REPORT TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE

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REPORT TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON THE
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY FORUM (NEAF)
ANNUAL REPORT 2006/2007 16 OCTOBER 2007
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NEAF ANNUAL REPORT

• NEAF is required to submit its work plan for the
  next year, according to NEMA, Section 6(3)
• 2006/2007 NEAF Annual Report was tabled in
  parliament end of Aug 2007

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NEAF MANDATE
The establishment, composition and functioning of
the National Environmental Advisory Forum (NEAF)
is a requirement in terms of Chapter 2,
Institutions of the National Environmental
Management Act (NEMA), 107 of 1998
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NEAF ROLE

• NEAFs role is defined in NEMA to
• Advise the Minister on any matter concerning
  environmental management and governance
  specifically the setting and achievement of
  objectives and priorities for environmental
  governance, and appropriate methods of monitoring
  compliance with the principles as set out in
  Section 2 of NEMA
• Inform the Minister of the views of the
  stakeholders regarding the application of the
  principles set out in Section 2 of NEMA
• Respond to ad hoc requests by the Minister 
• Draw the Ministers attention, on own initiative
  and after consultation with the DG, to any matter
  concerning environmental management that requires
  attention

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NEAF COMPOSITION

• NEAF is composed according to NEMA, Sections 4
  5
• Members should be 15 and not less than 12 in
  number
• Members are appointed by the Minister through
  nominations in the Government Gazette and public
  media. Comments on nominations by MECs of the
  nine provinces, committees of the National
  Assembly and National Council of Provinces
• Current NEAF members are fourteen in number

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NEAF COMPOSITION

• NEAF represents the following stakeholder groups
• Organised labour
• Organised business
• Non-governmental organisations and
  community-based organisations
• Youth
• Persons that have specialised expertise and
  skills necessary to enable the Forum to carry out
  its functions
• Consideration was also given to the appointment
  of women and youth, and ensuring representation
  of vulnerable and disadvantaged persons

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NEAF MEMBERS
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NEAF TERM OF OFFICE

• NEAFs Term of Office is defined in NEMA, Section
  5, stipulating
• Conditions of Appointment of the Forum
• Member of the Forum holds office for a period of
  two years
• Term of office of a member may be re-appointed
  for one further term
• Current term NEAFs first term since inception
  in 2005
• NEAFs first term 2005 2007
• NEAFs first term extended with one year Until
  July 2008 to
• complete activities as part of the original work
  plan

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NEAF MEETINGS

• The NEAF constitution requires at least 1 meeting
  per quarter
• NEAF held six meetings during 2006/2007 - this
  included 2 subcommittee workshops

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NEAF MEETINGS
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NEAF FUNCTIONING

• As required by NEMA, NEAF developed the
  following
• NEAF Constitution (Gazette 29999) dated 20 June
  2007
• NEAFs Operational Guidelines
• Work plan to Parliament (2007/2008) developed
  as part of a larger process of consultation

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NEAFS APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTNIG ITS MANDATE

• July 2005 NEAF defined, in consultation with
  DEAT and based on the Ministers priority areas,
  previously defined with him in May 2005, key
  areas that required advice
• These key areas were captured in a work plan
  2006/2007 where NEAF developed projects to
  formulate recommendations to the Minister which
  is based on addressing gaps in policy frameworks
  and implementation
• In order to ensure that advice given to the
  Minister is sound and sustainable, the sourcing
  of additional experts to support NEAF to
  formulate recommendations to the Minister was
  necessary

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NEAF PROGRESS

• 2005-2006 Establishment of NEAF
• Establishment of NEAF announced in Parliament 24
  February 2005
• Establishing Subcommittees
• Subcommittee Biodiversity and Biosafety
• Subcommittee Coastal and Marine Management
• Subcommittee Energy and Climate Change
• Subcommittee Pollution and Waste Management
• Special project Mainstreaming of Environment
  into the AsgiSA
• Draft NEAF Constitution
• Draft NEAF Operational Guidelines

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NEAF PROGRESS

• 2006-2007
• Developed work plan
• Tabled first Annual Report and work plan to
  parliament
• Workshop on AsgiSA and Mainstreaming of the
  Environment
• Workshop on Pollution and Waste Management
• 2007-2008 Currently in process
• Implementation of work plan to formulate advise
  to the Minister
• Constitution Gazetted

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NEAF WORK PLAN 2007/2008

• The current work plan for 2007/2008 builds on the
  projects contained in the work
• plan for 2006/2007 which was formulated based on
  the areas of focus as
• influenced by the Ministers priorities and key
  focus areas
• Biodiversity and Biosafety
• Marine and Coastal
• Energy and Climate Change
• Pollution and Waste and
• NEAF support to the Minister in terms of the
  Accelerated and Shared Growth
• Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) addressing
  the mainstreaming of the
• environment

