Budget Speech by MEC Sylvia Lucas, Environment and Nature Conservation Northern Cape Provincial Legislature

Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker
Honourable Premier, Ms Hazel Jenkins
Fellow Colleagues in the Executive Council
Honourable Members of the Legislature
Dikgosi
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and gentlemen

Agbare Speaker, ons lê vandag ons begroting voor teen die agtergrond van ‘n paar belangrike herdenkings tydens die pas afgelope week. Eerstens het ons verlede Maandag Menseregtedag herdenk.  Die inaseming van skoon onbesoedelde lug is ‘n basiese mensereg.  Dinsdag het ons  Wêreld Waterdag herdenk.  Die toegang tot skoon water is lankal deur almal as ‘n basiese mensereg erken. Woensdag het ons Wereld Meteorologiese dag herdenk. Al hierdie herdenkings is daarop gemik om ons verantwoordelikheid teenoor ons omgewing te bevestig.

I am humbled to deliver this Budget Vote Speech during the month when we customary celebrate our basic human rights. A celebration that is so much more important and meaningful since it was born out of the commemoration of one of the worst atrocities and human rights violations of the struggle history of our people.

My Budget Vote Speech today takes its cue and is delivered within that context and more specifically with an emphasis on the environmental rights, at a time when the environment plays havoc in the form of natural disasters such as the recent earthquakes, tsunami’s and floods in Japan, Christchurch- New Zealand, Haiti, Brazil, Pakistan and even here at home in South Africa, be it at a much smaller magnitude and scale than elsewhere.

South Africa's Constitution has an environmental rights clause listed in the Bill of Rights, Chapter 2, Section 24 and therefore enshrines certain environmental rights as part of our human rights.

The Constitution further states that the fundamental rights of all South Africans will be protected and respected. Sadly though, some of these rights are often taken for granted, utterly disregarded and even conspicuously undermined. Dare I say that environmental rights often fall within the latter category. 

If this right was not taken for granted, disregarded or undermined, we would not have our streets so covered with rubbish, dumped and thrown around by people who care less about the implications of their littering actions.

If we all respected the fact that everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being, we would not have the acid drainage from mines threatening the safety of our water resources and related ecosystems and therefore the wellbeing of those people who are consuming that water.

If we cared for conservation of the environment for future generations we would not have used our natural resources so irresponsibly that we are now faced with climate change, the global phenomenon regarded as the greatest challenge facing our world this century.

I find qualification for my statement and observations here today in the following quote borrowed from a very progressive thinking Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States from 1933 to 1945 when she said the following about human rights:

“Where, after all, do Universal Rights begin?

“In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination.

Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerned citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”

The importance and supremacy of the cause for the protection, preservation and conservation of the environment was best expressed by none other than a great political leader and philosopher in the person of Mahatma Ghandi who when once asked whether India does not want to experience the same prosperity as Britain, responded by saying that Britain has used over half the earth’s natural resources to get where they are today, how many planets would India require.

I therefore dedicate this speech to all those environmental champions out there who take personal responsibility to give meaning to the right to an environment that is not harmful to human health or well-being and that is protected for the benefit of present and future generations.

• The mother who carefully separates her domestic waste to regain that which can be re-used and recycled,
• The entrepreneur who ventured into waste recycling and as such helps to minimise the volumes of waste that lands on municipal dumping sites and landfills,
• The manufacturer who makes an effort to reduce waste by packaging her products in recyclable containers, 
• The mining company that carefully rehabilitates the site after having extracted the valuable mineral resources from the earth, 
• The learner and school that participate in the Eco-School programme and as such contribute towards the preservation and protection of our biodiversity, 
• The private land owner who gives up a portion of their land to be managed as part of the provincial protected area estate under the stewardship programme for the effective conservation of  our natural resources
• The traveller who consciously consider his carbon footprint by coordinating his trips and opts to use public transport where possible.
• The municipality that provides effective basic refuse removal services and manages municipal waste according to an Integrated Waste Management Plan.
• The professional hunting outfitter and wildlife rancher who understands that preservation of wilderness and biodiversity is part of his business. 
  

We salute all of you, the unsung human rights heroes and heroines for doing your bit in both small and big ways. Because of your concerned citizen action to uphold and advance environmentally friendly practices close to home, we can look in confidence for rapid progress in the larger world, simply because “Working Together We Can Do More in advancing environmental rights!”

