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Madam Speaker,
Honourable Premier,
Honourable Members of the House.

The Western Cape economy, and in particular; agriculture, tourism and manufacturing sectors, is dependent upon the sustainability and availability of natural resources - such as clean air, water, soil, fauna and flora and on the scenic beauty of the province's natural and cultural landscapes and coastline.

It is for this reason, that the services that are provided by all three components of the Chief Directorate: Environmental Affairs, namely; Environmental Management, Pollution and Waste Management and Biodiversity, contribute towards the sustainability and availability of natural resources in the Western Cape. The Chief Directorate of Environmental Affairs' core business is driven by the constitutional imperative to give effect to the right to an environment that is not harmful to human health or well-being and is protected for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable measures that prevent pollution and ecological degradation, promote conservation, and secures ecologically sustainable development and the use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development. This Chief Directorate of Environmental Affairs has been allocated an amount of R77.052 million for the financial year 2002/2003. This represents an increase on last year's allocation of 4.08%.

Honourable Speaker, as I have just stated, there are three components within Environmental Affairs, and I shall deal with them individually for the purposes of this Budget Speech.

Environmental Management:

The core business of this Directorate is to administer, implement and enforce the regulatory framework that ensures that activities, which are prohibited because they may have a substantially detrimental effect on the environment, are considered, investigated and assessed prior to their authorisation and implementation. This Directorate has been allocated an amount of R9.121 million for this financial year which the Directorate has planned to utilise in the following ways:

* Capacity building programme on EIA Regulations and NEMA for local government officials.

* Guidelines on development in mountainous areas, determining environmental significance and sensitivity, application of the definition of listed activities and minimum requirements and procedures in EIA Regulations.

* Adoption of the Western Cape Environmental Implementation Plan by Cabinet and publication in the Provincial Government Gazette.

* Historical backlog of EIA applications (i.e. older than 12 months) eliminated by October 2002.

* Compliance monitoring and enforcement of 50% of all Records of Decision issued in 2002/ 2003.

* 10% decrease in illegal activities (i.t.o. EIA Regulations) and environmental transgressions.

* Establishment of Environmental Information Management System to provide decision-support and tracking facility for line function.

* Establishment of co-operative working arrangements with other organs of state to facilitate improved EIA service delivery.

Pollution and Waste Management:

The Directorate of Pollution and Waste Management, has set as its primary priority to develop and implement measures and programmes that will promote integrated pollution and waste management in the Western Cape. In so doing, it will be championing the "brown issues" related to environmental management.

In laying the foundation to this 'new' component, the Directorate spearheaded the Provincial Clean-up Project that sought to bring all role-players together that can make an impact in improving the physical environment of this Province. The programme, known as the Western Cape Clean Operation has focussed on the problem of litter, promoting the minimisation and prevention of waste and pollution, greening the environment of our communities that would enhance the aesthetic beauty and inculcate and enhance a culture of cleanliness in Western Cape. For the financial year 2002/2003, an amount of R12.035 million as been allocated, and will be spent as follows, for the further delivery of a waste and pollution management service for 2002/2003. This service will include:

* The drafting of a Healthcare Waste Management Bill that would give effect to the implementation of the National Waste Management Strategy and thereby enhance integrated waste management. More importantly, the Bill would address the illegal dumping of healthcare waste in the province.

* The establishment of a pilot project on the separation of health-care (medical) waste to support the Healthcare Waste Management Bill and ensure that waste minimisation takes place in the public sector as well (e.g. hospital).

* The development of a Waste Information System would be an important decision-support tool to assist this Directorate in assessing, on a continuous basis, the state of waste management in the Western Cape and thereby improving waste management planning and the enforcement of our legislation.

* The promotion of Waste Minimisation Clubs targeting industry would be further vigorously pursued to bring about a paradigm shift in this sector on managing their waste.

* Further rollout of the Clean-up of the Western Cape Programme that financially and technically support local authorities' and communities' waste management and environmental improvement projects targeted at urban and rural renewal.

* The building of local authorities' capacity on waste management especially targeted at Integrated Waste Management Planning, that will support their Integrated Development Planning processes. Integrated Waste Management Planning is to ensure that the local authorities' provide an improved waste service to the communities they are serving.

Biodiversity:

This sub-directorate is responsible for the identification, promotion and facilitation of community based, Natural Resources in the Western Cape, and an amount of R1.10 million has been allocated for its services. The sub-directorate encourages communities to efficiently and effectively utilise natural resources. In addition, the sub-directorate facilitates provincial strategy on the implementation of conventional biological diversity and reporting on the state of environment.

The Driftsands project is one of the demonstration projects that this component has developed in order to give effect to the functional responsibility. Driftsands is a proclaimed provincial nature reserve situated north of Khayelitsha.

