From forward planning to implementation: A review of the past five years
Speech delivered by Mr Anton Bredell, Minister Of Local Government, Environmental Affairs And Development Planning at the Provincial Legislature
Honourable Speaker,
Honourable Premier of the Western Cape,
Provincial Cabinet Colleagues,
Members of the Provincial Legislature,
Executive Mayors,
Municipal Managers,
Head of Department,
CEO of CapeNature,
Senior Managers,
Invited Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Colleagues and friends.
My Department and Cape Natue is Constitutionally tasked, and also through specific legislation, to ensure that our beautiful landscapes, sea-scapes and natural environment is preserved for future generations. How we do this, depends on how we administer legislation in terms of our decison making. My Department has the responsibility to adminster national and provincial environmental and planning legislation; to make wise judgements and informed decisions; to sustain and nurture the natural environment, whilst ensuring that we contribute to the reduction of poverty through a virtuous cycle of growth and development. Cape Nature is tasked to ensure that the biodiversity, which includes the Cape Floral Kingdom, the most diverse of the 6 plant Kingdoms of the World that occurs almost entirely within the Western Cape, will continue to receive the highest protection.
Die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie staar ’n aantal uitdagings in die gesig vanweë die herstellende en ongelyke globale ekonomie. Ons word almal daardeur beïnvloed. Ons moet as die Wes-Kaapse regering op hierdie oorgang en ekonomiese onsekerheid reageer, om te verseker dat ons vir toekomstige geslagte ’n meer volhoubare omgewing daarstel.
Ek herbevestig ons steun vir die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan (NOP), want die Wes-Kaapse Regering is op rekord deur te noem dat die NOP die Wes-Kaap se visie van ’n ope geleentheid-gemeenskap vir almal komplementeer.
I reaffirm our support for the National Development Plan (NDP), because the WCG is on record in stating that the NDP complements the Western Cape Government’s vision of an open opportunity society for all.
Honourable Speaker, the NDP speaks of Transforming Human Settlements, the Urban Space Economy and an Integrated and Inclusive Rural Economy. We will be aligning to this through the implementation of our reviewed Provincial Spatial Development Framework (PSDF), the implementation of Planning Law Reform (SPLUMA and LUPA); our Built Environment Support Programme (BESP); and our Municipal Support Programmes. The Department and our entity CapeNature will also be aligning to the NDP around Environmental Sustainability, with exciting new programmes to be undertaken in terms of Environmental Impact Management, Coastal and Estuary Management. We will be going into our second year of implementation with our flagship Berg River Improvement Plan. Furthermore, the Integrated Catchment Management approach adopted by CapeNature will continue to ensure the sustainability of the water supply for the Western Cape.
The Department will also continue with the development and implementation of the Departmental Integrated Management Information System Project (DIMIS) and the Air Quality Health Risk Assessment.
The implementation of the NDP cannot be given effect to without a clear framework of accountability. Working with the framework of my policy priority areas exemplifies this notion. Key to the successful implementation of the NDP at all levels will be for the different sectors of society and all three spheres of government to answer the following questions:
What Will be Implemented, by When and by Whom?
Key to answering this question, will have to be that we work on an integrated basis inter-governmentally and actively pursue and build partnerships with all sectors of society in implementing our programmes and projects. My Department and Cape Nature has worked tirelessly in term to do the necessary ground work and forward planning, to ensure that we can improve on service delivery. Although planning is an ongoing task, we are now at an implementation phase for most projects, which is critical for service delivery.
Ná ’n proses van ongeveer vyf jaar, het my Departement in Februarie 2014 die tertafellegging van die Wetsontwerp op Wes-Kaapse Grondgebruiksbeplanning van 2013 gefasiliteer. Hierdie Wetsontwerp, sodra dit in werking tree sal ruimtelike geregtigheid, volhoubaarheid, doelmatigheid, ruimtelike weerkragtigheid en goeie grondgebruiksbeplanningsadministrasie in die Provinsie bevorder. Hierdie Wetsontwerp bevestig ons visie om as ’n doeltreffende en doelmatige provinsiale regering te regeer. Op betekenisvolle wyse sal die grondwetlike skeiding van die mandate van die munisipale en provinsiale regeringsfere ten opsigte van ruimtelike beplanning en grondgebruiksbestuur deur hierdie nuwe wetgewing vasgelê word. Dit word beplan dat die Wetsontwerp voor die einde van hierdie parlementêre termyn deur hierdie Huis goedgekeur sal word.
