chalets at Nossob will undergo renovation and upgrading, giving extra oomph to a camp which is already very popular with tourists given the traditional abundance of lions in the area.

But for Nico, the best place in the park to visit is the far north, towards Unions End. “Go north!” Nico said. “The veld conditions are superb, and there are far fewer tourists up there. Plus the birdlife is spectacular, especially the raptors.”

Nico recommends staying at Gharagab and Grootkolk in the north, both wilderness camps. But his most impressive wildlife sighting was near Rooiputs on the Botswana border near Twee Rivieren. Early one morning, he saw a leopard and brown hyena eating from the same Springbok carcass. Neither of them seemed to mind the other! “That was the biggest highlight for me since I arrived here in 2003,” Nico said.



Why not keep it that way???

If only...

Sanparks = Dr. Mabunda, is aiming on tourism... not conservation. By now I think there is no doubt about that and this a logical step in that direction as KTP lately has shown a big raise in visitor numbers. And the idea of the luxury camping sites is briliant, because that is probably what many KTP camping vistors would like.

The upgrading and expansion of tourist facilities is not what Kgalagadi visitors want, the recent upgrades are ugly enough (the reception centre, the luxury chalets at Mata Mata) Next steps will be more Wilderness Camps There was also a plan to build a wilderness camp at Sewe Panne (close to the access road Nossob - Bitterpan) and whatever to attract more tourists

Two things may count against the proposal:

1. The scarcity of water and resultant sewerage implications.

2. The bloody-mindedness of Cape Town visitors, whom I believe form the bulk of tourist traffic!?