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The Democratic Alliance has received a parliamentary reply in which the National Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, is shirking her department’s responsibility for managing Estuary Management Plans (EMP).
In the reply received this week, it was indicated that only 4 EMPs have been established in the Western Cape – which does not include the Milnerton Lagoon and Diep River waterbodies.
What’s more, of the 291 known estuaries in the country – only 14 EMPs have been finalised to date.
The establishment of EMPs is essential in ensuring that there is a balance between human activities and the preservation of the estuary in line with the National Biodiversity Assessment Report. Its lack of implementation, however, is attributed by the Minister to its high cost of implementation. This is estimated to be between R600 000 and R1 million.
Going forward, I will be writing to the Provincial Minister of Environmental Affairs, Anton Bredell, to ask what steps are being taken by his Department and the City of Cape Town to push ahead and establish an EMP – despite the hands-off approach by the ANC-led National Government.
This follows the adoption of the Diep River Estuary Management Plan on 8 December 2022 by the City of Cape Town, which was published for public comment earlier this year. The plan was then subsequently sent to Minister Bredell for approval in terms of the National Estuarine Management Protocol.
Despite the laissez-faire attitude of the National Department of Environmental Affairs, I do want to commend the City and Province for the ongoing efforts to address this issue.
This week, Councillor Lansdowne and City officials conducted a #KnowYourRiver Walk – inspecting the Diep River and service delivery responses first-hand.
Of course, there is certainly room for improved service delivery responses and communication – but there has been clear progress made.
In my capacity as the Constituency Head for Durbanville-Blaauwberg 2, I have and will continue to use every parliamentary lever at my disposal to ensure oversight over the pollution of the Diep-River and Milnerton Lagoon water bodies. Residents must be kept informed of this important issue, and I will also continue to work closely with City officials, civil society, and the Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs.