Environmental Authorisation | Bizcommunity

Environmental Authorisation | Bizcommunity

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Further work on the Botsmaskop Fynbos Estate has been halted by the Western Cape High Court. Photo from an appendix in court papers.

Land Policy, Reform & Restitution

Court halts further work on luxury Stellenbosch mountain estate

John Yeld 23 Apr 2025

All infrastructure work on the R300m Botmaskop Fynbos Estate on the Helshoogte Pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek has already been completed. Photo from an appendix in the respondent’s court papers.

Property

Parties hold their breath in battle over R300m Stellenbosch mountain estate

John Yeld 26 Feb 2025

Renergen starts 2025 with helium hurdles and legal battles

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

Renergen starts 2025 with helium hurdles and legal battles

Lindsey Schutters 7 Jan 2025

Fishers in Port Nolloth are opposing TotalEnergies’ bid to explore for gas and oil off the West Coast. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

Court bid to block TotalEnergies gas project off West Coast

7 Nov 2024

Local community members and supporters of Sustaining the Wild Coast and Greenpeace celebrated a court victory outside the Eastern Cape High Court in Makhanda in September 2022. Archive photo: Lucas Nowicki / GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

Court asked to stop Shell’s seismic tests once and for all

Tania Broughton 2 Jul 2024

A government proposal to drop some statutory safeguards for the Kruger National Park has raised the alarm among some experts. Photos: John Yeld

Environment & Natural Resources

New proposal puts Kruger National Park’s environmental safeguards 'at risk'

John Yeld 31 May 2024

The Western Cape High Court has dismissed an attempt by Noordhoek environmentalists to set aside approval for a road link in an area where the endangered Western Leopard Toad breeds. Archive photo: John Yeld / GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

Judge rules for 'road' in legal clash with 'toads'

John Yeld 24 Apr 2024

The Alexkor coffer-dam wall between two dams at high tide. Photos from a Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment report titled: “Enforcement: In Loco Inspection Report – The salt/tidal flats of the Orange River Mouth Ramsar site”, published 28 January 2020.

Environment & Natural Resources

Alexkor vs Creecy in environment court battle

John Yeld 12 Apr 2024

The green area is where Searcher Geodata will do its seismic survey in 2024. Map from consultant’s environmental assessment report

Environment & Natural Resources

Australian company to start seismic survey off West Coast in January

Steve Kretzmann 7 Dec 2023

Image source: Kervin Edward Lara from

Environment & Natural Resources

Requirements for environmental authorisation for renewable energy facility published

6 Dec 2023

Sand mining company appeals against refusal of water licence in Philippi

Agriculture

Sand mining company appeals against refusal of water licence in Philippi

Liezl Human 26 Oct 2023

Coal, Oil & Gas

South Africa gives go-ahead for TotalEnergies offshore drilling

Wendell Roelf 2 Oct 2023

Image source: Jean van der Meulen from

Environment & Natural Resources

First National Biodiversity Offset Guideline published

26 Jun 2023

#BizTrends2023: New power supply model to transform SA's energy market

Trends

#BizTrends2023: New power supply model to transform SA's energy market

Niveshen Govender 9 Jan 2023

Environmental authorisations may no longer be required for solar PV installations

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

Environmental authorisations may no longer be required for solar PV installations

Garyn Rapson and Nonhlanhla Mnengi 28 Sep 2022

Seismic judgment: Court overturns exploration rights granted to Shell

Sustainability

Seismic judgment: Court overturns exploration rights granted to Shell

Tania Broughton 1 Sep 2022

SA's energy crisis: the practical implications of government's proposed interventions

Energy

SA's energy crisis: the practical implications of government's proposed interventions

Jason van der Poel, Mzukisi Kota, Hielien Venter, Aviva Hoekstra, Emma Bleeker 8 Aug 2022

Members of the Goringhaicona and others opposing the River Club development celebrate the dismissal of an urgent application to depose Tauriq Jenkins (centre) as supreme high commissioner of the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council. Together with the Observatory Civic Association, the council has led litigation against the development. Photo: Steve Kretzmann / GroundUp

Land & Property Law

River Club contempt of court hearing pushed back another week

Steve Kretzmann 28 Jul 2022

Energy

Eskom set to expand power lines without environmental authorisation, Ramaphosa says

Katja Hamilton 25 Jul 2022

Creecy announces new EA process for renewable energy projects

Environment & Natural Resources

Creecy announces new EA process for renewable energy projects

22 Jul 2022

Image source: Brad Weaver from

Environmental Law

Have your say on hydraulic fracturing / fracking

14 Jul 2022

Image source: Vladislav Gajic –

Environmental Law

Big shift to environmental legislative landscape is finally here

Garyn Rapson, Kirsty Kilner & Carma Rossouw 28 Jun 2022

Court bid to stop Shell seismic survey off Wild Coast underway

Environment & Natural Resources

Court bid to stop Shell seismic survey off Wild Coast underway

Tania Broughton 30 May 2022

Landowner consent requirement withdrawn for mining-related EA applications

Mining

Landowner consent requirement withdrawn for mining-related EA applications

Garyn Rapson and Tendai Bonga 11 Mar 2022

Western Cape government joins battle over mining

Mining

Western Cape government joins battle over mining

John Yeld 23 Feb 2022

Creating an investment-ready platform for infrastructure projects in the emerging aquaculture sector

