Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Budget Vote Speech 2012/2013

Agbare Speaker
Geagte Premier en lede van die Provinsiale Kabinet
Die agbare leier van die Opposisie en leiers van die verskillende politieke partye Agbare lede van die Provinsiale Parlement
Hoofde van departemente en senior bestuurders Kollegas en vriende
Inwoners van die Wes-Kaap

Welkom en baie dankie vir die geleentheid om u toe te spreek.

Laat my eerstens toe om mnr. Piet van Zyl formeel bekend te stel en hom ook te bedank dat hy die pos van Departementshoof aanvaar het. Ek wens hom alles van die beste toe in hierdie fundamentele leierskaprol wat hy, saam met sy span bestuurders, vervul, om die wetgewende mandaat van my departement te volvoer, asook die visionêre verpligting, om te verseker dat ons 'n Wes-Kaap bou wat aan al sy inwoners 'n oop samelewing skenk.

Speaker –hierdie visie vra van ons almal om te verseker dat elke persoon oor die vermoë, die hulpbronne en die krag beskik om 'n lewe van waarde te lei.

In order to ensure this and to enhance our service delivery policy priorities, my Department has taken strategic decisions to improve existing working relations with other spheres of government and important stakeholders, in support of our intention to being “Better Together”.

Mr Speaker, my delivery will focus on an account of progress and a commitment from me and my team to present plans that are

• budget aligned, 
• within mandate,
• that will deliver on policy priorities and ultimately, if not most importantly,
• what we are doing for the ordinary citizen to whom we are accountable.

Samuel Taylor once said that, “there are no rights whatsoever without corresponding duties”. It is our constitutional right to clean air, clean water and a clean natural environment but it is also our responsibility to work together to be able to enjoy these rights.

This has made me realise that it is important for us to accept that with rights comes a responsibility to ourselves and our fellow citizens. In order for us to be “Better Together” we must accept the responsibility and individual duty to ensure that the state of the natural environment is protected for future generations.
 
Speaker, my address will allude to why being Better Together can work, how it is already working and why it is the only approach which will ensure that the citizens we serve have the quality of life they all deserve.

I will share perspectives of how working with the different spheres of national and local government informs better decision making which impacts on service delivery imperatives.

Voorts wil ek uitbrei oor my departement se wetgewende verantwoordelikhede en hoe dit die mense op straat dien – dié mense wat nie kan doen wat ons as regering doen nie.
Dit is ook belangrik vir my om die verantwoordelikheid wat die landsburgers aanvaar het, om te verseker dat die toestand van die omgewing vir toekomstige geslagte bewaar word, te erken.

Mr Speaker, during my previous address I introduced the Provincial Strategic Objective 7 – Mainstreaming Sustainability and Optimising Resource-use Efficiency, as a new approach to enhance the ability of my Department to have an impact on the environmental challenges we face in this Province. This new way of conducting our business ensures that we do the right thing without compromising environmental and planning legislative processes.

Firstly, we are being “Better Together” as we have strategically and through mandated obligations aligned ourselves with the national outcome 10 strategic priority which is to “protect and enhance our environmental assets and natural resources”.

I can confidently state that my Department is contributing and meeting its obligation to this national strategic priority.

Mr Speaker, governance and sound leadership are some of the qualities that characterise effective municipalities. This sphere of government is crucial to uplift our people and to effect the change which is needed on the ground.

I am pleased to announce that my Department through the Development Facilitation Unit has in the past financial period conducted 25 capacity building workshops. Suffice to say that this team has addressed 100% of all requests received for development facilitation services from Western Cape municipalities.

Mr Speaker, we are being “Better Together” as we jointly work to improve the socio-economic conditions of the citizens by fostering co-operative governance with all municipalities.

These capacity building initiatives ensure that local and provincial spheres of government work towards the consistent interpretation of the environmental, planning and related legislation.
 
In essence - we must understand each other.

We live in a developing country which is rich in diversity and it is evident that we need to be practical and real about what we can achieve, and whether or not what we have set out to do is addressing the “real needs” of the estimated 5.3 million people in this Province.

