ARBU seeks your mandate to tackle 4×4 ban issues

The ARBU requires a mandate from the public to take up the problems and issues associated with the 4×4 ban.

Membership Application

Click the link below to fill out a basic application for membership to the association of recreational beach users. When you click submit,  at the bottom of the form, your application will instantly published to our data base and a staff members will validate your application manually during office hours, Monday to Friday, o9 H 00 to 15 H oo and we are closed during public holidays and week ends.

ARBU?A1 — basic application for membership to the Association of Recreational Beach Users

Once your contact details have been verified you will receive our weekly news letter and info update with links to all our social media projects and other membership incentives such as but not limited to  lucky draws for prizes from our sponsors and specials at resorts that support our cause.

4×4 ban and tourism

The proposed new legislation found here is grounds for us as the ARBU (Association of Recreational Beach Users) to take up the issue afresh.

In the past we failed miserably even with the support of T-KZN which was ignored at central government level due to mining policies.

This time around we will be a little better prepared, but only if we can get your help or at least your moral support.

The ARBU has a few different social media profiles in place which are there to funnel visitors to our web pages at http://arbu.info4u.co.za

When we as the management of ARBU stand up at meetings we would like to say that we have a very large support base. To be able to do this the support base must be active, functional and accessible. The ARBU has a social marketing page at http://social.me/arbu which has links to all our social media profiles.

We thus ask that you visit our social media pages and help us by making use of these platforms and

1. like
2. share
3. tweet
4. circle
5. promote
6. or otherwise interact with our SMP’s (Social Media Profiles)

Your help in informing others of our plight and current lack of public interaction would be appreciated, so please get active and let others know of our situation.

We are busy with a membership drive and would like to include as many members as possible. Membership is free, and you will receive our regular (weekly) info update with links to all our posts and online efforts. You will be able to unsubscribe at any time, by following the instructions at the bottom of every news letter.

our social media profiles

ARBU institutes procedings to establish a local municipal coastal committee

The Association of Recreational beach users has began the procedings to institute a local municipality coastal management committee as is required by the ICMA (Integrated CoastalManagement Act)

We have written a letter to the mayor of Mtubatuba Municipality requesting a meeting to discuss the setting up of this committee as soon as is practicaly possible so that we may proceed to establish the Mtubatuba local Municipality coastal management Committee.

If the Mtubatuba Municipalty does not have a Coastal management plan in place then one will be provided for us in which we will have no input or influence. If we have a committee in place the Act mandates

the Minister,

the MEC

The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority)

The national coastalanagement committee

the provincial coastal managemenyt committee

to consult with the local municipality coastal committee on any matters effecting their coastal management plan.

This will alow us as the Association of recreational beach users to have some influence in the matters affecting our members and the potential tourism impacts which any changes to the mtubatuba municipal coastal management plan which may be forecd upon us by the higher levels of the coastal management system envisaged by the ICMA

Beach Access Forum

The management of uMhlatuze local municipality and the uThungulu District Municipality have picked up that beach access is a problem within the local and domestic tourism market, and are working on ways to address the issue.

This is good news for all those who would like to access our beaches along the KZN Coast line but find it too dangerous because of the long distance one walks from your vehicle.

This has lead to the formation of a forum to discuss these issues and make recomendations. The beach Access Forum held their second meeting on Monday 22 June 2009 in Richards bay.

The second meerting of the Beach access forum (BAF) was rather fruitfull from my perspective, as those present were all committed and willing to put an effort in to make this formum successful.

I attended this meeting as the CEO of Info4u CC and not as a representive or spokes person for the Association of Recreational Beach Users (ARBU), and the next meeting to be held on Monday 6 July will see a few more faces, including a spokes person for the Association of Recreational Beach users (ARBU)

This space has been idle for some time now, but I feel we will soon liven this up with the actions being taken by the delegates to the BAF (Beach Access Forum)

more comming soon !

Help need at public meetings

The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) are busy with their IMP (Integrated Management Plan) and your presence at the public participation meetings will be included.

If you can be there please attend.

If you cant be there your self, perhaps you can convince a friend to be their. If we do not get enough people at these public meetings then our point of view will not be included in the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) IMP (Integrated Management Plan)

We need to get the 4×4 ban issue addressed at these public participation meetings. If there are not enough numbers at these meetings then our point will not b e taken seriously.

The Integrated Management Plan (IMP) is a tool that is used to develop and manage iSimangaliso. It is the framework for decision making over the next 5 years, and has been drafted in terms of the World Heritage Convention Act 1999 (Act No.49 of 1999) and National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003 (Act 57 of 2003). The IMP also meets the requirements of other legislation, such as the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 (Act 18 of 1998).

The IMP sets out to integrate conservation, tourism development, and the local economic development of historically disadvantaged communities in and adjacent to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

The IMP provides the integrated management tools for iSimangaliso, including:

* Spatial planning measures, including zonation, activities plans and nodal frameworks, the intended proclamation of the entire coast off iSimangaliso a Marine Protected Area.
* A five year implementation programme.
* General planning measures and controls.

