iSimangaliso Wetland Park - Redevelopment of Sodwana Beach Node

The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority)  is busy with an EIA process to evaluate the  Redevelopment of Sodwana Beach Node. Will you take part in this process? to register as an IAP (Interested and affected party) for the iSimangaliso Wetland Park - Redevelopment of Sodwana Beach Node EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) visit the Accer (Africa) web site and register .

If the registration form is not yet in place click on the contact details tab or open this link then fill in the form on the page and request to be registered as an IAP with this EIA

I am not sure if this is GOOD or BAD for the area but am glad that a true EIA is being undertaken. Please register as an IAP if you live in the area or play along the coast. This area needs some serious public participation in its development and we do need to ensure that the recreational beach users concerns are well documented and listed as high priority concerns.

the 4x4 ban has had the knock on effect of serious economic losses within the area, which have not been addressed. These same consultants ACCER (AFRICA) were involved in past research on these issues

see these reports on related issues
1) Occasional paper 20 by KZN Tourism
2) Occasional paper 23 by KZN Tourism


I hope to see you at a future PPPM (Public Participation Process Meeting ) where the true issues of the lost tourism income caused by the 4x4 ban and other related issues that impact on the Elephant Coast Domestic Tourism within the Sodwana region are discussed.

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

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)

Zululand Observer open letter follow up

Unfortunately I had to resort to publishing my letter to the ZO in a blog, then writing a reference to this post on face book before I got a response.

But the guys from the ZO (Zululand Observer) have been quite helpful once they realised that there was an error some where between my send and their receive, which is still under investigation by both them and me..

The ZuluLand observer is a local publication that covers Zululand, from Mtunzini to Pongla and is very well read by all target markets.

The team at Zululand Observer informed me that they will be taking a look at my issue, and I am looking forward to publishing their article here along with other relevant info and more details of what is going on to get the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) to conform with the law and Produce their IMP (integrated Management Plan) and have it integrated into the Local Municipalities IDP (Integrated Development Plans)

Have you registered as an interested and affected party for the PPP (public Participation Process / procedure) that must by law be implemented during the drafting stages of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan, as is mandated by the 4x4 BAN. and other legislation including the ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act)

Register here to take part in the IWPA IMP PPP (iSimangaliso Wetland park Authority Integrated Management Plan Public participation Process)

Public Participation meeting planned for 30 september 2012

Elephant Coast beaches

There is a planned meeting for the PPP (Public participation Process) relating to the  IWPA  (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) IMP (Integrated Management Plan)  of the 30th September 2012.

see this page, and decide if you would like to place your voice on record as supporting the public participation process that has been mandated by a variety of laws and legislation, which the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) must comply with. while on the page also let us know what you think by taking part in the poll.

Consider registering as an Interested and affected party   with the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan to receive up dates and be invited to future meetings where the affairs of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site, and the Elephant Coast beaches which are all inside the park, will be discussed.Register here

The IWPA has been mandated to produce an EMP (Environmental Management plan with an annual updated by the 4x4 ban  as per 

• section A parts 3 and 6
• section B parts 3 and 6
• section C part 6
• Register here 

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