Sound and responsible working relations are the corner stone of any successful service delivery strategy. Mr Speaker, during the 2009/10 financial period my Department investigated 207 complaints received from the public at large regarding issues of environmental contraventions.

During the 2010/11 financial period an escalated statistic revealed that 233 complaints were received and investigated. It is also the intention of my team to investigate 100% of the complaints received in the new financial period.

This is an indication that our communities are becoming more and more aware of their environmental rights and how to work together with my Department to protect their natural environment. Mr Speaker, it is important that I express my gratitude to this team and that of CapeNature who, during the previous financial period, undertook 133 law enforcement actions to combat the loss of bio diversity.

I am also proud to announce that six (6) Environmental Management Inspectors have been registered at CapeNature and the target set for the new financial period is to register 10. Therefore, based on this increased capacity 30 criminal enforcement actions will be undertaken during 2012/13.

There is an important message Mr Speaker;
Biodiversity crime remains an enormous threat to our biodiversity and CapeNature‟s law enforcement officer‟s objective is to decrease biodiversity crime.

Successes
1)    CapeNature conducted a total of 133 law enforcement actions to combat loss of biodiversity The breakdown of the 133 actions are the following:

• 32 written warnings
• 14 case dockets and 87 written notice to appear in court.

This information only reflects the actions from 1 April 2011 to 31 December 2011.
 
Allow me to emphasise that I recognise this work as the manner in which we serve the non- affluent communities by ensuring that their right to a clean and protected environment is upheld.

We do care. We are responsive and because of our competent teams we can be held accountable.

Working together also means doing the right thing, in terms of this mandate – it is important that we do not compromise the environmental and planning legislative processes, while ensuring maximum service delivery impact. I started to lead this Department by identifying specific strategic policy priorities that fulfil the legislative mandate in terms of the environmental sector and that will address the environmental challenges specific to the Western Cape.

Allow me to confidently state that these policy priority areas have allowed my department to enhance co-operative governance relations in the interest of improving the socio-economic challenges of our communities.

Mr Speaker, my Department set out to address one of the most challenging service delivery imperatives in this water scarce province.

Through strategic working relations with the national and local spheres of government and after provincial wide consultation with key stakeholders my Department developed and finalised a Status Quo Report on water in the Province during the 2011/12 financial period.

A Western Cape Sustainable Water Management Plan which followed from this was completed in March of the current financial period and will be presented to Cabinet for endorsement. The implementation of this will commence in the new financial period.

What will be done?

    This component in my Department as led by Dr Joy Leaner, will prioritise river and estuary rehabilitation to address pollution in key economically important rivers of the Western Cape.
It is the intention of my team to work closely with the Berg River Task Team led by the National Department of Water Affairs and joined by the Department of Local Government and CapeNature;
 
    We will also be working closely with the National Estuary Monitoring Programme and National River Health Programme to develop monitoring protocols during this financial period, in order to monitor water quality in those rivers and estuaries.

My Department, Mr Speaker, has also developed an Action Plan to implement the Provincial Programme of Action on reducing land-based pollution to the marine environment. To date, we have mapped point sources of pollution in 10 priority estuaries in the Western Cape.

A budget in excess of R 1.1 million has been allocated to implement these interventions.

We work very closely on this with our entity, CapeNature, which hosts the CAPE Estuaries Programme; and then also with the National Department of Environmental Affairs which has prioritized estuaries for environmental protection.

During the new financial year, we will further prioritize estuaries for rehabilitation and monitoring of water quality, taking cognizance of the Estuary Management Plans that have been developed via the CAPE Estuaries Programme.

While I echo the sentiments of working together, allow me Speaker to thank Mr Rashid Khan and his team from the Western Cape Regional Office of Water Affairs who has shown commitment and support to my Department as we tackle water management in this Province.

Mr Speaker, CapeNature, under the leadership of CEO Manana Moroka, invited me to officially launch and open their flagship tourism offering, Oudebosch at the Kogelberg Nature Reserve during February 2012.