Honourable Speaker, our Constitution enjoins the State as represented by the government of the day to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights.

It is also true that government holds the environment in public trust for the people. It is therefore not by sheer coincidence that one of the twelve Outcomes that informs the work and delivery of this government is dedicated to this huge responsibility.

Outcome 10 enjoins the environmental sector in the province under the leadership of the Department of Environment and Nature Conservation to ensure that our Environmental assets & natural resources in the Northern Cape are valued, protected and continually enhanced.

Since we assumed office in 2009, this provincial government has invested in programmes, projects and campaigns that seek to achieve just that. The department’s strategic outlook for the 2011/12 financial year and ensuing medium term expenditure framework (MTEF) years continues to be informed by the strategic priorities, focus areas and activities aimed at achieving the government-wide deliverables as articulated in the Outcome 10 Delivery Agreement that was signed on 30 September 2010 between the Minister of Environmental Affairs and myself as MEC responsible for the environment in the Northern Cape.

My budget speech will therefore reflect on my department’s key programmatic activities that seek to address and or contribute best towards the Outcome 10 Delivery Agreement as well as the Job creation strategic priority as articulated by the Honourable President. 

Job Creation:

In her State of the Province Address, our Honourable Premier cited the environmental sector “as critical in our drive and vision for a prosperous province and as a rapidly emerging sector holds a huge potential for job creation.”

Before I dwell on the plans of the Department in that regard, allow me to briefly reflect on few of the department’s achievements that bear testimony to the aforementioned statement by the Premier.

One of the flagship projects initiated and supported by the Department, the Siyanda Waste Recycling Pilot Project in Upington, Last Hope Recycling Cooperative cc created and sustains for the past two years 11 permanent jobs (4 management and 7 operational staff) and 1100 persons who collectively earned a total of R208 000, 00 from selling their recyclable domestic waste to the Recycling enterprise. The further key success of the project is that it managed to divert 262 191 kg of recyclable domestic waste from landfills and or our streets in Upington.

Another success story is the Gasegonyane Indalo Yethu Cleaning and Greening project that has created and sustains 293 jobs occupied by 242 general workers, 25 semi-skilled workers, 13 team leaders and 3 supervisors over a two year contract. This is 193 jobs more than what I pronounced last year for this project.

The Working for the Coast Project funded by the National Department of Environment to the amount of R17 million created 123 jobs so far in the coastal towns of Hondeklip Bay, Port Nolloth and Alexander Bay in Namakwa. The jobs include cleaning of beaches, rehabilitation of the coast as well as maintenance and upgrading of the tourism facilities and infrastructure e.g. caravan parks, camp sites, hiking trails, etc.

The Regional Bulk Water Infrastructure project funded by the Department of Water Affairs also contributed 109 jobs over 10,978 person days at Kenhardt. 

Honourable Speaker,

When delivering his annual State of the Nation address in February this year, the President sharply expressed the concern of the ANC-led government about the persisting levels of unemployment and poverty in our country. In a bid to address these concerns, the President declared 2011 as the year of job creation through meaningful economic transformation and inclusive growth. He went on to cite the green economy and tourism as two of the six priority areas that according to research lend themselves to creation of jobs.

As provinsiale regering, onder die bekwame leierskap van ons agbare Premier, Me Hazel Jenkins het ons alreeds besluit om ons werkskeppingspogings te verdubbel deur elke moontlike geleentheid wat ons verskeie departmentele programme en projekte bied ten volle te benut.  U sal daarom onthou dat die agbare Premier in haar Provinsiale Rede alreeds my department spesifiek daartoe verbind het om gedurende Maart 2011 alle rolspelers in die omgewing en verwante sektore bymekaar te bring ten einde te beraadslag oor sogenaamde groen werke wat in die provinsie geskep kan word sodat ons tot die nasionale 2020 werkskeppingsteikens kan bydra. 

It is therefore my intention and duty as the deployed political and executive head of the Department of Environment and Nature Conservation in this province, I want to confirm in this House today that I will leave no stone unturned in leading the green job-creation drive in the province in response to the clarion call of our honourable President and Premier.

We were ready to host the Provincial Integrated Green Jobs and Climate Change Summit last week on the 24th and 25th of March, but had to postpone due to the University Summit that coincided with the date and which also needed our attendance and input as a sector. 