Terwyl die Wetsontwerp ten opsigte van gehalte ruimtelike beplanning in ooreenstemming met die visie van die NOP is, het dit ’n maatstaf ten opsigte van provinsiale beplanning-regshervorming daargestel. Ons is in vennootskap met die nasionale Departement van Landelike Ontwikkeling en Grondhervorming, as die verantwoordelike party vir die nasionale Wet op Ruimtelike Beplannings- en Grondgebruikbestuur, 2013, Wet 16 van 2013 (WRBGGB) om te verseker dat ons Wetsontwerp met die Wet ooreenstem. My Departement het, as deel van die implementering van die nuwe beplanningstelsels in die Wes-Kaap, ’n beplanningsveranderingsbestuurstrategie en ’n munisipale ondersteuningsprogram ontwikkel, wat reeds in die Provinsie geïmplementeer word.
My Department has completed its review of the Provincial Spatial Development Framework (PSDF) earlier this month. PSDF 2014 is intended to be a bridge between the NDP, the Provincial transversal management strategies and the municipal spatial development frameworks, from which planning led budgeting and collective service delivery will result.
The Provincial Cabinet approved the Regional Socio-Economic Project (RSEP) and the Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrade (VPUU) Programme within the context of the PSDF. The RSEP/VPUU Programme is a transversal and inter-governmental programme in partnership with the municipalities of Theewaterskloof, Drakenstein, Saldanha Bay, Swartland and Breede Valley. The programme will drive socio-economic development in targeted areas based on the principles of the PSDF and the VPUU methodology. Provincial Treasury will be responsible for the Programme’s overall fiscal coordination and my Department will be responsible for the Programme’s operational coordination and project management.
- An amount of R100 million has been allocated to the programme over the MTEF period.
A number of projects on our 2014/15 Budget support the WCG’s vision for a Green Economy. One such project is the Berg River Improvement Plan, which forms part of the Department’s Sustainable Water Management Plan. The Berg River Improvement Plan addresses water quality and security concerns, as well as river rehabilitation in the river catchment. This programme will be on-going over the MTEF period under my Department’s stewardship and it has a significant transversal focus – a number of Provincial Departments are involved, as well as the Municipalities of Stellenbosch, Drakenstein and Berg Rivier.
- R 13.258 million has been allocated to the Department over the 2014/15 MTEF for the continued implementation of the Berg River Improvement Plan (BRIP)
My Departement en CapeNature werk saam met die Departement van Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling en Toerisme aan verskeie Groen Ekonomie-projekte. Die fokus van my Departement sal gerig wees op die verlening van bystand aan ’n aantal dwarsleggende projekte en om die leidende departement ten opsigte van die volgende projekte te wees:
- R200 000 is toegewys aan die ontwikkeling van ’n Wes-Kaapse Volhoubaarheid en Groen Ekonomie-aanduidersverslag vir die 2014/2015-periode;
- R900 000 is toegewys aan die Volhoubare Nedersetting Landelike Munisipaliteit-ondersteuningsprogram oor die MTUR-periode;
Another Departmental Green Economy project is the Ecological Goods and Services Investment Case. Phase 1, undertaken during 2013/2014, points to the value and cost of ecosystem goods and services, biodiversity business tools and opportunities, a decision support matrix, financial instruments that can be used to realise the value of ecosystems, and corporate involvement opportunities. In Phase 2, which will be undertaken in 2014/2015, the ecosystems economy market will be supported through building the capacity to understand and implement ecosystem value-add in municipalities, communities and potential investors. There will also be a specific focus to broker the required relationships and partnerships that will lead to improved biodiversity and ecosystem functioning through biodiversity enterprise development, green collar jobs and knowledge transfer.
- R 6.432 million has been allocated to the valuation of ecosystem goods and services (Phase 2) over the MTEF period.
