Hon Chairperson, Deputy Minister, hon members, with all developments, particularly in a growing economy like ours where the state is a major role-player in infrastructure developments, environmental management is not an optional extra. This is even more so when much of these developments are aimed at correcting past economic and infrastructural imbalances in the rural areas of our country.
In the rural areas the environment has, until recently, remained untouched and unspoiled. The rapid expansion of mining in rural areas in recent years has, however, caused an even greater impact on the environment which cannot be allowed to continue unchecked.
The National Environmental Management Amendment Bill introduces a range of new environmental management instruments which must be welcomed. These include norms and standards and environmental management frameworks, all of which, if the associated regulations are drafted in good faith, will speed up approvals for appropriate developments without compromising the environment. It is pleasing to know that the portfolio committee accepted the DA's proposal to have the associated regulations for the environmental instruments brought back to Parliament for oversight after the Minister has drafted them.
The DA's spokesperson on environmental affairs, hon Gareth Morgan, has already dealt with much of the detail of the Bill as passed by the NA; therefore, I will refrain from going down that path. I am happy that the process in the NCOP has been thorough and that the further amendments introduced by the C version of the Bill and incorporated into the National Environmental Management Amendment Bill, Bill 36D of 2007, go further in strengthening the role of environmental assessment, particularly with regard to prospecting, mining and exploration.
I do believe, however, that the role of the Minister of Minerals and Energy should have been diluted rather than strengthened in regard to environmental assessment. That job is the job of Environmental Affairs and that is where it should be.
A very positive amendment is the insertion of the new subsection 24N(1A) which makes the submission of an environmental management programme compulsory in regard to prospecting, mining, exploration, reduction and related activities before an application for an environmental authorisation is considered.
I have said that I am happy that the process in the NCOP has been thorough. Also, I still feel that public hearings in the provinces in general should indeed still be directed at the people at large but that closer interaction with the industries and stakeholders involved should be sought. This is an area that needs serious attention, but it must go hand in hand with the proper redetermination of the NCOP cycle in regard to section 76 legislation.
The massive influx of legislation experienced this past year is not conducive to the formulation of good legislation. On the contrary, it is counterproductive and should never have been allowed. We are guilty of passing rushed laws which cannot be good for democracy.
The DA supported the passing of the Bill in the NA and now supports the provinces in passing the amendments of the NCOP. I thank you.
Ms Y NAHARA (KwaZulu-Natal): Thank you, Chairperson. The amendments made by the department do not need an explanation. If I could have done it my way, I would not have come here. The Deputy Minister, the hon Mabudafhasi, has given a very clear and thorough explanation as to where we are heading and what we want to do.
Hon Moatshe has given all the reasons why this Bill had to be amended, but just to make an input, I would like to say two things about the amendments. The first point concerns the provisions that the Bill seeks to address, namely to refine the integrated environmental management systems in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the system. The second point concerns the proposal that the integrated environmental authorisation be issued where different Acts provide for regulation and where multiple authorisation is required.
This is so important that I cannot emphasise it enough. From my personal experience, we needed these provisions yesterday. This will address one of the main problems, namely the delays in the EIAs that we experience in the provinces as well as many other issues concerning the environment.
You will find that there are accusations made by developers that this government is not serious about development. There is also conflict with our own small businesspeople who are unable to get the necessary authorisation in time. Project managers end up losing the very same jobs that we want to create for our people to the big developers or businesspeople who have the money to go to the private sector to do these assessments. As a result it has reduced the number of construction developers that we could have had by now.
It has also affected some of our people who have inherited land and who have wanted to do something different from agriculture or farming and who would have preferred to have community game reserves and other initiatives. To date, some of them did not achieve their goals because of the delays of the EIA and all the relevant issues. One cannot really overemphasise the need for these amendments to take place.
Having made this point, I would just like to say one thing about the previous speaker who said that he is happy that the portfolio committee has taken their proposals from the DA. I am not sure whether the speaker is correct. As the provinces we held public hearings and I can assure you that, as a chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal, I spoke to our own people who were talking about these issues.
I doubt that the DA is actually our teacher because our people know what they want and we were sure about what we wanted to amend. As I stand here, I can assure you the people in Nongoma know why I am here and they know why these amendments have to be made. I normally do not like to be told that someone did something for me, when I can do it myself.
Other than this, I really would not be doing justice to the matter after the chairperson, hon Moatshe, has explained the various issues that are so important to this Bill. The KwaZulu-Natal committees, both agriculture and provincial NCOP, met and considered the public hearing proposals and we included those we felt should be included. We deliberated extensively on this Bill and we ended up agreeing that we support this Bill fully with all the amendments. Let me end by saying that wherever you find "imbokotho" [rock], you have no doubt that things will go right. I thank the hon Minister.