Re ipangkanetsa go tsenelela Kopano e go sekaseka ditshono tsa go tlhola mebereko mo difapheng tse di amanang le tikologo ko Upington ka di 14 le di 15 tsa Moranang.  We will emerge from the Summit with a concrete Provincial Climate Change Strategy and also the Provincial Green Job Creation Plan with provincial targets for the entire sector, including the hunting and wildlife industries.

We therefore also wish to acknowledge the good foundation laid for improved relations and cooperation between Government and the Professional Hunters as well as the Wildlife Ranching Associations in the Province. The Industry as a key role-player in tourism and the green economy will also participate in the Summit to reflect on their contribution towards job creation in the province.

We can confirm that the department’s job creation targets have already been set especially those that relate to the filling of the 24 funded vacant posts as well as a projected 500 job opportunities through Massive Cleaning and Greening Project under the banner and auspices of Operation Nala that was launched by the Premier during the past Human Rights Day celebrations in Upington.

Our efforts to improve the esthetics of our streets and surroundings especially in our townships, entrances to our towns and central business districts include spreading a green blanket across our province by planting 20 000 trees in partnership with Municipalities, private nurseries and non-governmental organisations and utilising the Expanded Public Works Programme principles to create job opportunities through tree maintenance, street cleaning and recycling projects.

I have alluded in my Budget Vote Speech last year that the national Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has assisted the Department with the designs and plans for the upgrading and revitalisation of 5 Provincial Nature Reserves. We can now confirm that the plans and designs have now been finalised and approved and this department, in conjunction with the national Department of Environmental Affairs will be implementing the Nature Reserve Revitalisation and Upgrading Project with an MTEF budget of R175-million funded by DEA’s Social Responsibility Programme. 

Ons kan bevestig dat die projekkontrukteurs pas aangestel is en dat die projek eersdaags gesamentlik deur die agbare Premier en Minister vir Omgewingsake en Waterwese geloods sal word sodat die daadwerklike konstruksie kan begin. Dit is met opregte dank en waardering dat ons erkenning gee aan die nasionale Department van Omgewingsake wat deur hul befondsing van hierdie projek, ’n stewige ekonomiese inspuiting gee en veral ’n groot bydrae maak tot die provinsiale regering se program om werk te skep en armoede te beveg.

Die Department en Noord Kaap Provinsiale Regering as projek-leier en hoof bevoordeelde sal uiteindelik groot baat vind aangesien die toerisme infrastruktuur by vyf van ons Natuur Reservate opgegradeer en verbeter word en ons na verwagting ’n groter toeloop van eko-toerisme kan verwag en daarom ‘n groter bydrae tot die provinsie se eie inkomste kan maak.

Die begroting wat vir die projek oor die Medium Termyn Uitgawe Raamwerk deur nasionaal toegewys is beloop R48,2 miljoen vir Doornkloof, R47,7miljoen vir Goegap, R18,7 miljoen vir Rolfontein, R38,2 miljoen vir  Witsand and R22,6 miljoen vir Oorlogskloof Natuur Reservaat.  Voorlopige projeksies dui aan dat ten minste 1 067 werksgeleenthede in lyn met die Uitgebreide Openbare Werke Program beginsels geskep sal word.

Sector Skills development:

Honourable Speaker

The skills shortage in the country has been identified as a critical factor in determining the country's competitiveness and ability to create jobs. Department of Environment and Nature Conservation (DENC) has a profound understanding of the need to build a skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path as envisaged by Strategic Outcome 5.  The move towards a green economy as a core pillar of the New Growth Path of this country, enjoins us to develop skills also within the province in the environmental sector. 

I pronounced during my Budget Vote Speech last year the department’s plans to award bursaries to 3 Northern Cape based tertiary students in the environment and conservation fields, to enlist 50 learnerships and 20 interns.  I can now proudly report that the department has exceeded these targets by far. Not only have we awarded 5 bursaries but, the department has also for the first time ever enlisted 180 young people from all five districts of the province in the Environmental Education, Training and Development Practices learnership Programme.

Through these sector skills development programmes, the department intends to develop and improve the skills not only of its existing workforce, but also of potential future recruits and would-be entrepreneurs by providing learning opportunities to the unemployed and those entering the job market for the first time. The further aim of the sector skills development programme is to assist the department in attracting and retention of scarce skills in the province. Seven graduates in Environment and Conservation were placed as interns in the department.

The learnership is a twelve months programme, accredited at a Level 4 National Certificate against 120 credits. At the end of the programme the learners would have acquired both a qualification and the experience that would improve their chances of being employed.

