Environmental Management

Environmental Management

Sustainable development

As specified in the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) requires the consideration of all relevant factors being avoided and where they cannot be avoided be minimised and remedied.

The Environment is one of mankind’s greatest assets and requires careful consideration and protection for present and future generations.  Unrestrained development is damaging to the environment and the destruction of the environment is detrimental to development.  As such a fine balance is to be found to achieve sustainable development, i.e. development that manages the interaction between the need for environmental protection and the real need for progress and development with all its associated benefits.

Section 24 of the Constitution specifies that:

Everyone has the right –

1. To an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and
2. To have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that –
   • Prevent pollution and ecological degradation;
   • Promote conservation; and
   • Secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development.

Sustainable development, as specified in the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) requires the consideration of all relevant factors including that the following factors be avoided and where they cannot be avoided be minimised and remedied:

• Disturbance of ecosystems and loss of biological diversity.
• Pollution and degradation of the environment.
• Disturbance of landscapes and sites that constitute the nations cultural heritage.
• Waste.
• Negative impacts on the environment and on people’s environmental rights be anticipated and prevented.

Additionally the use and exploitation of non-renewable natural resources is to be responsible and equitable, the use and exploitation of renewable resources and the ecosystems of which they form part are not to be jeopardised and that a risk-averse and cautious approach is applied in all environmental actions and decisions.

The Environmental Management component of the Land Use Management Division aims to provide due environmental consideration for development proposals through guidance from the relevant environmental legislation, including but not limited to:

• National Environmental Management Act, 1998, Act 107 of  1998 (NEMA)
• National Environmental Management:  Integrated Coastal Management Act, 2008, Act 24 of 2008 (NEM:ICMA)
• Outeniqua Sensitive Coastal Area Extension Regulations, R1528, 1998 (OSCAER)
• National Environmental Management:  Air Quality Act, 2004, Act 39 of 2004 (NEM:AQA)
• National Environmental Management:  Protected Areas Act, 2003, Act 57 of 2003 (NEM:PA)
• National Environmental Management:  Biodiversity Act, 2004, Act 10 of 2004 (NEM:BA)
• National Environmental Management:  Waste Act, 2008, Act 59 of 2008 (NEM:WA)
• National Heritage Resources Act, 1999, Act 25 of 1999 (NHRA)

Disaster Risk Assessment 2019

PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT:​

This report aims to help make disaster risk reduction and assessment a routine part of development planning and resource allocation in the Bitou Local Municipality. This means implementing targeted interventions and instilling a culture of applying disaster risk assessment as an analytical and decision-making tool at all government levels and across society. The Disaster Risk Assessment needs to be continuously reviewed and updated to provide a comprehensive picture of Bitou Local Municipality’s risk profile and to ensure a focused-driven multi-stakeholder approach.

DISCLAIMER:

This report was produced by LUTICENTO PTY. It was supported by the Western Cape Disaster Management Centre and this work has been undertaken in accordance with Western Cape Disaster Management’s standardized methodology for conducting Disaster Risk Assessments. Although all efforts are made to identify all relevant hazards in the Bitou Local Municipality during the assessment, the nature of risks are such that it is possible that features of hazards, vulnerability and capacity could be overlooked during the study.

This report contains the views of a wide range of stakeholders engaged as part of the risk assessment process. This is research work, and as such there is potential for uncertainties in what has been presented. While every effort has been made to ensure that the material in the report is accurate, the Contributors provide no warranty, guarantee or representation that the material is accurate, complete, up to date, non-infringing or fit for a particular purpose. The use of this material is at the risk of the user.

This report does not bind an organisation to any specific course of action or policy.

Plett Beach-Clean up campaign

Bitou Municipality together with Keep Plett Clean are undertaking a beach clean-up campaign from the 5th to the 15th of January 2021.  The campaign envisages 3 teams of 15 volunteers each undertaking a 2 hour clean-up at a specific beach within the Bitou Municipal area each day.  This is in response to the nurdle spill that occurred off of the coast of Plettenberg Bay last year October as well as plastic pollution that washes onto the beach every day.  Nurdles are very small plastic pellets which serves as raw material in the manufacture of plastic products.  Due to their size, and often clear colour, nurdles can look like fish eggs or other small animals which makes them particularly attractive to seabirds, fish and other marine wildlife.  Plastic can get trapped in an animal’s stomach causing ulceration, making them feel full and stopping them from eating real food.  This can lead to starvation and potentially death.  Toxic chemicals can also transfer from microplastics which is another route for these chemicals to enter the food chain and harm the human population. 

Should any member of the public be interested in volunteering their time please send your declaration of interest, name, surname and cellphone contact number to Bitou’s Environmental Management Officer, Anjé Taljaard at ataljaard@plett.gov.za / 044 01 3318.  Volunteers will be chosen on a first come basis and will be expected to complete a permit application form to be allowed on the beach during Lockdown Level 3.  Volunteers will need to bring their own kitchen sieve and bucket to be able to collect nurdles.  All Covid-19 protocols and social distancing is to be observed.