Cabinet, to be tabled in Parliament
31 July 2007
Cabinet has approved the Integrated Coastal Management Bill for tabling in
Parliament. The Bill was gazetted on 15 December 2006 and, as it is a complex
Bill it was open for public comment for a period of 90 days.
"Comments received from the public participation process indicate
overwhelming support for the Bill and its principles. These comments have now
been incorporated into a new version of the Bill which is scheduled for tabling
in Parliament. This important piece of legislation will lead to the adoption of
a new approach in managing the nation's coastal resources. This will promote
social equity and lead to the better use of coastal resources, whilst also
protecting the natural environment," said Minister van Schalkwyk.
Fundamentally, the purpose of the National Coastal Management Bill is
to:
* provide a legal and administrative framework that will promote
cooperative, coordinated and integrated coastal development
* preserve, protect and enhance the status of the coastal environment as the
heritage of all
* ensure coastal resources are managed in the interests of the whole
community
* ensure there is equitable access to the opportunities and benefits derived
from the coast
* to give effect to certain of South Africa's international law
obligations.
This Bill further seeks to ensure existing access points to the coastal area
are reinstated and properly maintained and allows for the demarcation of access
land.
The Bill also ensures that two zones are created:
* 'Coastal public property' state land along the coast, the beach, estuaries
and seas
* 'Coastal protection zone' 100 m wide in urban and 1 000 m wide in rural
areas.
The 'Coastal protection zone's' inland boundary can be adjusted to:
* make it narrower in non-sensitive areas
* make it wider in sensitive areas.
The sections of the Bill pertaining to 'coastal public property' and the
'coastal protection zone' do not affect:
* existing property rights
* provincial, municipal, cadastral, or other legally recognised
boundaries
* powers of any organ of state to dispose of land.
It also gives government the power to prevent development too close to the
sea by establishing 'set-back lines'. The Minister added that "the most
important changes to the gazetted version were the streamlining of government
processes, reduction of duplication, clarification of certain clauses and
better alignment with other legislation. For example, all activities requiring
environmental impact assessments along the coast will now be done in terms of
the National Environmental Management Act (Nema).
Whether provincial, municipal or private, the Bill seeks to regulate
activities with potential adverse environmental impacts. More specifically this
Bill also provides new measures to protect coastal areas from being degraded by
inappropriate developments and pollution," said the Minister.
Media enquiries:
Riaan Aucamp
Cell: 083 778 9923
Issued by: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
31 July 2007