Since the programme is also aimed at highlighting the role that we as individuals, learners, parents and communities can play in protecting our environment, the learners are expected to be Environmental Ambassadors and Waste Advisors in that they would not only share and educate communities on what they have learned, but also have to walk the talk and lead by example.

As cleanliness is the enemy of disease, so do education and training not only defeat ignorance and despair, but also open doors and give people increasing options.

And while destructive critics and prophets of doom might argue that 180 learners is a drop in the bucket and too minute to make a difference in a vast province such as ours, may I hasten to remind those critics by quoting Charles Handy from his book, The Empty Raincoat, that " Change comes from small initiatives which work, initiatives which imitated, become the fashion."

Climate Change:

Honourable Speaker,

According to the Green Paper for the National Climate Change Response Strategy, our Government regards climate change as one of the greatest threats to sustainable development. Government also believes that climate change, if un-mitigated, has the potential to undo or undermine many of the positive advances made in meeting South Africa’s own development goals and the Millennium Development Goals.

Research indicates that the Northern Cape is one of the provinces in South Africa that are threatened by desertification and increase in temperatures due to climate change.

The green economy, green jobs, environmental learnerships, environmental cleaning and greening as well as waste recycling programmes as mentioned are therefore not only important interventions in creating and sustaining an environment that is not harmful to the health or well-being of our people, but also for responding and or adapting to the phenomenon of climate change and its impact and effects.

Despite severe capacity constraints, DENC as department responsible for leading and coordinating the Provincial response to climate change has achieved significant milestones in the past year. 

I am proud to report that the department has established and coordinated a Provincial Climate Change Committee with membership from all the Provincial departments and South African Local Government Association (SALGA) Northern Cape.  Having taken the cue from the Green Paper on the National Climate Change Response Strategy that was approved by Cabinet and published towards the end of 2010, the Sub-Programme Climate Change and Air Quality Management developed the first draft of the Northern Cape Climate Change Response Strategy (dare we say without having to appoint consultants). 

We are planning to subject the Draft Provincial Climate Change Response Strategy to further scrutiny, inputs and comments during the Summit on Green Jobs and Climate Change to be hosted by the department on the 14th and 15th April 2011. The Final Provincial Climate Change Response Strategy will be presented to Executive Council for approval by the end of June 2011 for its implementation from the 3rd quarter of this financial year. 

South Africa will be hosting the 17th Climate Conference of Parties (COP) in Durban, in December this year. South Africa will be seeking an outcome that is fair, equitable, implementable and effective in responding to the issue of climate change.

The Northern Cape is part of South Africa and the continent of Africa that is said will be hardest hit by the impacts of climate change. The Climate Change Summit therefore offers us the opportunity to consider and discuss our provincial input towards the national position on climate change for COP 17 negotiations and which will be discussed and negotiated at the Climate Change Summit to be held in Upington.

One of the key interventions by the department in mitigating the impact of climate change, is the planting of trees. In this regard, in the past year alone, DENC has acquired, distributed and planted 2440 trees at schools, hospitals, streets, shelters, etc  and conducted 16 special cleaning operations in conjunction with different communities in celebration of calendar days such as World Environment Day, Arbor Week, World Oceans Day, Marine Week, etc.

I have already indicated that a Provincial Green Jobs and Climate Change Summit will be hosted in the second week of April, in two weeks’ time to amongst others consult all stakeholders and role-players on.

An important element of the Provincial Climate Change Response Strategy evolves around renewable energy initiatives such as solar and wind energy as well as biofuels or energy from waste. In that regard we can report that the Environmental Impact Management Sub-programme of the department has been working jointly with the National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) in processing 7 EIA applications for Wind Energy Farms and 11 for Solar Energy Plants in the Province during the past year.

The department will be engaging the Department of Energy to investigate the potential and feasibility of localised small scale “Waste energy” projects in the province, similar to the Austrian models studied during a recent study tour to Austria by the two departments.

The Provincial Climate Change Response Strategy will be underpinned by specific critical sector climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies that include the Water, Agriculture and Human Health sectors as the 3 key Adaptation Sectors, the Industry and Transport alongside the Energy sector as the 3 key Mitigation Sectors with the Disaster Management, Natural Resources and Human Society, livelihoods and Services sectors as 3 remaining key  Sectors to ensure proactive long term responses to  the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as flooding and wild fire, with heightened requirements for effective disaster management.