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NEAF WORK PLAN 2007/2008

• The projects of these focus areas have been
  further refined,
• taking cognisance of
• Inputs from the Minister, Deputy Minister and
  Senior DEAT Officials at the NEAF meeting - 27
  June 2006
• Terms of References (TOR) and responses from the
  various consultants were circulated to each of
  the DDGs in the Department to ensure that no
  duplication exists

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NEAF PROJECT PLAN 2007/2008

• Subcommittee Biodiversity and Biosafety
• Focus of the work plan include
• Develop recommendations to the Minister on
  Public participation in the context of the of the
  regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms in
  SA investigating the effective, fair,
  transparent, practical and cost effective public
  participation mechanisms
• This will be done through the development of a
  discussion document national workshop on 5
  November 2007
• Status Discussion document in process to be
  drafted. Discussion document
• workshopped 5 Nov 2007. Recommendations to be
  concluded end of the
• current NEAF term

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NEAF PROJECT PLAN 2007/2008

• Subcommittee Coastal and Marine Management
• Focus of the work plan include
• Formulate recommendations to the Minister on
  Effective
• alternatives for small scale fishers, focusing on
  sites in the
• following three specific areas West Coast.
  Southern Cape and
• Wild Coast, to serve as case studies for the
  development of
• recommendations for the rest of the coastline
• Status Tender process. Recommendations to be
  concluded end
• of the current NEAF term

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NEAF PROJECT PLAN 2007/2008

• Subcommittee Energy and Climate Change
• Focus of the work plan include
• Development of Recommendations to the Minister
  Obstacles
• and Barriers to Renewable Energy - Framework to
  prioritise
• renewable energy and address barriers
• Status First draft circulated for comments.
  Recommendations to be
• concluded end of the current NEAF term

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NEAF PROJECT PLAN 2007/2008

• Subcommittee Pollution and Waste Management
• Focus of the work plan include
• Workshop was held on Monday, 23 October 2006 at
  the Premier Conference
• Centre, Oliver Tambo International Airport,
  Johannesburg which addressed
• Critical challenges and creative strategies in
  the implementation of the National Environmental
  Management NEM Air Quality Act
• Review of hazardous waste in South Africa in the
  context of the proposed Hazardous Waste Bill

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NEAF PROJECT PLAN 2007/2008

• Subcommittee Pollution and Waste Management
  continue
• Recommendations from the workshop covered the
  following broad issues
• Methodology and criteria for decision-making in
  setting emission standards
• Public participation in the setting of emission
  standards
• Role of consideration of technology in the
  setting of emission standards
• Use of domestic polluting fuels
• Climate change
• National technical capacity building unit
• Amendments to provisions of NEMA Sections 25, 26
  and 28
• Status Feedback on the recommendations put
  forward from the above
• workshop, will inform the current work plan

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NEAF PROJECT PLAN 2007/2008

• Special project Mainstreaming of Environment
  into the AsgiSA
• Focus of the work plan include
• Facilitate South Africas sustainable development
  by mainstreaming environmental considerations
  into AsgiSA
• Compile a discussion document, based on the
  outcomes of the workshop Addressing the
  Mainstreaming of the Environment into
  Development Issues Opportunities Relating to
  AsgiSA (Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative
  South Africa) held on Tuesday 3 October 2006 at
  the Twin Rivers Lodge in Irene, Pretoria, which
  will form the basis for engagement between key
  economic and environmental experts and
  stakeholders with respect to sustainable economic
  development

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NEAF PROJECT PLAN 2007/2008

• Special project Mainstreaming of Environment
  into the AsgiSA
• Specific recommendations include
• Follow up partnership dialogue initiative between
  the Deputy Presidents Office, Department of
• Trade and Industry (DTI), DEAT, NEAF and a
  selected panel of sustainable development
  experts.
• These discussion will include
•  The key environmental issues in relation to
  AsgiSA to include macro level linkages with the
  environment
• Concrete interventions from an environmental
  perspective in each AsgiSA programme and project
• Requirements in terms of environmental skills
  development in the context of AsgiSA taking the
  JIPSA initiative into account
• Macro level linkage to include AsgiSA, SEA ,EIA,
  sustainable development and infrastructure and
  investment in natural capital
• More detailed interventions will include the
  sectoral interventions linked to issues such as
  water, soils and biodiversity and should include
  concrete proposals on the sector plans and the
  projects

