Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature holds public hearings on Integrated Coastal Management Bill; Air Quality Management Bill and Legal Metrology Bill
The Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism shall hold public hearings on the above mentioned Bills from Tuesday, 4 February to Friday, 7 February 2014 around the Eastern Cape province. The public hearings are held in line with the Legislature’s drive to connect with the people through interactive public participation programmes.
1. Integrated Coastal Management Amendment Bill
Key objectives are to:
- provide for the declaration of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs);
- provide for management of marine protected areas;
- make transitional arrangements; and
- generally bring the management of all aspects of marine protected area management under the purview of the protected areas regime in the Act.
2. Air Quality Management Bill
Key objectives are to:
- amend the National Environmental Management Air Quality Act, 2004
- provide for the establishment of the National Air Quality Advisory Committee
- provide for the consequences of unlawful commencement of a listed activity
- provide for the monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the implementation of an approved pollution prevention plan
- empower the MEC or Minister to take a decision in the place of the licensing authority under certain circumstances
- provide for the development of regulations on climate change matters and the procedure and criteria for administrative fines.
3. Legal Metrology Bill
Key objective are to:
- Provide for the administration and maintenance of legal metrology technical regulations in order to promote fair trade and to protect public health and safety and the environment.
- Promote Fairtrade and to protect public health and safety and environment.
- Provide for the implementation of a regulatory and compliance system for legal metrology by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specification and for the administration and maintenance of legal metrology technical regulations.
- Provide for marker surveillance by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications in order to ensure compliance with legal metrology technical regulations.
Members of the public and interested stakeholders are invited to attend and comment on these Bills. Copies of the Bills may be obtained at www.ecleg.gov.za. Written and verbal submissions may be made to the Committee Coordinator, Ms Amanda Sileku on asileku@ecleg.gov.za or by fax 040 639 3214 or at 0825624526. All submissions must be made before Friday, 18 February 2014.
Details of the public hearings:
Date: 4 to 7 February 2014
Time: 10h00 daily
Venue: See attached programme
Members of the media are invited to be part of these public hearings. For interviews, kindly liaise with the undersigned.
