WIND TURBINES AND CAPE VULTURES: DRAFT EIA PROTOCOL OUT FOR COMMENT

WIND TURBINES AND CAPE VULTURES: DRAFT EIA PROTOCOL OUT FOR COMMENT

• 28 July 2023
• Environmental Law
• SA Legal Academy

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment has issued a second Government Gazette notice calling for public comments on a draft protocol to be followed when conducting specialist assessments of the impact on Cape vultures of onshore wind energy generation facilities. In that regard, the proposed new protocol includes minimum requirements for the content of reports accompanying environmental authorisation applications. It is envisaged that the protocol would apply only to wind turbine developments in sites identified as having significant potential for collisions. 

The first call for input was gazetted in November 2022.

Listed as an endangered species in 2016 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the bird has apparently responded well to conservation measures but is nevertheless still listed as vulnerable (Endangered Wildlife Trust).

In a separate Government Gazette notice, the department has called for public comments on proposed amendments to protocols on the specialist assessment and minimum report content requirements to be met when determining the likely impact on animal and plant species of any activity requiring environmental authorisation. It is mooted that the term ‘terrestrial’ be removed, which would allow these protocols to be applied to freshwater and terrestrial species. 

Input on both sets of proposals is sought by 27 August 2023.

• notice on Cape vulture protocol
• notice on animal and plant species protocols 

Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch

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