My Departement het onlangs die oorsig van die Wes-Kaapse Klimaatsveranderingsrespons-strategie voltooi en sal nou die Klimaatsveranderings Implementerings Raamwerk implementeer. Die Raamwerk het ten doel om ’n aantal openbare beleidsrigtings ten opsigte van klimaatsverandering en die nadelige effek daarvan, beleidsrigtings en optrede wat deur die toepaslike openbare sektor-departemente uitgevoer sal word, saam te snoer.
- R700 000 is oor die 2014/2015-MTUR-periode vir die Klimaatsveranderings Implementerings Raamwerk aan die Departement toegewys.
The Department is required to provide strategic support and oversight over the performance of CapeNature, our Provincial entity. In 2013 we undertook a process of aligning the strategic objectives of the Department’s Biodiversity Programme to that of CapeNature through an Inter-departmental Biodiversity Task Team. The review resulted in an an Implementation Plan, which has as its basis the objective of Working Better Together. The key elements of the Implementation Plan, for implementation over the next 18 months, are:
- Develop a Provincial Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) for the Western Cape
- Undertake legal review and associated reform to the current Western Cape Nature Conservation Board Act, 1998, as part of an overarching biodiversity policy and legal reform process
- Develop and implement a Monitoring and Evaluation System for the Department to undertake its oversight role over CapeNature
- Revise the Memorandum of Agreement between CapeNature and the Department
Die Provinsiale Biodiversiteitstrategie en Aksieplan (PBSAP) is ’n instrument wat die WKR-departemente, CapeNature, munisipaliteite en plaaslike gemeenskappe moet verenig om saam te werk om te verseker dat biodiversiteit in die Provinsie optimaal deur almal bewaar, volhou, benut en gelykwaardig gedeel word. Die PBSAP sal ook die mandaat, funksies, prioriteite en verwante verantwoordelikhede van die betrokke partye in provinsiale biodiversiteitsbestuur definieer.
The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) allocation to CapeNature entails R64.248 million over the 2014/15 MTEF. These allocations are to be utlised by CapeNature to maintain the EPWP service delivery, whilst fulfilling its biodiversity management mandate. EPWP job opportunities to be created are 1 357 in total, translating into 420 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) for 2014/15. In this regard communities surrounding CapeNature-managed reserves continue to derive socio-economic benefits through the appointment of FTEs, who will carry out critical conservation management activities.
Other important 2014/15 Budget allocations that I wish to highlight are the following:
- A Sustainability Feasibility Study To investigate the Feasibility of implementing integrated Sustainable Settlement principles for sites in two municipalities receives an allocation of R 2.177 million during 2014/15;
- The Sandveld Environmental Management Framework, with an allocation of R956 000;
- Coastal Setback Lines projects in the West Coast, Overberg and Eden Districts, with an allocation of R2.59 million; and
- The finalisation of the Provincial Coastal Management Programme, with an allocation of R 2.515 million over the MTEF.
Honourable Speaker, my Department received a Vote 9 allocation of R 454.348 million for the 2014/15 financial period, which is an increase of 8.08 per cent on the Revised Estimates for 2013/14.
The total allocation for Vote 9 is shared between CapeNature (R230.203 million – 51%) and the Department (R224.145 million – 49%).
Honouroble Speaker, at the beginning of my five year term of office in the Environmental Affairs and Development Planning part of my portfolio, I made a number promises in public and I have delivered on them.
As die Minister verantwoordelik vir Omgewingsake en Ontwikkelingsbeplanning, is ek net so sterk soos die span wat my ondersteun. Ek wil dus van die geleentheid gebruik maak om die span te bedank wat so hard saam met my gewerk het om te verseker dat ons ons mandaat volvoer.
Laastens wil ek erkenning verleen aan die groot steun wat ons van die publiek en die privaatsektor ontvang. Die etos van die Wes-Kaapse regering word duidelik in hierdie verhoudinge waargeneem. Die Wes-Kaap is ’n uniek bedeelde globale streek wat ons almal uitnooi, as die huidige bewaarders van hierdie streek, om met die oog op ’n volhoubare toekoms vir die huidige inwoners en die geslagte wat na ons volg, met verantwoordbaarheid en wysheid op te tree.
Ek dank u.
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