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 St Francis Chronicle News

New recommendations of the 2009 Kouga Spatial Development Framework (SDF) prevent the development of hospitals, old age homes and restrict the building of schools in all areas within a 16 km radius of Thyspunt. Recommendations of the SDF, approved by Kouga Municpality, have ushered in new land use principles pertaining to the development of the surrounding areas to ensure viability of the Thuyspunt site for future possible power generation - as if the building of a nuclear station is a fait accompli.

National Chairman for the Coalition Against Nuclear Energy, (Cane), Mike Kantey says:
"It is hard to understand why the Kouga Council has approved these recommendations when no such authorisation has been granted by the Minister of Water & the Environment in a Record of Decision at the end of a legitimate and participatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Nor has a licence been issued by the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR). We don't even know what reactor type we're talking about and how big the electrical output will be.
“We rather suspect that the local authorities have been dragooned into compliance by a hidden hand, probably Eskom itself.”

The Thuyspunt site, 12 kms west of Cape St Francis, has been acquired by Eskom for possible future power generation purposes. As a result the Kouga Coast Sub-Regional Structure Plan has been replaced by the recommendations of the SDF. The following land use changes apply:
* Any proposed changes to current land uses, in terms of standard rezoning procedures within the 16km monitoring and emergency zone, must be brought to the attention of Eskom Nuclear Sites Department at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, for their consideration and comment.
* Urban expansion of Oyster Bay and Umzamowethu, which falls within the 0-5km zone should not be permitted. Limited development within the urban edge
• Discourage future expansion of the Oyster Bay / Umzamowethu area, subject to Eskom comment and support
• Densification of existing residential erven can be supported on a limited scale
* The provision of a small school (without a hostel) to cater for local children may be supported in Oyster Bay.
* Institutional land uses such as prisons, old age homes and hospitals that may result in the concentration of a resident population should not be developed within 16km of the Thuyspunt site, because of potential evacuation difficulties.
* No new food processing plants to be allowed to be developed within the 16km; and
* Agricultural activities to be monitored within 16km.

With respect to the future development of the Thuyspunt site for power generating purposes, all National, Provincial and Local Legislative processes should be followed, with specific reference to relevant permits, environmental approval, implementation, design, development parameters and management of this site should be subject to all required approvals and international protocol associated with the land use type. Future development of the Thuyspunt site should take cognisance of bulk infrastructure and development of supporting land uses, with specific reference to housing, social facilities, etc.

Commenting further on the above, Kantey says: “While we accept the bona fides of the SDF process, we cannot follow the process which first chooses a site for a nuclear-power station during the Apartheid Era for military-strategic reasons, and then adjusts a SDF to fit the facts nearly 25 years' later - without proper, informed consultation among all stakeholders in the area.

“Like the highly successful Save Bantamsklip Campaign in the Overberg region, it is up to the citizens of Humansdorp, Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay, Sea Vista, Oyster Bay and Umzamowethu to join forces with the Supertubes Foundation, FAST, the Kromme Trust and the St Francis Ratepayers’ Associations and oppose this choice of a site for an unwelcome nuclear power station."