Wednesday, August 22, 2012

what is the IWPA IMP PPP

Questions asked in parliament about the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan) 

The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) has not done their job as is mandated by
  • the WHCA (world Heritage Convention Act)
  • the 4x4 ban
  • the ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act)
  • the MSA (Municipal Systems Act)
Register as an Interested party for the PPP Public Participation Process here

the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan) has not been integrated into / with  the 5 local municipalities with in the Umkhanyakude district Muncipality
This is causing big problems for developers and the general tourism industry out side of the IWPWHS (iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site) ij contravention to the WHCA (World heritage Convention Act)

This is all done so as to facilitate the mining of the area in the not so distant future. The current mining operation just South of Mapelane (Cape St. Lucia Light House) is  encroaching on the IWPWHS (iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site) at a great rate of knots, and where will the mining operation go to next?

There is far too much invested in this open cast dune mining and associated factory to just pack up and leave. so what will happen next. This needs to be discussed in the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan)and IWPA EMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Environmental Management Plan) at the PPM )Public Participation Meetings) as is mandated in the various acts, laws and associated legislation.

Register as an Interested party for the PPP Public Participation Process here

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Progress update - IWPA legal compliance ICMA

These matters are drawn out affairs where the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) and its allies are doing what ever they can to delay matters and frustrate the public into apathy. Their political games are quite effective and the public have indeed become totally apathetic and now no longer believe that they can do anything to improve the situation on the ground where poverty is so rife

The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) have as of the date of this writing not discussed the Economic Impact of the 4X4 BAN (ROD A25 / 7 / 8 / 3 /2 / 4 ) on the economy of the Elephant Coast nor has this been included in the IWPA submissions to the Mtubatuba Local Municipality's IDP (Integrated Development Plan)

My personal correspondence with Mr Gareth Morgan from the DA (Democratic Alliance) has evolved around the issues of the noncompliance of the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) with the ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act) and  related legislation including but not limited to

a) the NEMA (National Environmental Management Act)
b) the MSA (Municipal Systems Act)
c) the 4x4 ban (ROD A25 / 7 / 8 / 3 /2 / 4 )

Gareth has given us some advice on who to approach, but the question is how?  Our previous approaches have all failed due to the angle of approach, and the political interest it attracted from the tree huggers and bunny lovers who generate an awful lot of emotional clutter that clouds the mind and prevents rational thoughts from being processed in any meaningful manner.

The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) have used this to their advantage, and have side stepped their mandated commitments with out any public objections . The IWPA (iSimanagliso Wetland Park Authority) have not held PPP (public Participation Process / procedure) meetings during the development stages of their mandated  IMP (Integrated Management Plan) or EMP (Environmental Management Plans) Neither the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan) nor the IWPA EMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Environmental Management Plan) have been integrated into the Mtubatuba Local Municipality Integrated Development Plan (LMIDP). The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) ZONING maps have never been discussed at the Mtubatuba LMIDP PRF (local municipality Integrated Development Plan Public Representatives Forum) and these zoning issues are not available to the public, causing developers many nightmares and great difficulties.

The incident reported here could have been avoided completely had the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) come clean and included their mandated IMP (Integrated Management Plan) and EMP (Environmental Management Plan) in the local municipalities IDP's (Integrated Development Plans).

Help us to ensure these matters are rectified, Register as an IAP (Interested and Affected Party) in the PPP (Public Participation Process) http://forafrica.co.za/forms/?p=128







Wednesday, August 8, 2012

IWPA negelects mandate in ICMA

The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) as the custodians of the GSLWPWHS (Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park World Heritage Site) now called the IWPWHS (iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site) are running foul of the various items of South African Legislation which mandates the IWPA (iSimanagliso Wetland Park Authority) to implement
1) an EMP (Environmental Management Plan)
2) an IMP (Integrated Management Plan)