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NEAF PROJECT PLAN 2007/2008

• Special project Mainstreaming of Environment
  into the AsgiSA
• General recommendations include
•  Need for dialogue, between the environmental and
  scientific community to assist with knowledge and
  technology for sustainable solutions in the
  context of AsgiSA
• Conduct environmental/economic risk analysis for
  AsgiSAs development projects
• Government up-scaling investments in natural
  capital
• Apply environmental planning and sustainable
  project design tools, such as Strategic
  Environmental Assessments (SEAs) in AsgiSA
  process
• Attract and retain specialised skills in the
  areas of restorative environmental science and
  planning, and resource economics , specifically
  tailored to deal with the management of
  environmental impacts arising from large
  infrastructure programmes
• Status First draft of discussion document
  circulated for comments. Letter from the
• Minister, sent to the Deputy Presidents Office
  to pursue negotiations

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NEAF INFO SUBMITTED TO THE MINISTER 2006/2007

• NEAF Annual Report work plan 2005/2006
• Report on the Summary of the Proceedings
  Critical Challenges in the Implementation of the
  NEM Air Quality Act held by the National
  Environmental Advisory Forum Subcommittee on
  Pollution Waste, on 23 October 2006
• Summary Report of the Proceedings Mainstreaming
  of the Environment into Development Issues and
  Opportunities relating to AsgiSA (Accelerated and
  Shared Growth Initiative South Africa) , held on
  3 October 2006

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NEAF RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MINISTER 2006/2007

• Memorandum submitted to the Minister by NEAF,
  dated 4 December 2006, with the
• following recommendations to the Minister for
  consideration and noting
• The work currently under way with respect to the
  key focus areas of the Subcommittees Energy and
  Climate Change, Biodiversity and Biosafety,
  Coastal and Marine Management
• The Subcommittee on Pollution and Waste
  Management submitted overarching issues
  containing recommendations to the Minister
• The Minister to endorse further engagement with
  the Deputy Presidents Office regarding the
  Mainstreaming of the Environment into the AsgiSA
  

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NEAF BUDGET REPORT 2006/2007

• NEAF functions in terms of budget according to
  NEMA, Sections 5 6
• NEAF budget provided by DEAT
• TOTAL BUDGET FOR 2006/07 R 1 200 000.00
• TOTAL EXPENDITURE R 310 307.00
• BUDGET NOT ALLOCATED R 889 693.00
• The following annual expenditures included
• Logistical support for meetings (including venue,
  flights, shuttle, etc) R 70 179.00
• Remuneration of the NEAF members R 69
  454.00
• Further research and support that the NEAF may
  require (consultants) R 135 674.00
• Communication costs expenses (telephone
  conferencing, courier etc) R 35 000.00

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NEAF BUDGET 2007/2008

• Overall operational budget
•  Remuneration for NEAF members for the annual
  meetings logistic support for the meetings
  including flights and venues
•  R 192 920.00
• Subcommittees budget
•  Remuneration for NEAF members for the
  subcommittee meetings logistic support for
  national workshops (if applicable) including
  flights and venues printing of publications
  appointment of experts
•  R 846 820.00
• Contingency
•  R 150 000.00
• Total budget 2007/2008 (excl vat)  R 1 189
  740.00

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CONCLUSION - CHALLENGES

• Key Challenges of NEAF
• 2005/ 2006 this was mainly dedicated to the
  setting up and establishing of NEAF a
  challenging task
• Much time devoted to finalising work plan and
  implementing projects
• 2006/2007 the appointment of additional experts
  for the subcommittee work could not be approved
  within the financial year
• Lack of understanding of the role of NEAF at
  various levels
• NEAF members devote their time to NEAF only on a
  part time basis
• Lack of clarity of how roles and responsibilities
  are shared with the DEAT

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CONCLUSION - VALUE

• Value of NEAF
• NEAF is a valuable component of the national
  environmental governance system
• Much expertise and experience resides in the
  members of NEAF
• The success of NEAF depends on the effectiveness
  of the link between NEAF and DEAT and the
  Minister
• The success of the relationship depends on the
  utilisation of the skills in NEAF by DEAT and
  the Minister

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NEAF CONTACTS
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NEAF CONTACTS

• NEAF CHAIR Khungeka Njobe
• NEAF DEPUTY CHAIR Dr John Ledger
• NEAF SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRS
• Biodiversity and Biosafety Mariam Mayet
• Coastal and Marine Management Tony Frost
• Energy and Climate Change Andre Fourie
• Pollution and Waste Management Angela Andrews
• Mainstreaming of Environment into the AsgiSA
  Khungeka Njobe

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NEAF CONTACT

• NEAF SECRETARIAT
• Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
  (DEAT)
• Office of the Chief Operating Officer
• Email emmarieotto_at_mweb.co.za
• Fax [phone]
• Enquiries Emmarie Otto

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