Oudebosch has set a new benchmark in sustainable development and has already received international recognition by being awarded the prestigious Holcim Award for Sustainable Construction.

Conservation cannot happen without the involvement of local communities. In order to ensure sustainability, communities need to experience the socio-economic benefits of conservation. Job creation and access to protected areas are all priorities for CapeNature in general and Kogelberg specifically.
 
The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve has invested an estimated R 3.5 million in employment opportunities for the local community. Work includes activities such as alien plant clearing, fire fighting, footpath and road maintenance and cleaning as well as gate services at the reserve.

Mr Speaker, we are reaching out to our communities by taking care of their natural environment and basic economic needs.

I am pleased to report that through the work of CapeNature an estimated 40 000 hectares of land was cleared of alien vegetation over a period of three (3) years. Clearing also requires a practice of consistent follow-up and this team has made valiant effort in this regard.

These programmes and related activities such as the suppression of wild-fires allows for the creation of job opportunities and I can account that 58 343 person days employment were created. This target has now been increased for the new financial period to 210 000 person days employment created.

Allow me Speaker to also convey my sincere gratitude to the Chairperson of the CapeNature Board, Professor Aubrey Redlinghuys and his co-directors for fulfilling and conducting their oversight responsibility with intent and professionalism.

Mr Speaker, climate change is evident. People are now looking to government at all spheres to provide solutions to this challenge. Allow me to state from the onset that this issue can only be addressed through a co-operative approach and support by civil society, government and the private sector. In order for government to effectively work towards addressing climate change, it must have clear guidance and a framework within which to address this policy priority.

Strategic relationships between all spheres of government are just as important and will ultimately determine the impact of work done by government.

During the 2009/10 financial period I approved the White Paper on Sustainable Energy for the Western Cape. The aim of this framework serves as an effective and practical tool to mitigate the effects of climate change and promote the eradication of energy poverty.

A draft Sustainable Energy Bill was borne from the White Paper and this provides a sustainable energy framework for the Province to promote sustainable energy practices. The Bill will now be subjected to a public participation process during the 2012/13 financial period.
 
Mr Speaker, it is the intention of my Department to provide support to four municipalities to develop sustainable energy plans during the new financial period.

In addition to advancing renewable energies as an alternative sustainable source of energy and encouraging improvements in energy efficiency, the Climate Change team led by Ms Helen Davies will provide support to four municipalities in the new financial period to develop climate change adaptation plans. This will be the consistent practice for the succeeding financial periods.

It is also the intention of my Department to expand the representation of municipalities on the working groups related to energy matters as this has now become a key policy priority.

Climate change also requires all spheres of government to make informed decisions to better prepare, adapt to and mitigate the envisaged consequences of climate change in general and specifically potential risk of sea level rise.

I can announce that Sea Level Rise Risk Assessments have been completed for the Eden, West Coast and Overberg District Municipalities. The Agulhas Coast assessment was recently completed. These assessments build local coastal capacity on how to adapt to the risk of sea level rise.

Speaker, I have explained that climate change requires an integrated approach by government and all stakeholders.

Funding in excess of R 1.6 million has been allocated for a series of deliverables related to climate change for the new financial period.

Part of the work which will be done during the new financial year will include the review of Western Cape policies and strategies to ensure alignment with the National White Paper on Climate Change.
This was one of the key decisions made by the Western Cape after involvement at the COP17 Conference which took place during 2011.

Mr Speaker, it was just as important for my Department to take COP17 to our stakeholders. A series of Municipal and Community Climate Change Summits were hosted across five district municipalities. This was also supplemented through the distribution of awareness raising material to municipalities sourced from the COP17 Conference.
 
 

Mr Speaker, the ability of a government and more specifically the Western Cape Government to make informed decisions on land use provides an indication of the degree of sustainable thinking.

In essence: this means ensuring that we find a balance between maintaining the natural environment while promoting economic growth.

Urban sprawl, Mr Speaker, and informal settlements remain a reality and this is worsened by poor planning decisions that impact on the socio-economic state of the Province.

I am proud to announce that my Department as led by Mr Chris Rabie and team will facilitate the approval of the Land Use Planning Act during the new financial period. A draft Bill was finalised after lengthy consultations with Western Cape municipalities and Province wide public workshops have already commenced involving all key stakeholders.

R 358 000 has been allocated to ensure the delivery of this project.

Die wetgewende raamwerk sal alle bestaande wetgewing konsolideer en verbeterde gerigtheid met beplanning en ander ontwikkelingswetgewing verseker.

Speaker, een van die primêre doelwitte van die Grondgebruik-beplanningswet, is om die verdeling van die magte van die verskillende regeringsfere, soos voorsien in ons Grondwet, ten opsigte van grondbesluitneming, uit te klaar. Hierdie wetgewing moedig gesonde beplanningspraktyke, sosio-ekonomiese –en omgewingsintegrasie, sowel as koöperatiewe regering aan

Speaker, my departement wil ook gedurende die nuwe finansiële tydperk die Geïntegreerde Hersiening van die Provinsiale Ruimtelike Ontwikkelingsraamwerk finaliseer.

Die hersiening van die PSDF was noodsaaklik omdat dit nie net „n wetlike vereiste is nie, maar ook omdat nuwe inligting ten opsigte van verskeie aspekte, insluitend die verskillende rolle van die Wes-Kaapse Regering en munisipaliteite, dit genoodsaak het. In die vorige boekjaar is die Groei Potensiaal-studie van Dorpe gefinaliseer en „n gevolglike tweede fase was noodsaaklik.
 
Die resultate van laasgenoemde, saam met die Provinsiale Ruimtelike Plan sal geïnkorporeer word in die hersiene Provinsiale Ruimtelike Ontwikkelingsraamwerk wat „n aanduiding sal gee aan beleggers waar die Wes-Kaapse Regering ekonomiese groei wil bevorder en fasiliteer, asook waar ons meen die beste ontwikkelingsgeleenthede is.

Speaker, fondse van meer as R 1.8 miljoen is hieraan toegewys.

I can also announce, Mr Speaker, that various general amendments to zoning scheme regulations were made to reflect new planning policies and trends including provision for renewable energy installations such as solar and wind generating structures in the landscape, including parameters to ensure that these facilities are sensitive to the environment and the visual landscape of the Western Cape.

Over the last number of years significant support has been given to Municipalities to improve their Spatial Development Frameworks and Integrated Human Settlement Plans through the Built Environment Support Programme (BESP). This support will continue in the new financial period.

Funding in excess of R 4.5 million has been allocated to this deliverable as part of the BESP work.

Speaker, besoedeling en afval, sowel as oneffektiewe vervoer en ander brongebruike verhoog die impak op die omgewing.

Een van die strategiese uitkomste wat vir my departement gestel is, was om „n Lug-kwaliteitsplan te implementeer. Hierdie plan is tydens die 2009/10-finansiële tydperk voltooi.

Sedertdien is die Staat van Lug-kwaliteitsplanne gereeld ingedien ten opsigte van die vooruitgang van die implementering van hierdie plan.

Ek kan verslag lewer dat my departement gedurende die 2010/11-finansiële boekjaar atmosferiese lugkwaliteit by sewe (7) terreine gemonitor het en dat dié terreine tydens die nuwe boekjaar tot 9 sal vermeerder.

Samewerking bewys dat „n benadering wat vinnige resultate aanmoedig 'n manier is om te verseker dat ons gemeenskappe se reg tot skoon lug nie gekompromitteer word nie.

Speaker, my departement het gedurende 2010 'n interregerings-taakspan gelei om 'n aantal klagtes aan te spreek van inwoners oor onaangename reuke in die Oudtshoorn-gemeenskap.
 
Hierdie taakspan bestaan uit amptenare van die betrokke distriksmunisipaliteite en ander belangegroepe soos die Wes-Kaapse Departement van Gesondheid en die Departement van Waterwese en gaan voort om effektiewe bestuursbenaderings te vind om die klagtes aan te spreek.
Die bron-implikasies wat met lug-kwaliteitbestuur verband hou, sal in die nuwe boekjaar aangespreek word met fondse van meer as R4.9 miljoen.

