SUBMISSION BY THE WESTERN CAPE NATURE CONSERVATION BOARD ON PROPERTY RATES BILL: 2003
Dear Sir,
The Board is grateful for the opportunity to summit comment on this important legislation. The Board recognises the value of financially stable and efficient local authorities for the provision of services and that they could make a significant contribution to biodiversity conservation. It is important however that this legislative mechanism provides for a balance between local authority requirements and the environmental responsibilities of local authorities.
There is concern that local demands may compromise provincial and national environmental interests and in its current draft form this legislation does not adequately encourage and support sustainable land use practices or provincial and national land management objectives.
LOCAL ECONOMY
Rural development and stability may be significantly enhanced through conservation in areas where commercial agriculture may no longer be economically viable Protected areas both formal (statutory) and informal provide a range of ecological, social and economic benefits to the people living in and using the landscape.
A stable environment allows sustainable eco-tourism development and commercial activities which contribute significantly to local economic development. International funding is now being channeled into these areas to conserve priority biodiversity sites and alleviate poverty.
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
Large areas of the Western Cape, particularly in the lowlands, are inadequately conserved. Most of these areas are in private ownership. The most cost effective means of conserving these important biodiversity sites is by encouraging the appropriate land use and management on these private holdings. Section 9 (2) of the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board Act makes provision for the establishment of Nature Conservation areas or privately own land. This is consistent with the provisions of the new Biodiversity and Protected Areas legislation and the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board is aggressively pursuing this means of reaching international and national biodiversity targets.
The Board has identified three main areas of concern namely:
The importance and significant role which privately-owned land has in biodiversity conservation.
Responsible and sustainable land use practices should be encouraged and supported by legislation in the Local, Provincial and National interest.
Nature based commercial activities which support and fund national biodiversity conservation should be supported by this legislation.
Biodiversity conservaiton for Local, Provincial and National interest
The Board supports the new framework for protected areas contemplated in the Protected Areas Bill 2003 which recognises that private land may be incorporated into a provincial and national protected area network with attendant legal status.
The wording in the relative clause S15 (2)(e) disqualifies private land for exemption even if it has national or provincial conservation status.
Recommendation: Clause 15 (2) (e)