We are also aware that current vulnerabilities to floods and fires in informal settlements are exacerbated by their location in flood- and ponding-prone areas, the use of inferior building materials, structures built on sand dunes, and inadequate road access for emergency vehicles and can therefore be prevented by proper human settlement planning.

From this it is imperative that we recognise the centrality of all three spheres of government in addressing climate change and that the necessary support is provided for this alignment, integration and coordination of the provincial climate change response.

The Air Quality Sub-programme will also prioritise the active monitoring of air quality related to industrial and mining activities in low income communities within the JT Gaetsewe District Municipality and supporting the same District Municipality in developing and implementing its Municipal Air Quality Management Plan during 2011/12. 

Environmental empowerment, education and capacity building:

The environment is everybody’s business and concern. Communities and community based institutions ranging from schools, crèches, churches, CBO’s and NGO’s, business, everybody including parliamentarians, members of the executive, the youth, both rich and poor, we are all key stakeholders and role-players with vested right and the reciprocal responsibility towards the environment.

The Department therefore places a high premium on awareness, education, capacity building and empowerment of the various stakeholders and role-players to ensure environmental sustainability.

Strategic performance highlights that relate to empowerment of communities and vulnerable groups through education, capacity building and support include the following achievements in the past year.

A Provincial Women in Environment Forum was established and launched in Upington as the Departments main contribution towards the August 2010 Women’s Month celebrations. The purpose of this forum is to empower our women especially those in rural areas on how they can benefit from the ecologically sustainable use of our natural resources.

The department also sustained and presented 40 Eco-Schools with green awards (25 Bronze, 6 Silver, 3 Green Flags and 6 Defending Green Flags).  Our profound appreciation to the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA), without whose consistent support and sponsorship the Department will not be able to successfully run this Eco-Schools programme.  Thank you also for your acknowledgement of the Northern Cape as one of the current world leaders in the growth of the Eco-Schools programme.

Our plans for the Women in Environment project for the 2011 year entail the development of two project business plans for the Women in Environment Forum and supporting them in their efforts to secure donor funding and or sponsorships to implement their projects. The External Environmental Capacity building Sub-programme is ultimately responsible for this project and the deliverables in terms of sustainable projects.

In as far as the Eco Schools programme is concerned, the Sub-programme Environmental Education and Awareness will be expanding the project to cover 64 schools in the province by the end of 2011/ 12 while at the same time increasing the schools that achieve green flag status to from 9 to 15 schools (25%). The particular focus and intention of the Eco-school programme is to encourage learning area managers to use the environment as resource focussing on the interdependency between environment, biodiversity and our daily lives and using the environment context to teach sustainability to teachers and children.

The Department, through the Sub-programme Environmental Education and Awareness will also embark on a massive public education and awareness campaign on climate change in an effort to demystify the climate change phenomenon and foster a better understanding and therefore informed response and adaptation towards the phenomenon in the everyday practices and lifestyles of people. 

Mense moet aan die einde van die dag die waarde van bome in die klimaatsverandering siklus verstaan;  mense moet verstaan waarom dit belangrik is om nie lugbesoedeling te bevorder deur byvoorbeeld steenkool verbranding nie, so moet mense ook weet waarom dit belangrik is om nie rommel rond te strooi nie.

Waste management :

Our Integrated waste management interventions and strategies will be taken to a higher level this year as part of the Massive cleaning drive and climate change response that I have already alluded to. We will intensify efforts that seek to achieve the 3 R’s, namely reduce, re-use and recycle. 

Our immediate priority as Department is to ensure that the Frances Baard Waste Recycling Project is fully operational in June this year by the latest.  The Department, through Waste and Pollution Management Sub-Programme supported by the External Environmental Capacity Building Sub-programme will be taking over the Project which I am ashamed to say is already one year behind schedule as a result of slackness on the part of responsible municipal officials who are dragging their feet and presenting feeble excuses for failure to identify and renovate/ upgrade suitable infrastructure (buildings) to serve as Waste Recycling Centres in Barkly West and Warrenton.

The Department with the support of Buyisa e Bag will further be rolling out the Waste Recycling Project to one of the remaining other districts i.e. Namakwa, Pixley Ka Seme and JT Gaetsewe during this financial year.