Together with the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board, the sub-directorate has taken the responsibility to co-ordinate the implementation of the vision for Driftsands in conjunction with local government authorities, NGOs, educators and other role players over a number of years.

Driftsands benefits the community by:

* The establishment of a well managed integrated natural area (urban park);
* Environmental Education facilities and educational opportunities on the doorstep of a densely populated area;
* Recreational opportunities;
* Small-scale urban agriculture, marketing of traditional remedies cultivated in local nurseries;
* Eco-tourism opportunities attracting finance into the area;
* Job creation and secondary job opportunities;
* Cultural emporium creating a vibrant focal for local arts and crafts;
* Up market tourism accommodation;
* Offices housing conservation institutions; and
* Access to an initiation village.

The Environment Education facilities are being developed to serve as a multi-use facility, catering to large school groups, conferences, workshops and adult training. There are few other situations where an Environmental Education centre can be accessed by more than 300 000 students per year, who are within walking distance from the park. This park can serve as a focal point for tourism in the Cape Flats. The craft markets and emporium will provide a venue to showcase the arts, crafts and cultural richness of the surrounding peri-urban areas.

The community of Driftsands and surrounding areas will get preference for all temporary and contract employment opportunities that would be created by the development of infrastructure for cultural and eco-tourism opportunities within the reserve and crafts and weaving development projects in previously disadvantaged communities to create jobs.

The Western Cape Nature Conservation Board:

A total of R52.476 million in terms of a transfer payment conditional grant has been allocated to the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board for 2002/03. The Chief Directorate of Environmental Affairs works in close collaboration with the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board on a several present and planned projects.

The Western Cape Nature Conservation Board plans to utilise the allocated funds in the following manner:

* The establishment of 12 new Private Nature Reserves
* The establishment of 5 new Conservancies
* The clearing of alien vegetation in the Western Cape through the Working for Water Programme and the concurrent development of independent Contractors.
* Cape Action Plan for the Environment
* Progressive new legislation regarding the use of gin-traps, poison and trap-cages for problem animal management will be promulgated in the new year. The Western Cape will be the first province in South Africa to pursue this new approach (it will also set an international standard).
* A Conservation Planning Unit is being established to ensure that all decision-making (Provincial, Local Authority, developers etc.) will have access to high quality environmental information in pursuit of informed decisions regarding the potential impact of developments on the environment.
* A new progressive strategic plan for integrated fire management is being drafted for the Western Cape.
* The Board is playing the leading role in the development of an incentives programme for conservation efforts by private landowners. It is envisaged that this strategy will add significant value to the very successful stewardship programmes on private land in the Western Cape.

Honourable Speaker, my budget speech would be incomplete, if I did not explain how my department is going to support our Premier and our government of the Western Cape, in respect of the four pillars of concern that we have identified as being central to sustainable development for the Western Cape and its people. Here I refer to:

* HIV/AIDS;
* Poverty Eradication;
* Safety and Security (Crime prevention); and
* Tourism and Business Development.

HIV/AIDS:

Environmental Management does not address HIV/AIDS specifically. However, in investigating environmental impacts of developments on the environment and affected communities, and determining the appropriate measures for mitigation, consideration is given to factors that could negatively or positively impact upon the health of communities. This includes, for example, water quality, the availability of portable and water borne sewage, and air quality. Strict conditions are imposed on developers to ensure that water quality, the availability of potable and water borne sewage, and air quality are in accordance with national standards and minimum requirements. This applies to developments such as the construction of low-income housing projects, water abstraction schemes and bulk water supply, water transfer schemes and sewage treatment plants. In this way, the Directorate of Environmental Management contributes to the reduction and control of conditions and situations that are conductive to, or may lead to the spread of diarrhoea, cholera and tuberculosis. All are potentially fatal to HIV/AIDS patients and particularly prevalent in poverty stricken and previously disadvantaged communities.

The Directorate of Pollution and Waste Management will strive to ensure that the environment, in which people live, is as clean or unpolluted as possible. It is a known factor that air pollution episodes could lead to severe respiratory complications in immune-compromised individuals. Similarly, water pollution, especially excessive levels of micro-organisms in the drinking water supply, can lead to stomach infections which inevitably manifests as diarrhoea, dehydration and may lead to other complications.

As it is an operational goal to promote integrated pollution and waste management, various projects that aim to prevent and/or reduce the emissions of pollutants and the production of wastes are developed and financially and technically supported by this component. Furthermore, this Directorate is involved in the development of the national Bills on waste, air quality and chemicals management.

The Directorate will also be drafting the Healthcare Waste Management Bill that local authorities would use to enforce the proper management of this type of waste. This legislation will ensure that South Africa and the Western Cape adhere to international best practices and standards. The pilot project on the segregation of health-care waste would help prevent, for example, contaminated syringes ending up in wrong hands (e.g. drug addicts) and posing a risk of spreading diseases, such as HIV/AIDS.

