Africa Wild

http://www.sanews.gov.za

Environmental impact assessments

The Director-General of Environmental Affairs, Nosipho Ngcaba, said the department was attempting to tackle the backlog in environmental impact assessments, and believed that the department had made progress.

However, Ngcaba said the demand in applications - driven by the growth in renewable energy projects - had increased to 900 applications last year, while the department can only process 400 applications a year.

Currently 1,300 active applications are being processed by the department.

Molewa said the department had introduced a streamlined environmental authorisation process to fast track the implementation of the Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordinating Commission's (PICC) Strategic Infrastructure Projects.

She said other tools, such as strategic environment assessments are being developed to further accelerate authorisations, particularly those in renewable energy resources.

Sounds like reduced assessments then

Dunno, but the last sentence doesn't seem right....EIA is EIA...

(Thanks to Lis for the link!)

Rp, what are we to do about this dismal situation??

They promised some sort of reply,...

Still waiting,.... ......

No more thunder stealing, H.!

Maybe no news is good news?

I'm bothered!! In light of past misunderstanding some thoughts crossed my
mind.
Sanparks envision hotels and currently have two obligations running
re: EIA's for said hotels, Timfehene and Skuks.

Yet interested parties were invited for tender re: A lodge to be constructed
in Skuks, this lodge to service the conference centre!!

A proper EIA was not deemed necessary here!!! This action seems only because
a floundering conference centre is not meeting expectation envisioned!!

Or maybe just a ploy!!

If lodges are not subject to proper EIA practise then what prevents Sanparks
from offering a lodge scenario to would be speculators!!!

Sanparks replacing hotels with lodges????!!!!

I suppose the EIA is different for Skuks, as it is within an existing "residential area"?
"Lodges" is actually the correct term...they changed that chop-chop after the negative PR regarding the word "hotel"... -O

No tenders for lodge construction, only service providers -O

Appointment of a suitable service provider as the Development Project Management Company for the Skukuza Conference Lodge development
Appointment of a suitable service provider as the Hotel Operations Specialist Consultant for the Skukuza Conference Lodge development
Appointment of a suitable service provider as the Quantity Surveyor Practice for the Skukuza Conference Lodge development
Appointment of a suitable service provider as the Civil/Structure Consulting Engineers for the Skukuza Conference Lodge development
Appointment of a suitable service provider as the Electrical Consulting Engineers for the Skukuza Conference Lodge development
Appointment of a suitable service provider as the Mechanical Consulting Engineers for the Skukuza Conference Lodge development

"the rollout of Malelane Safari Lodge and Skukuza Conference Lodge in the Kruger National Park, and associated environmental impact assessments (EIA) are in progress" (Annual Performance Plan for 2013/14 Final)

What's the difference between a 4X star lodge or a 4x star hotel????