Agriculture

Creating an investment-ready platform for infrastructure projects in the emerging aquaculture sector

Dr Keith Du Plessis 9 Feb 2022

New court case launched to stop Shell's seismic survey on Wild Coast

Environment & Natural Resources

New court case launched to stop Shell's seismic survey on Wild Coast

Tania Broughton 7 Dec 2021

Shell wins court case to start seismic surveys offshore South Africa

Environment & Natural Resources

Shell wins court case to start seismic surveys offshore South Africa

3 Dec 2021

River Club was not on Amazon's shortlist - court papers

Property Development

River Club was not on Amazon's shortlist - court papers

Steve Kretzmann 2 Dec 2021

Compliance blitz on the cards for the agrochemicals sector

Agriculture

Compliance blitz on the cards for the agrochemicals sector

Garyn Rapson and Tendai Bonga 19 Nov 2021

The proposed N2 Toll Road will cut through Sigidi village. Map: Lisa Nelson

Construction & Engineering

Should the proposed N2 toll road through the Wild Coast be moved?

Daniel Steyn 4 Nov 2021

Turbines on a wind farm outside Caledon near Cape Town, South Africa. Photo by Nardus Engelbrecht/Gallo Images/Getty Images

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

South Africa's power generation plans are out of date: an urgent rethink is needed

Hartmut Winkler 10 Aug 2021

Environmental management plan published for adoption

Environment & Natural Resources

Environmental management plan published for adoption

15 Apr 2021

The Pretoria High Court has stopped Uthaka Energy from starting to mine coal this week in the critical water source area of Mabola, Mpumalanga. Archive photo: supplied

Mining

Court stops Mpumalanga coal mine

John Yeld 26 Mar 2021

The Inyanda-Roodeplaat wind farm site in the Eastern Cape, taken from the cover of an Environmental Impact Report.

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

Controversial Watsons' wind farm approval overturned on review

John Yeld 24 Mar 2021

Gillian Niven and Kirsty Kilner

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

Incentivising renewable energy development: moving one step closer, or two steps back?

Kirsty Kilner & Gillian Niven 9 Mar 2021

Blow for activists in River Club development

Property Development

Blow for activists in River Club development

Daniel Steyn 1 Mar 2021

Much of the West Coast between Elands Bay in the south and Alexander Bay in the north is, or has already been, the target of mining operations. Photos: John Yeld

Mining

Court challenge to West Coast beach mining

John Yeld 13 Nov 2020

Province goes to court over River Club ruling

Land & Property Law

Province goes to court over River Club ruling

Steve Kretzmann 30 Oct 2020

The River Club, currently a nine-hole golf course, is to be rezoned and will house new headquarters for giant multi-national company Amazon, following a decision by the City’s Municipal Planning Tribunal on Friday. Photo: Steve Kretzmann

Property Development

Municipal tribunal gives go-ahead to mega-development at Two Rivers Urban Park

Steve Kretzmann 23 Sep 2020

The West Coast One wind farm near Vredenburg has operated since 2015. Environment minister Barbara Creecy says the wake effect on this facility of a proposed new neighbouring wind farm must be investigated before it can also be approved. Photo: John Yeld

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

Creecy upholds appeal against giant West Coast wind farm

John Yeld 9 Sep 2020

R4bn River Club development clears major obstacle

Property Development

R4bn River Club development clears major obstacle

Steve Kretzmann 31 Aug 2020

Pre-Covid on-site inspection

Science & Engineering

Covid-19 calls for balance strategy for technical audits

3 Jul 2020

The map shows the location of the new Juno Wind Farm. Graphic: from the Supplementary Heritage Report by Sarah Winter and Nicolas Baumann (July 2019)

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

Giant turbine farm set to harvest West Coast wind

John Yeld 11 May 2020

Environment minister Barbara Creecy’s decision to allow mining on ten more West Coast beaches has prompted criticism from environmentalists. Photo: John Yeld

Sustainability

"New broom" minister Barbara Creecy raises dust

John Yeld 9 Apr 2020

Environmental emergencies as a consequence of Covid-19

Environmental Law

Environmental emergencies as a consequence of Covid-19

20 Mar 2020

New twist in Noordhoek wetland road controversy

Sustainable Development

New twist in Noordhoek wetland road controversy

John Yeld 3 Mar 2020

The view looking east across the West Coast with the village of Paternoster in the foreground. The recently approved Boulders Wind farm will stand on the hills in the background, directly in this view. Photo: John Yeld

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

Wind farm says massive new rival could cost it "hundreds of millions" in lost energy

John Yeld 19 Feb 2020