ABSTRACT
An industrial development zone (IDZ) – ‘an optimal area for the location of intentionally competitive industries’ – was proposed for the West Bank area (west of the Buffalo River) of East London in the Eastern Cape. The IDZ was part of the Government’s Spatial Development Initiatives (SDIs) programme. Possible modifications to the existing East London harbour or, alternatively, a new harbour at Fullers Bay on the West Bank were associated with the proposed development. The Border Metropolitan Development Corporation (BOMEDCO) is a non-profit company. It comprises provincial and local government representatives in the Eastern Cape, together with companies having an interest in development of the area for industry. BOMEDCO commissioned an SEA as part of a feasibility study for the IDZ. The SEA was initiated during the earliest stages of the feasibility studies for the proposed IDZ and harbour. It aimed to inform decision-making by BOMEDCO members on whether, and under what conditions, an IDZ could proceed in the area concerned. As far as can be judged from the SEA report, no specific industrial developments were identified or proposed by BOMEDCO for possible location within the proposed IDZ. Neither were any restrictions suggested for the type of industrial developments that might be sited there. So it would have been difficult to assess specific impacts on the environment.