Having learned from the Frances Baard experience, the selection of the successful District (which by the way is currently underway) is primarily based on the level of readiness to implement the project without undue delays and to create a given number of jobs in waste collection and recycling.  It is envisaged that the successful District and project will be announced on Friday the 29th of April 2011 after the panel has concluded the site visits to assess the project state of readiness and feasibility.

Another significant area identified for strategic intervention, is the management of medical and hazardous waste as integral elements of the overarching Provincial Integrated Waste Management Strategy that should also inform Municipal Integrated Waste Management Plans. The department has already drafted the Provincial Integrated Waste Management Strategy and Hazardous Waste Management Plan. These strategic documents will be finalised and approved after public consultation during the first quarter of the financial year.

The Department of Health is the lead department in issues of medical waste and has as such established a coordinating committee on medical waste to coordinate the development and implementation of an Integrated Medical Waste Management Strategy for the Northern Cape. The department as regulating department sits on the Coordinating Committee and is also providing input, advice and support towards the Integrated Medical Waste Management Strategy.  We also hope that this important strategy will be finalised during this financial year to enable government to better control and hold even private sector health institutions accountable for the handling of the medical waste generated at such institutions.

The sub-programme Pollution and Waste Management also targets to assist 2 municipalities with review of their Integrated Waste Management Plans and to develop, implement and publish waste minimisation standards.

Honourable Speaker, allow me to come back to the valuable best practices and lessons learned from the Austrians who are quite advanced in waste management with a particular focus on recycling and re-use as evident in the Vienna Waste Treatment Plant and Rautenweg Landfill amongst other sites visited by the delegation. Again the success in this regard appears to be vested in the strong legislative and regulatory framework that comprises national waste management legislation supported by several ordinances e.g. Packaging Ordinance, Landfill Ordinance, as well as Green Public Procurement policies (e.g. EcoBuyVienna) etc to reduce for example packaging waste on the street.

The Austrian waste regulation system forces the retail and manufacturing industry to take responsibility for packaging placed on the market rather than leaving packaging waste to be the consumer’s or government’s problem. Producers, retailers and packaging companies have therefore formed enterprises like Altstof Recycling Austria (ARA) to take care of packaging waste on their behalf.

Further to that, all organisers of events are also forced by way of by-laws to comply with compulsory criteria for events and to submit to the municipalities their waste management plans for every event that they organise. As a result, small enterprises like the “Event Kit” has been born to provide for collection and recycling of waste generated at public events.

We will as department copy some of these best practices and lessons from Austria as part of our efforts to reduce, re-use and recycle waste. We are already implementing the waste advisor best practice through our learnership programme and will shortly be drafting Provincial packaging and Event Waste management regulations and or municipal bylaws.

Protected biodiversity:

Research is an important aspect in the protection and conservation of biodiversity.  As ons nie navorsing doen nie sal ons nie weet watter spesies hetsy van ons plante of diereryk bedreig is nie en daarom watter stappe gedoen moet word om sodanige spesies van totale uitwissing te red nie.

 It is therefore important for the department to either conduct its own research and or to collaborate with other researches and institutions to ensure that we are able to effectively preserve our fauna and flora for present and future generations.

The department annually hosts the Kimberley Research Symposium where we bring together scientists from across the country to share their research findings and recommendations on biodiversity and ecosystems. The department also hosted the National Wetlands Indaba as platform that brought researchers and academics together to share on their work in relation to wetlands.

Our wetlands as critical water resources are extremely vulnerable. It is estimated that 50% of our wetlands have been destroyed or converted to other land uses.  The Orange River Mouth is a typical case in point, since though it is a declared RAMSAR site its status is under threat due to failure to proclaim it as protected area, fence it off and properly maintain the site in accordance with RAMSAR criteria. 

It is at this Wetlands Indaba where the Head of my department, having just returned from a Orange River Mouth site visit, challenged participants to partner with the Province in a bid to rehabilitate and restore the severely neglected Orange River Mouth to its original condition and status.  We can announce that South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) rose to the occasion and will be assisting the department with the research and ultimately the development of the Orange River Mouth Rehabilitation and Management Plan.  Programme 5 Biodiversity Management Unit will therefore prioritise the development of the Orange River Mouth Rehabilitation and Management Plan in conjunction with SANBI. It is envisaged that the Plan would be finalised by end of the second quarter for its implementation by the third quarter of this financial year.

The department, through its Aquatic Science Unit in Budget Programme 2, will be implementing an Assessment Plan for river health eco-system monitoring at the three major rivers (Vaal, Orange and Harts) as well as an estuarine monitoring programme for the Orange River Mouth and Groenriver mouth as two identified priority estuaries in the province.