With the intention to promote sustainable management practices as well as to guide and support municipalities and industries with regards to integrated waste management planning, my department developed the Western Cape Provincial Integrated Waste Management Plan. The Waste Management Plan ensures that the legislative waste licensing function is administered by my Department.

Laasgenoemde plan verseker dat die wetgewende afvallisensie-funksie deur my departement geadministreer word.

Speaker, we intend to implement a Green Procurement Policy to minimise the environmental impact of government operations by changing the focus of procurement considerations in areas such as paper and stationery, lighting equipment, office electronic equipment, events greening, cleaning products and services as well as waste services.

The policy has been developed and capacity building with key stakeholders commences in the new financial period. It is expected that the implementation of the policy will commence in the 2013/14 financial period.

Ek kan ook aankondig dat die Gesondheidsorg-afvalregulasies onder leiding van mnr Gottlieb Arendse en sy span geïmplementeer sal word tydens die nuwe finansiële tydperk, nadat alle wetgewende prosesse gevolg is.

Fondse wat hiervoor toegeken is – wat onder meer insluit die bewusmaking en kapasiteitsbou- inisiatiewe met belangegroepe, beloop meer as R1.2 miljoen.
 
 

Mr Speaker, my Department strives to be responsive, is diligent and ensures that the environmental and planning processes are managed effectively and with high levels of efficiency.

It is important for me to explain that while my Department can manage the efficient administration of applications during those stages of the process when information has been submitted to my Department for review or decision-making, it is imperative for applicants and their consultants to submit all the required information timeously.

Targets identified for the new financial period are as follows:
    800 EIA applications finalised
    90% of EIA applications finalised within legislated time frames
    1300 planning applications finalised

Whereas the  procedures, and  specifically Environmental Impact  Assessments (EIAs),  as such have often been blamed for resulting in development and service delivery delays, it is rather poor EIA project management and poor quality EIAs that often cause unnecessary delays.

My Department, as in the past, will again be releasing guidelines to assist applicants and their consultants as well as presenting a number of capacity building initiatives.

Speaker, my departement se Ontwikkelings-fasiliterings-eenheid (DFU‟s), onder leiding van mnr Gerhard Gerber, voorsien voorts ekstra ondersteuning aan die Wes-Kaapse munisipaliteite en staatsdepartemente in terme van hul ontwikkelingsaansoeke.

Deur die werk van die DFU en die res van mnr. Tony Barnes se span is goeie vordering gemaak om die EIA-projekbestuur en –kwaliteit te bereik.

Laasgenoemde is die toewyding van my span ten opsigte van effektiewe prosesbestuur. Dit is wat die regering kan vermag, maar daar is ‘n verantwoordelikheid wat deur die applikante aanvaar en verstaan moet word:

While reasons can be submitted to my Department as to why there has been a failure to comply with the requirements for consideration of applications, it is equally important for applications to bear in mind that legislation outlines that applicants can have their application lapsed if the required information is not submitted within (6) months.
 
Nuwe aansoeke sal dan van vooraf as deel van ‘n nuwe proses ingedien moet word.

Ek kan bevestig dat hierdie span tyd, vaardighede en bekwaamheid in al die prosesse van alle aansoeke investeer. Die vorige teikens wat behaal is, sowel as die nuwe teikens getuig van laasgenoemde.

Hoewel dit wat ons doen noodsaaklik is, is “beter tesame” slegs moontlik indien ons almal bewus is van wat van mekaar verwag word.

Speaker, hierdie span bestuur in essensie gespesialiseerde prosesse en fondse hieraan toegewys oorskry R36 miljoen.

Speaker, befondsing is „n beperkte bron wat inbreuk op die gehalte van dienslewering kan maak, hoewel die grootste uitdaging vir my departement is om die kontekstuele omgewings- uitdagings met die toegekende begroting aan te spreek.

Dit het egter nie die visie teruggehou om „n provinsie te skep waarbinne daar geleenthede vir sosio-ekonomiese groei is nie.