With the above in mind, it becomes clear that the Directorate of Pollution and Waste Management's entire budget contributes directly to the battle against and the management of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, since we are striving to promote and ensure cleaner environments for the citizens of the Western Cape. Cleaner environments result in lower levels of pollution that results in less immune-suppressed individuals becoming sick. Ultimately, our efforts contribute to an improved quality of life of immune-compromised individuals and to the alleviation of the burden on our health system.

The sub-directorate Biodiversity, will ensure that environmental education programmes would be incorporating HIV/AIDS awareness raising activities. A youth development centre will concentrate on life skills development with the specific focus on agricultural farming and together with the Department of Health, the sub-directorate would enhance and enforce the required medical standards with the performance of the initiated practice.

The Western Cape Nature Conservation Board will ensure that HIV/AIDS awareness campaign material and outreach programmes are synchronised with all Environmental Education and Youth Development projects on all the Western Cape's Nature Reserves. A total of 8200 people were reached through these programmes during the current year and it is seen as a priority to sustain these efforts and to expand the Board's role in facilitating similar programmes for all the Working for Water contractors and staff in the coming financial year.

Poverty Eradication:

Legal requirements in terms of the Regulations under the Environment Conservation Act in respect of participation on the impacts of development on the environment has created job opportunities for the unskilled sector. For example, mail drops, providing information on the proposed development and inviting comments, are used to elicit public comments. This is done for a range of activities including the construction of cell phone masts, petrol stations, and developments involving a change of land use in both the metro and rural areas. In many instances, environmental consultancies employ workers from previously disadvantaged communities to do these mail drops.

The sub-directorate Biodiversity will ensure that the community of Driftsands and surrounding areas will get preference for all temporary and contract employment opportunities that would be created by the development. This includes the development of infrastructure for cultural and eco-tourism opportunities within the reserve and crafts and weaving development projects in previously disadvantaged communities to create jobs.

The re-use and recycling of waste material have huge economic spin-offs in the form of job creation that could alleviate and eradicate poverty. The Directorate of Poverty and Waste Management has implemented the Western Cape Clean-up Operation which aims to develop and support initiatives that contribute to the improvement of the physical environment of the Western Cape. Through this programme we are laying the foundation that is encouraging the involvement of all sectors of the of the Western Cape society to play an active role in meeting this objective. Through transfer payments to local authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs), projects that meet this objective and set criteria of the programme are and will be financially supported in the next financial year. One of these criteria, amongst others, is job creation and poverty alleviation. As such, many of the projects that have been funded through the Western Cape Clean-Up Operation are specifically focused on the recycling and reuse of waste materials, clean-up and greening programmes. These projects have led to the creation of various jobs through the grants to the organisations and municipalities.

The Western Cape Nature Conservation is the main implementing agent for the Working For Water project in the Western Cape. A total of plus-minus hundred projects are managed through a contractor system and a total of plus-minus 2500 people are employed to eradicate alien vegetation. Extensive capacity building programmes are used to ensure that contractors are developed towards independent business entities. This programme contributes substantially towards rural economic development. An amount of plus-minus thirty seven million rands will be spent during the coming financial year on this programme. The Board is also actively involved in the National Land Care Programme aimed at the restoration of ecologically disturbed areas in the Western Cape. Several employment opportunities will be created through this programme in the coming financial year.

Safety and Security:

The nature of the functions and core business of the Directorate of Environmental Management are such that it does not expressly address Safety and Security. The current trend in the increase in general lawlessness in our society has, however, also manifested itself in the environment and development sector. Recent media coverage has for example reported an increase in arrests involving incidents of the illegal harvesting of threatened species such as abalone. A similar trend is evident in respect of the development of activities prohibited in terms of sections 21 and 22 of the Environment Conservation Act, and regulated by the so-called 'EIA Regulations', proceeding without the necessary authorisation. To address this problem and ensure that the provincial government fulfils its constitutional and statutory obligations in respect of protecting the environment and ensuring sustainable development, the Directorate of Environmental Management of the DECAS established a compliance monitoring and law enforcement component in November 2001. By January 2002, three cases had been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for prosecution; three directives had been issued in terms of the general duty of care provision in the National Environmental Management Act and nine urgent directives under the same provision; and a further 20 odd cases were under investigation.

The broad goals and objectives, and therefore also the budget, of the Directorate of Pollution and Waste Management does not have a direct impact on the prevention of crime. It is believed that the goals and objectives, and therefore the budget, does contribute in an indirect but positive manner to the prevention of crime.

The ultimate aim of the directorate is to create and promote safe, clean and healthy environments, in which the citizens of the Western Cape province can live and prosper. This is to be achieved via a holistic approach in which all the members of communities are encouraged to take ownership and pride in their surrounding living environments. In this manner, the promotion of a culture of "pride in your community" that contributes to the psychological and physical well being of individuals that, in turn, contributes to the prevention of crime is achieved.

