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

• buy the localy produced arts and crafts
• eat at resturants
• drink at pubs or shabeens
• support the local shops and petrol stations
• visit the local game reserves and other tourism attractions in the area
• use local tour guides as well as tour operators equipment and facilities 

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)

iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority side step ICMA

The IWPA iSimangaliso wetland Park Authority are busy doing many things within the Elephant Coast Tourism region, some good, some not so good, and some blatantly bad for the local residents, many without following the proper procedures as defined in the acts, laws and regulations that govern their mandate as custodians of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage site.

The MSA (Municipal Systems Act) mandates all government departments and all   state appointed parties to participate in the local municipalities Integrated Development Plans where ever they are. The ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act)  mandates all parties involved in coastal management to have ICMP (Integrated Coastal Management Plans) which are supposed to be Integrated with the Local Municipalities IDP (Integrated Development Plan)

The 4x4 BAN ( 4x4 BAN) also mandates the IWPA (iSimangaliso wetland park Authority to create and implement an EMP (Environmental Management Plan) with zones and zoning for various uses. These zones are supposed to be reflected in the local municipalities zoning maps as per directives in the ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act) 

The whole  chapter 5 of the ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act)  is problematic as far as  the management issues relating to beach driving and lost tourism associated with the absence of recreational beach users is concerned, and the fact that no (ZERO) public participation meetings relating to the tourism impact of this legislation have been held, and the relating economic studies have not been undertaken, or if they have they are extremely flawed or falsified as the collapse of the domestic tourism market has never been discussed at any of the Mtubatuba IDP (Integrated Development Plan) meetings , because the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) has not produced or discussed any of these issues at any of the Mtubatuba Integrated Development Plan Public Representative forum meetings, which can be verified by reading the minutes of the meetings held over the last 8 years. I know this because I tried to raise these issues at the Mtubatuba IDP PRF (Integrated Development Plan Public Representative Forum) meetings, and the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) never produced requested documents and tried their utmost to disrupt the free-flow of information.

Chapter 6 part 4 of the ICMA (Integrated Coastal management Act) is of concern to us as the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) is clearly sidestepping clauses 51 and 52 of the ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act)
 
Chapter 6 part 5 clause 53 of the ICMA is of prime interest to us as the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) has failed miserably to implement this in any shape manner or form, and some disciplinary action needs to be taken against them at parliamentary level

Register as a concerned citizen or an interested and affected party at the September 30  Public participation process meeting to be held in St. Lucia where these items will be raised.

Open letter to Zululand observer sent 25 July 20122

Open letter to the Zululand observer sent 25/6/2012 From Frank Gainsford from: <admin@info4u.co.za	Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 1:37 PM
To: zulobs@zululandobserver.co.za
Cc:  Gareth Morgan <morgan@net.da.org.za>, info <info@isimangaliso.com>, inquiries <inquiries@un.org>,
For Attention zulobs@zululandobserver.co.za FYI all other recipients Hi First before I say any thing let me say Many thanx for a great paper that covers Zululand. The 4x4 ban issue and the economic losses associated with the absence of the recreational beach users on the Elephant Coast beaches is not a new subject, and this has been discussed many times over in a host of different environments, from pubs and church yards to parliament and political forums as well as many place in between. Problem is there is no official engagement by  the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) in the local municipalities IDP (Integrated Development Plan) where these issues should be debated, and acted upon. The IWPA (iSimangaliso wetland Park Authority) has not produced their IMP (Integrated Management plan) nor their EMP (Environmental Management plan)  AS IS MANDATED BY MANY DIFFERENT LAWS AND A HOST OF DIFFERENT LEGISLATION. If they have done so they have not followed the required legal process, as laid out in the legislation which mandates them to produce these plans, and these plans should be investigated in this light, as they would be illegally produced in terms of the legislation and laws that mandate the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) to create and implement these said plans. see here http://forafrica.co.za/forms/?p=128 A group of concerned citizens has setup a pre-registration process to ensure that the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) do indeed hold the necessary PPP (Public participation Process) meetings for their mandated IMP PPP (Integrated Management Plan) (Public Participation Process) in terms of the many laws, including but not limited to the MSA (Municipal Systems Act)  which demands that their IMP (Integrated Development Plan) be integrated into the local municipalities IDP (Integrated Development Plan) and that all the ZONING done by the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) be reflected in the local municipalities LUMS (Land Use Management System) as well as the local municipalities maps which is enforced by the ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act) where it is made abundantly clear that these local municipality zoning maps are the only valid zoning maps for all parties in the republic, including the ministers amendments, which also need to be approved by the local municipalities IDP PRF (Integrated Development Plan Public Representatives forum)  after meaningful public consultation. Your input in the past has been very beneficial and of great value to the public. Please help us by informing the public about these issues. read here http://iwpappp.blogspot.com/ and here http://forafrica.co.za/forms/?p=128 The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) have been getting away with these transgressions for many years, and this has cost the Elephant Coast residents MILLIONS of RANDS in lost tourism, which the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) needs to be held accountable for, in terms of the updated NEMA (National Environmental Management Act) and its subservient law, the ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act) Once again many thanx for a great local paper that is read and trusted by many, so please return this trust the people have given you as a news paper, and advise them of how they are being illegally  ignored and side lined by the IWPA . Regards Frank Frank Gainsford 072505 5111 admin@info4u.co.za PS could you recommend a lawyer who would help us in our efforts to force the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) to comply with all legislation  demanding that the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) implement an IMP (integrated Management Plan) and EMP (Environmental Management Plan) -- Simple Cloud Computing for you - SCC4U www.info4u.co.za admin@info4u.co.za 072 - 505 - 5111

register as an I&AP at the IWPA IMP

due to the fact that the IWPA has blatantly neglected to follow the rules as laid down in

• the NEMA (National Environmental Management Act)
• the ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act)
• ROD A25 - 7 - 8 - 3 - 2 - 4  (4x4 ban)
• MSA Municipal systems act
• other legislation

we have been forced to gather this data our selves and prepare it for the minister so that the minister can be aware of the number of people who have an interest in access to our well cared for beaches along the Elephant Coast of KZN South Africa and the economic opportunities that arise from the recreational use of our beaches.

The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) is obliged by law to  hold PPP (Public Participation procedures) that result in MEANINGFUL public participation when creating their mandated IMP's (Integrated Management Plans) in terms of the above legislation and other laws.

Please register as an Interested and affected party at this site

Exact clauses and more specific details to follow after due diligence and consultation with our legal team who are working on these issues.

in the mean time you can read some back ground info by following the links below.

ICMA - Integrated Coastal management Act
Paper by KZN Tourism  

Thanx for reading - please comment on our posts and tell us how we are doing and what information you may need to make an informed decision.

Vote on the 4x4 ban in the iSimangaliso wetland park

When dealing with the IWPA (iSimangaliso wetland Park Authority) and their IMP (Integrated Management Plan) PPP (public Participation Process / procedure) we will need to back up any statements / requests / ideas with relevant documentation. The 4x4 ban is a case in point, we all know that it has had a negative impact on the local economy of St. Lucia along the Elephant Coast, and there are a host of pros and cons to this very controversial subject of beach access and motor vehicles within the coastal zones of the Elephant Coast.

recommended reading before you vote here 



a paper by KZN Tourism  occasional paper 20 
a SEED (Social and economic report by Accer Africa" http://bit.ly/IWPA-seed-report
a tourism report by acer africa  for the IWPA http://bit.ly/IWPA-tourism-report

  what is your opinion. please visit this link and vote http://bit.ly/4x4-question 

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