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30 October 2005

The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, today announced the formal proclamation of South Africa's 22nd National Park in Graaff-Reinet. Situated on almost 14 500 hectares of land donated by the World Wide Fund for Nature in South Africa (WWF-SA), and following a public consultation process, it has been decided that the new park will formally be called Camdeboo National Park.

"When we last month announced our intention to proclaim this park we expressed our vision to eventually link it with the Mountain Zebra National Park to form the basis of a single mega-conservation area over 120km in length and including up to 520 000 hectares of land under conservation," said the Minister. "I am particularly pleased that we have been able to move so rapidly to the proclamation because this new park will be a major source of growth and investment for this region of the Karoo."

Unveiling further positive news for South African conservation, the Minister also announced the expansion of seven existing national parks by a total of 64 600 hectares. "In the last financial year we added more than 88 000 hectares of land to our national parks," said the Minister. "We are now expanding the borders of Marakele by 1124 hectares; Augrabies by 32271 hectares; Addo by 16349 hectares; Namaqua by 8820 hectares; Agulhas by 3906 hectares; Table Mountain by 323 hectares; and West Coast by 1839 hectares. Our continuing commitment to the expansion and consolidation of our parks aims to enhance the conservation of our most threatened biomes, to ensure that our national parks are ecologically sustainable, and to be the catalyst for real economic and social opportunities for the surrounding communities."

The expansion and consolidation forms part of a national parks land acquisition programme announced last year by the Minister in which R123 million over three years, or R41 million annually, has been budgeted, with a further R160 million per year over the same period to be added by the local and international donor community. The latest expansion has brought substantial tracts of the fynbos, lowland fynbos, and succulent Karoo biomes into the boundaries of the parks.

"We are also pleased to announce that, following the assent of the President, the new National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Amendment Act will formally come into force on 1 November. In combination with the National Environmental Management Act of 1998 and the Biodiversity Act of 2004 this will complete our suite of laws in which the full range of conservation efforts are recognised, regulated, and empowered," said the Minister.

The new Act provides for, inter alia, the protection and conservation of ecologically viable areas representing South Africa's biodiversity, natural landscapes, and seascapes; for the establishment of a national register of all national, provincial and local protected areas; for the management of these areas in line with national norms and standards; for intergovernmental cooperation and public consultation in matters concerning protected areas; and for the governance and functioning of SANParks. Its coming into force marks the end of an era – with the formal repeal of the National Parks Act of 1976.

Speaking about his intention to make use of the provisions of the new law, Minister Van Schalkwyk said: "In terms of the Act we will now be publishing Regulations for the Proper Administration of Special Nature Reserves, National Parks and World Heritage Sites. This will not only allow for SANParks to continue their sterling work in the management of our national parks, but will also ensure that our special nature reserves and World Heritage Sites apply the same regulations in their areas."

Enquiries: Riaan Aucamp
Cell: 083 778 9923

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
30 October 2005