The sub-directorate Biodiversity's Driftsands project will not use informal huts or shacks and therefore the entire risk of fire would be reduced at the initiation village. The sub-directorate is currently liaising with the Department of Safety and Security regarding the general safety and security of Driftsands.

The recent establishment of the Environmental Crime Prevention Unit by the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board has succeeded in the successful prosecution of several syndicate members, in several cases international people. They also secured the two biggest fines in the history of Environmental Crime in South Africa (plus-minus R550 000). This unit operates in close partnership with all law enforcements authorities and the relevant communities. Several high priority Environmental Crime Prevention Projects have been planned for the coming financial year (e.g. The huge Buchu poaching industry which is currently threatening the survival of this Protected plant species). The Board is also instrumental in Youth Development projects with a strong emphasis on developing the principle of "youth leaders against crime". Several youth camps are held annually on most of the nature reserves. A strategic approach towards Community-Based Natural Resource Utilisation is also being pursued to ensure that the community's natural resource needs can be managed sustainably and to prevent illegal poaching.

Tourism and Business Development:

The Directorate: Environmental Management authorised two major developments with enormous potential for the tourism sector in the past year. As a result, tourists will soon be able to travel in water borne vehicles on the Roggebaai Canal and attend a host of events at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Further business and tourism opportunities in the form of restaurants, a tourist train station, exhibition centre and tourism bureau will be provided along the Roggebaai Canal. Local crafters will also be afforded the opportunity to sell their wares along the canal, thereby promoting job creation. The Cape Town International Convention Centre will include exhibition halls and conference facilities of world class standard, and will become one of the Mother City's major tourist attractions in the future.

The Environmental Impact Assessments that were undertaken prior to the construction of both these developments, identified the chance of discovering significant archaeological sites in the Foreshore area of Cape Town. During the excavation for the construction of both the Roggebaai Canal and the Cape Town International Convention Centre, significant archaeological sites were indeed discovered. In both these cases, the developers have decided to embrace these cultural sites and to include it in the design of the developments. In this way, these developments will not only contribute to tourism in the Western Cape, but they have contributed to the cultural heritage of the people of the Western Cape.

Tourism sector and infrastructure development has been identified as a means of alleviating poverty and uplifting communities in the West Coast. A proposal for a small resort development at Papendorp near Vredendal is currently in the final stages of evaluation with the Directorate: Environmental Management. The national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has allocated poverty relief funding for the construction and initial operation of the resort, where after, the community will assume responsibility for the operation of the project. This development will provide much needed jobs in the area, and will also afford the tourist the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Olifants River Mouth.

The ultimate aim is to foster communities, towns and cities that are safe, clean and healthy. It goes without saying that a province that is clean and free of pollution is a definite attraction to both local and international tourists. This Directorate has specifically endeavoured to achieve this via the projects associated with the Western Cape Clean-Up Operation and through environmental education. The sub-directorate Biodiversity promotes eco-tourism on the Driftsands site by the network of footpath trails, picnic sites, bird watching, a cultural emporium, arts, crafts, weaving and up market tourist accommodation.

The Western Cape Nature Conservation Board has recently appointed Transaction Managers as part of the PPP process towards the full realisation of the Eco-Tourism potential of the conservation areas under its control. This process will lead to substantial capital investments from the private sector into the economy of the Western Cape and will also contribute towards significant job creation and economic growth, specifically in the rural areas. The recent establishment of the world-class De Hoop Whale Trail, is an example of the Eco-Tourism potential of the unique natural heritage of the Western Cape. At least twenty additional Eco-Tourism opportunities have been identified and will be pursued through the formal PPP process that has recently been activated. The increase in revenue, which will be generated through this process, will also contribute significantly towards the essential conservation management of the primary source of tourism in the Western Cape, i.e. the unique Biodiversity of the Cape Floristic Kingdom.

Honourable Speaker, The Chief Directorate Environmental Affairs has a vision, which can now be transformed into a strategy, and a plan of action because of the budgetary allocations that I have just spoken about. We want to develop our province, but at the same time preserve the flora and the fauna. We need to find a balance between sustainable and responsible development on the one hand, and on the other hand, we need to attend to the preservation of our rich natural kingdom. The Western Cape is one of the most desirable province in which people want to live, and it is for this reason that people flock here in there hundreds of thousands. The R77 million that Environmental Affairs will spend during 2002/2003 is money that will be well spent in ensuring that development in our province will be accompanied by the preservation of our rich natural heritage.

Honourable Speaker, I thank you!

Issued by: Office of the MEC for Development Planning and Environmental Affairs, Western Cape, 25 March 2002