The IMP is available for your review and comment for the period from the 24 December 2008 until 18 February 2009. Holiday makers to the Park over the festive season will have an opportunity to review the Plan, making the IMP available for comment for an extended period of 8 weeks.

Hard and electronic copies of the Integrated Management Plan will be available at the venues below:

KWAZULU NATAL
Durban Central Public Library
Durban North Public Library
Mkuze – Ghost Mountain Inn
Hluhluwe Public Library
Jozini Public Library
Manguzi Public Library
Mbazwana Education Centre and Library
Mtubatuba Public Library
Mtunzini – ACER (Africa) Offices
Richards Bay Public Library
St Lucia Public Library

GAUTENG
Bryanston Public Library
Rosebank Public Library
Blackheath Public Library
Johannesburg Public Library
Pretoria Public Library

MPUMALANGA
Nelspruit Public Library

WESTERN CAPE
Cape Town Public Library

iSIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK
St Lucia Crocodile Centre
uMkhuze – Mantuma Reception
Sodwana Bay – Camp Reception
Kosi Bay – Camp Reception

The Draft IMP is also available on ACER Africa’s website: http://www.acerafrica.co.za under the “iSimangaliso IMP” link.

At the end of January 2009, Open Days will be held to provide an opportunity for the public to discuss the content of the IMP.

KWAZULU-NATAL
23 January 2009 – Protea Hotel Hluhluwe – 09h00 to 13h00
27 Janaury 2009 – Durban Botanical Gardens – 15h00 to 19h00

GAUTENG
28 January 2009 – Protea Hotel Midrand – 15h00 to 19h00

Comments can be submitted in one of the following ways:
By mail: ACER (Africa) Environmental Management Consultants
IMP Consultation Public Participation Office,
PO Box 503,
Mtunzini, 3867
By fax: 035 – 340 2232
By email: IMP@acerafrica.co.za

The comment period commences on Wednesday, 24 December 2008 and ends at the close of business on Wednesday, 18th February 2009. Please make sure that ACER has received your comments.

All those with an interest in iSimangaliso Wetland Park are encouraged to review the draft IMP, attend Open Days and/or submit written comment. Comments received will be considered in the finalisation of the IMP.

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Public Participation Office.

iSIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK
DRAFT INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT PLAN – PUBLIC CONSULTATION PROCESS
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION OFFICE DETAILS

Ms Bongi Shinga or June Mottram
ACER (Africa) Environmental Management Consultants
P O Box 503, Mtunzini, 3867
Tel: 035 340 2715
Fax: 035 340 2232
E-mail: IMP@acerafrica.co.za

REVIEW PERIOD: 24 December 2008 – 18 February 2009

For more information email roland@iSimangaliso.com

Registration update

We successfully lodged a form CM5 with CIPRO today.

CIPRO stands for Companies and Intellectual Property Rights Office

CIPRO does all company and organisation registrations for South Africa, and we are in the process of registering ARBU (Association of Recreational Beach Users) as an NPO (NON PROFIT ORGANISATION

I tried to do this once before, but the political arena was a lot different then, and the locals had not yet lost enough for them to take me seriously when I told them that if they do not go this route we will never win.

When I was in St. Lucia yesterday afternoon every body I spoke to had something to say about the loss of business and the water problems that they are expecting to have in December.

Having a large organisation like ARBU behind you when you complain at the local or district Municipal offices will soon be a bonus, as we expect you personally to play a large part in these affairs.

This will not cost you a cent, besides your time on the internet, and all you will need to do is register as a member of the Association of recreational beach users. Registration is free, and gives you the privilege of receiving our monthly E ZINE (Electronic Magazine) in your inbox.

We think that we will be able to have more than one million registered users, who we will be able to call upon to attend public hearings, and Municipal IDP (Integrated Development Plan) meetings as well as the IMP (Intergrated Management Plan) of the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) or at least send an email to the secretary applogising for not being present.

Once you have registerd as a supporter / member of our organistaion you will be welcome to partake in our marketing activities and regular fund raising events such as concerts, festivals and sporting events that we will be arranging or marketing specifically for our members who want to make recreational use of our Elephant Coast beaches

Remember to talk about this blog and get your friends to visit. W

rite something about your experiences along our beaches, and we will publish it for your friends to read.

Got some good pics of recreational activities such as fish you caught, competitions you entered, underwater photos send them to us and we will publish then for you.

After all these pages are all about enjoying the wonderful natural beauty of the Elephant Coasts wide open beaches at places such as

Mapelane

St. Lucia

Capevidal

Sodwana Bay

Kozi Bay

First Rocks

Mission Ricks

King Oscar

Three Sisters

Banaga Neck

and many others

Remember to book mark this blog and come back again soon. Please feel free to coment and add your 5 cents worth, as all ideas will be evaluated and where prudent used,