The Sub-programme Scientific Research will further be focusing their energies on  updating the list of threatened or protected ecosystems in the province and provide inputs and scientific advise towards the development and effective implementation of the Provincial Biodiversity Conservation Plan during this financial year.

Nature Reserves as protected areas are of strategic and critical importance for biodiversity conservation, ecological sustainability, climate change resilience, ecosystem services and socio economic development including tourism. Programme Biodiversity Management has therefore prioritised the development and implementation of the Provincial Protected Areas Management Improvement Strategy for the five Nature Reserves. This Strategy will be in place before the end of the first quarter.

The proclamation of newly acquired land alluded to in my Budget Vote Speech last year as part of the protected area expansion strategy has been delayed pending legal opinion and or advice from the Chief State Law Advisor in the Office of the Premier and the State Attorney’s Office. Due to certain legal technicalities that needs to be clarified, the matter has been referred to national for a second opinion and we hope to proceed with gazetting of the 161 798 hectares of land as part of our provincial conservation estate once the final opinion and advise are received.

This gazetting will include the proclamation of the Orange River Mouth as protected coastal area and the Kathu Indigenous Forest once the latter has been transferred by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to my department to be managed as Private Nature Reserve.

The maintenance of infrastructure and equipment at Nature Reserves has received a boost with the procurement of two brand new tractors.

The department acknowledges the role and contribution of the hunting industry towards sustainable wildlife management as part of our biodiversity management in the Northern Cape. This is particularly true if considered that according to a study conducted by the University of North West, the Northern Cape with a total land surface area of 8.5 million hectares that is dedicated and used for game farming, is number 2 to Limpopo only as a hunting destination in South Africa.

The Hunting and Wildlife Ranching industries are therefore important stakeholders and partners of the provincial government who have the joint responsibility to manage, restore and utilise our biodiversity in a responsible but equitable manner to the advantage of all our citizens, and to conserve representative samples of our ecosystems, especially those at greatest risk from irrevocable loss.

This industry can therefore also not be ignored as critical in the context of efforts to expand our provincial tourism portfolio to include wildlife tourism.  It is against this background that we acknowledge the efforts of the industry, especially the Professional Hunting Association of South Africa, PHASA under the presidency of Mr. Eduard Katzke and the Northern Cape Branch of Wildlife Ranching South Africa under the presidency of Mr. Wiaan van der Linde, to forge better stakeholder relations and improved cooperation and support.

Dankie vir julle positiewe gesindheid en bereidwilligheid om met die regering saam te werk ten einde die jag bedryf maar ook die beskerming van ons natuurlike hulpbronne en biodiversiteit in die provinsie te verseker. 

We can mention that this partnership and cooperative spirit has enabled us to host two significant international events this year. The first one is a visit by a five-person delegation led by the president of the Royal Spanish Hunting Federation, an 800 000 membership strong organisation for Spanish hunters, to South Africa and the Northern Cape to forge closer relations with the PHASA with the aim to improve hunting and eco-tourism expeditions in South Africa and in particular the Northern Cape. 

We are expecting the delegation in the province on the 10th of April 2011 where the provincial offerings, both in terms of hunting and tourism will be promoted in the context of our Regulatory framework.

The second event is the 7TH International Wildlife Ranching Symposium that is to be hosted as a joint venture between Government represented by the Departments of Environment and Nature Conservation and Economic Development and Tourism and Wildlife Ranching South Africa, South African Wildlife Management Association, E Oppenheimer & Son South Africa as the key partners. 

The Symposium will be the first international event to be hosted at the Big Hole Convention Centre in Kimberley from 10 to 14 October 2011 under the theme: “The business of conservation – science, livelihood and values” and seeking on the basis of scientific research to shed light on the question whether the development of wildlife ranching in all its forms can help to preserve and conserve biodiversity and still be economically relevant.

Environmental Planning Tools and Mechanisms in support of Sustainable Development:

Environmental Impact Assessments are cumbersome, yet critical processes that cannot be compromised if we are serious about sustainable development. The department has developed the Environmental Impact Assessment Delivery Acceleration Program (EIA-DAP) and held one sector liaison workshop on EIA processes, procedures and legal requirements in the past year.

This intervention has led to the finalisation of several EIA Applications for development projects in record time, amongst others EIA applications for the following projects:

• Upgrading of the Vosburg to Carnavon Road from an all-weather gravel road to tarmac
• Hakskeen Pan Race Track for the World Landspeed Record in Mier Municipality
• Hopetown Irrigation Project for Land Restitution Resettlement Beneficiaries
• 500 Low Cost Housing Project in Paballelo, Upington
  

It is our intention to continue to improve our EIA turnaround time, but can only do so if we have the cooperation and support of the Developers and their appointed Environmental practitioners, especially in timely submission of the documents and reports. 

We therefore urge especially our municipalities and the departments of Cooperative Government, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs as well as the Roads and Public Works as major infrastructure developers to ensure that they make provision for EIA processes already at project planning phase and engage my department timely for any advice or input in that regard .

Tabling of the Budget Vote:

Honourable Speaker, having outlined the broad plans and priorities of the department for the year, I have the singular honour to table Budget Vote 13, Environment and Nature Conservation for the 2011/ 12 to 2013/14 MTEF. The department has received an allocation of R94 724 million for the 2011/12 financial year, R2,761 million or 3% increase if compared to the R91 963 million received in 2010/11 and growing to R99, 609 million in the 2013/14 MTEF outer year. 

The budget breakdown per programme for this financial year is as follows:

The department also projects to collect revenue to the tune of R1, 625 million from hunting and fishing licenses, entrance fees at the Provincial Nature Reserves and fines issued in terms of environmental and conservation legislation.

In this regard it needs to be mentioned that it is possible for us to experience a decrease in actual entrance fees collected due to disruptions as a result of the revitalisation and upgrading projects that will be undertaken at the 5 Reserves this year. We are however also anticipating the introduction of EIA application fees during the course of the year at a date to be gazetted by DEA. These fees may make up for the revenue lost from entrance fees and enable us to even exceed our projections. 

Conclusion and Acknowledgements:

Honourable Speaker, in tabling the Budget Vote here today I have given an account of our plans and outlook for the 2011/12 year against the backdrop of performance on the commitments I made in this house last year. I have deliberately followed this approach to enable all of us to understand the department’s delivery in the context of government’s cyclical strategic planning and expenditure frameworks. This budget Vote Speech reflects the Annual Performance Plan for 2011/ 12 in accordance with the 5 Year Strategic Plan and 3-year MTEF and therefore a continuation of work started during the previous 2 years of the 2009 – 2014 Medium Term Strategic Framework.

Be as it may I believe that whilst there is always room for improvement, the department continually strives to do more with less and to find ways to improve on its strategies and operations.  We remain committed to our policy goals and will not lose sight of the fact that our over-riding objective is to create “a better life for all by working together with all sectors of society”. 

Honourable Speaker, at this stage I would like to sincerely thank:

• Both the Portfolio Committee on Environment and Nature Conservation and standing Committee on Public Accounts for their continuous support and guidance to the department;
• all our sector departments and private sector stakeholders namely the leadership of the Hunting Industry, in particular PHASA and the Northern Cape Branch of the Wildlife Ranchers, the Leslie Hill Succulent Karoo Trust, WESSA as well as others that we may have missed, for the good working relations,  cooperation and support  in cash and in kind towards the various departmental initiatives.
  

A special thank you is also extended to the Minister and Director General of the national Department of Environmental Affairs for their guidance and support towards ensuring that we meet our shared vision and common objectives in accordance with our constitutional mandate, Outcome 10 Delivery Agreement and Environmental Sector Plan. 

Agbare Speaker laat my toe om hulde te bring en opregte dank uit te spreek teenoor die agbare Premier vir haar rigtinggewende leierskap en vertroue in my om hierdie portefeulje te lei. Dankie ook aan my kollegas in die Uitvoerende Raad vir hul hulp en bystand.  Dit is voorwaar ‘n besondere voorreg om deel te wees van ‘n span wat regtig die “slogan” uitleef, naamlik  deur saam te werk, kan ons meer doen vir die mense van ons pragtige provinsie.

Despite all budgetary constraints that confront us, my department remains committed to the good course of delivering a better and quality service to our people. And though the smallest in terms of budget, we are fully aware that a sardine is also a fish.

I therefore conclude by thanking my entire Team in both the Department and Ministry of Environment and Nature Conservation captained by the Head of Department, Ms Liz Botes, for their commitment and dedication in pursuing the department’s vision of “A prosperous and equitable society living in harmony with our natural resources.” 

I thank you.