Register for iSimanagliso Wetland Park Authority integrated Management plan public participation process (2012)

I have not written here for some time, as I gave up due to the great difficulty in getting the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) to take part in their mandated attendances at the local municipality IDP (Integrated Development Plan) process with any meaningful results.

Many of those who I have spoken to asked me to see what can be done, as they are now “GATVOL” of the disinformation that the IWPA (iSimangaliso wetland Park Authority) is feeding the public and government officials involved in the economic studies and ecological impact assessments as well as environmental impact assessments and other studies undertaken within the IWPWHS (iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site.

There are many acts, laws and a host of legislation which mandate the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority to hold meaningful public participation process meetings relating to the drafting and implementation of their IMP (Integrated Management Plan) and EMP’s (Environmental Management Plans)

The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) has side stepped these issues, and this has been covered up at parliamentary level, so we have a big problem. our answer is to collectively force the issue from many angles and make such a big noise that they can not avoid the questions posed by international jounalists and international news publications covering the affairs of the IWPWHS (iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site)

To achieve this we will require your help and moral support. read this blog  http://iwpappp.blogspot.com/ and then decide if you want to register as a concerned citizen of the world and be informed of the public participation process and its results by registering at this site forafrica.co.za/forms/?p=128

many thanx for your time and efforts.

iSimangaliso wetland Park IMP

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority is busy with their IMP (integrated management Plan) review for 2009.

Part of this process is surposed to include meaningful public participation, and the open day held at Hluhluwe on Friday 23 January 2009 (23/01/09) was interesting, but does not qualify as meaningful public participation. This meaningful public participation is required according to the regulations associated with the world heritage act, act 49 of 1999, and the NEMA as well as other related legislation.

We arrived at the HluHluwe Protea Hotel expecting to attend a meeting but got a surprise as it was an open day with a show and tell team who were not as well rehearsed in all matters as they should have been. Unfortunately I got rather upset and lost the plot.

I was actualy so upset about some issues, and the lack of depth that the consultants showed that I began to shake. Fortunately I had some friends at this show, and they managed to calm me down, so that I could speak to some of the consultants and ask some questions which need to be addressed, without shouting and behaving like a lunatic.

The issue of tourism associated with the recreational beach users is not in their plan, and the fact that the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) wish to extend the marine protected area, and apply new limitations on resource extraction methods needs to be evaluated properly to ensure that it does not have a huge negative impact on tourism, like the closure of the recreational use areas of the Elephant Coast did.

The studies done back in 2002 by the same consultants Acer Africa need to be revisited, and questions asked as to the wetlands Park Authority’s response to these reports, and their inclusion in the EIA (Environmntal Impact Assesment).

The IWPA IMP Consultants need to be invited to the Mtubatuba IDP and they need to describe and implement the methodology that will be used to integrate the Mtubatuba IDP and the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) IMP (integrated Management Plan) so that they (the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) may comply with the world heritage Act (Act 49 of 1999) in terms of chapter iv section 22 in its entireity.

The Association of recreational beach users will need to do a lot of negotiating and arrange a huge ammount of pressure on the iSimangaliso Wetland Park to ensure the law is followed, and that the economic losses associated with the absence of the recreational beach users from the Elephant Coast recreational use areas is considered.

The figures are huge, with at least 200 000 overnight visits to the park, and about 400 000 day visits being lost due to the closure of recreational use areas to motor vehicle access.

If you want to help us visit http://groups.google.com/group/arbu and register as a supporter. it is free and we will appreciate your moral support.