REGISTER YOUR CONCERN HERE 

Both the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management plan) and the IWPA EMP (iSimangaliso wetland Park Authority Environmental Management Plan) are mandated planing instruments in terms of the  laws and legislation listed below amongst many others. Each of these mandates also requires that the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) hold meaningful PPP (Public Participation Process) meetings that follow guidelines as in the

1) ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act) view the ICMA
2) NEMA (National Environmental Management Act) view the NEMA
3) MSA (Municipal Systems Act)  view the MSA
4 WHCA (World Heritage Convention Act) view the WHCA
5) 4X4 ban (ROD A25 / 7 / 8 / 3 /2 / 4 ) view the 4X4 Ban

REGISTER YOUR CONCERN HERE

The IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan) has to the best of my knowledge never been discussed at the Mtubatuba IDP PRF (Integrated Development Plan Public Representatives Forum) which is the mandated platform where all local municipality IDP's (Integrated Development Plans) are required to be approved by the public before being submitted to the KZN legislature and parliament for approval. If the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan) is not discussed here, how can it be integrated into the local municipalities IDP (Integrated Development Plan) as is mandated by the above mentioned laws and legislation?

TO FORCE THE ISSUE SOME CONCERNED CITIZENS HAVE STARTED A PRE REGISTRATION PROCESS OF THE IWPA IMP PPP (ISIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK AUTHORITY INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT PLAN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS. CLICK THIS LINK TO REGISTER FOR THE IWA IMP PPP

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Factors to consider when thinking of the 4x4 ban

Driving on the beach is an issue that needs careful evaluation of all the relevant factors,  and there are many to consider when thinking about a total ban of all vehicles from all beaches.

We as recreational beach users are regularly confronted with the stories about damage that 4x4's cause on beaches when uniformed and naive drivers drive their vehicles over sand dunes with no care in the world.

Some basics about beach Driving: .

Off the beach and back in town there are other implications that effect the economy and social life style of the local residents in strange unintended ways. These impacts are felt more in the rural areas along the Elephant Coast of KZN than in any other coastal area, but most coastal areas feel the impact in a significant drop in the regional economy.

This is a knock on effect caused by the perceived difficulty of access to our well cared for beaches, that results in many would be recreational beach users deciding that they are not willing to walk great distances carrying their cooler box, umbrella, towels and other stuff, so they go else where, where they feel more comfortable.

In areas like the IWP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park) this is a big issue, as these recreational beach users would have traveled great distances to get to the Elephant Coast tourism region, and many would spend a night or 2 in the surrounding towns or tourism destinations like St. Lucia, Sodwana Bay, Kozi Bay, Mapelane or Cape Vidal.


These same recreational beach users support the regional economy in other ways to, they are the ones who
With out the recreational beach users in the iSimangaliso wetland park many businesses have had to close their doors due to the total absence of a customer base. In short the 4x4 ban has caused a partial collapse of the domestic tourism market of the Elephant Coast and the iSimangaliso wetland park.

The regional economy of the Elephant Coast has not recovered, and will not recover until such time as the Authorities realise the total economic impact of the 4x4 ban, and include this in their Integrated Development Plans for all the local municipalities as well as include these issues in the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan) through the mandated PPP (Public Participation Process) taking into account the definition of the term "ADVSERE EFFECTS" as defined in the ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act)

Definition copied from ICMA to help clarify matters here.

"ADVERS EFFECTS" means any actual or potential impact on the environment that
impairs, or may impair, the environment or any aspect of it to an extent that is more
than trivial or insignificant and. without limiting the term, includes any actual or potential impact on the environment that results in—
(a) a detrimental effect on the health or well-being of a person;
(b) an impairment of the ability of any person or community to provide for their
health, safety or social and economic needs; or
(c) a detrimental effect on the environment due to a significant impact or cumulative effect of that impact taken together with other impacts:

Register here to be included in the IWPA IMP PPP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan Public participation process)