The Department had a funded establishment of 1 483 posts and 202 posts were filled additional to the establishment. There are 109 vacancies, mostly as a result of natural attrition and the lack of adequate skills within the environmental sector. Personnel numbers are expected to increase to 1 685 in 2015/16 in order to better capacitate the Department. The Department mainly uses consultants to provide audit services and assist with infrastructure planning and studies on climate change, as well as for the biodiversity, marine and environmental sector programmes.