Die fondse beskikbaar vir die departement om sy wetgewende mandaat en provinsiale strategiese doelwitprioriteite te behaal is R177.5 miljoen, waarvan R 133.1 miljoen deur personeelkoste verbruik word.

CapeNature ontvang meer as 53% van die totale begroting van hierdie begrotingspos. Ten spyte van addisionele befondsing bly 80 van die 491 poste onbefonds. My departement het gespesialiseerde amptenare met skaars vaardighede in diens en daarmee saam gaan die behoud van personeel.

Speaker, „n klein verligting is bereik met die implementering van die Beroep Spesifieke Dispensasie om sodoende personeel te behou. Dit het egter „n betekenisvolle impak gehad deurdat dit addisionele stremming op die operasionele begrotings toewysing geplaas het.

My Bestuursondersteuningspan, wat deur mnr. Theo Gildenhuys gelei is, het daarvoor gesorg dat die laer vlak-poste afgeskaf is, met die doel om hoërvlak-gespesialiseerde poste te befonds.

Die uiteinde is dat, hoewel daar genoeg kundigheid in my departement ingebou is, daar minder personeellede is om funksionêre operasies uit te voer.
 
 

Speaker, my departement het sy eie spesifieke uitdagings maar waar moontlik het dit gewerk om „n verskil te maak.

Gedurende die afgelope twee jaar het ons geleenthede gefasiliteer om ambisieuse individue van fondse te voorsien om hul akademiese vooruitsigte te verbeter deur middel van interne en - eksterne beurse ter waarde van meer as R400 000 vir die 2010/11 en 2011/12 finansiële jaar, ook vir hierdie nuwe boekjaar.

Ek kan ook aankondig dat deur middel van „n belangegroep se uitreikprogram, CapeNature altesaam 117 skole by omgewingprogramme betrek het, benewens vyf (5) uitreikprogramme na gemeenskappe tydens die 2011/12-finansiële boekjaar.
Dit laat ons toe om ons toekomstige leiers te bemagtig en ons gemeenskappe in staat te stel om die belangrikheid van die natuurlike omgewing te begryp.

Speaker, CapeNature het „n teiken daargestel om na 14 nuwe rentmeesterskap bewaringsplekke uit te brei.

Dit is ook die doelwit van die span om „n geraamde 22 000 leerders met omgewingsonderwys geleenthede toe te rus, asook om

2 615 belangegroepe dmv omgewingsbewuswordings-aktiwiteite te betrek.

(6)    Ses jeuggroepe sal ook die geleentheid gegun word om in omgewingsprogramme geregistreer te word.
Speaker, vergun my om die amptenare van my departement, sowel as die personeel van CapeNature vir hul harde werk en toewyding te bedank vir die doel wat ons nastreef, asook my span Hoofdirekteure, Senior Bestuurders en die strategiese –en operasionele ondersteuningspan wat inhoud en sin verskaf het aan Strategiese Doelwit 7.

My departement het „n spesiale paradoks om te oorweeg – die balansering van ekonomiese groei, terwyl hul „n volhoubare natuurlike omgewing verseker.

Ek het nie uitgebrei oor die allesomvattende prosesse wat deur my departement en CapeNature bestuur word nie – ek het eerder probeer om „n geheelbeeld van verantwoordelikheid, integriteit, leierskap, institusionele funksie en verantwoordbaarheid dmv verantwoordelike prosesbestuur en voldoening aan omgewings –en beplanningswetgewing weer te gee.
 
Speaker
1.    My Department is aligned nationally;

2.    My Department understands its responsibility of oversight and empowerment to our local sphere of government;

3.    My Department is faced with challenges but we are very cognisant of the needs of our communities who need us to protect the state of their natural environment;

4.    My Department understands stakeholder relations as an approach to improving service delivery imperatives – PSO7 has allowed us to forge significant strategic relations and to abolish a silo working mentality;

5.    I am most aware that what we do today: will change the future of tomorrow and this can only be done when we work hand in hand.

MR SPEAKER – WE ARE “BETTER TOGETHER”.