The Magaliesberg Protected Environment (MPE) and the internationally-recognised Magaliesberg Biosphere Reserve were put in place by ordinary citizens who recognized the importance of this very special area and the need to protect it, as far back as the 1970’s. The Provincial and National government were instrumental in achieving the UNESCO listing in 2015; however the region is under constant threat of development and mining in an unsustainable fashion.
“One of the latest applications, by the Grace Bible Church, is set squarely in the MPE and the core area of the Biosphere region, which is a registered protected area under the National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act, 57 of 2003.
“Development plans include a huge campus to accommodate 7000 people, and overnight accommodation for about 1000 people” says Belinda Cooper, Co-Ordinator of the Biosphere Reserve. “It is an inappropriate development in terms of the requirements of the MPE under its Environmental Management Framework and Plan which was gazetted in 2009, and developers need to go back to the drawing board”.
A full Environmental Impact Assessment process is currently underway, and at the EIA stage. A public meeting was held on 16 May, but registered Interested and Affected Parties, who were consulted during the scoping phase, were not directly informed of this meeting. This is not good practice, and is contrary to the 2017 guideline for public participation in terms of NEMA EIA regulations.
Instead notice of the meeting was given at the bottom of the newspaper and site notices required to notify the public of commencement of the EIA phase. As a result, only a handful of residents attended. While public meetings are not mandatory for EIA processes, the EIA regulations are clear that comprehensive public participation involves an opportunity for the public to:
• obtain accurate and understandable information about the environmental impacts of the proposed activity or implications of a decision;
• suggest ways for reducing any negative impacts of the project and for enhancing its positive impacts;
• to enable the person conducting the public participation to incorporate local context, needs, preferences and values
• to clear up misunderstandings about technical issues, resolving disputes and reconciling conflicting interests.
“According to the guidelines, the level of public participation must at a minimum be informed by the scale of anticipated impacts of the proposed project, and the sensitivity of the affected environment and the degree of controversy of the project. The lack of adequate notice of a public meeting and resultant poor attendance means that it was not effective, sufficient or meaningful for the purpose of public participation, and was merely a tick-box exercise”, says Belinda.
It is vital that people participate by registering as Interested and Affected Parties, look at the draft EIA report and make comments. “Aside from the clear contravention of the MPE requirements, there are many inconsistencies particularly around service provision to the property – power and water supply, and management of waste is just part of it. The traffic impact will be immense. This area belongs to all, and it is in our interests to ensure the beneficial use of environmental resources serve the public interest, and the environment is protected as the people’s common heritage. This means attending meetings, making comments, ‘owning’ the process”.
Residents of the Harties area have a priceless treasure in the Magaliesberg that still offers a sanctuary for biodiversity. All the measures to protect it from inappropriate development are in place, and it is up to those living in the area to ensure that developers are cognizant of, and abide by, the requirements.
To register as an Interested and Affected party and request a copy of the EIA report, email inapcomments2tseo@gmail.com with the subject line DFFE Ref #: 14/12/16/3/3/2/2459 – Grace Bible Church and also, submit your comments by 6 June 2024.
For more information on the Magaliesberg Biosphere and contact details, and the MPE Environmental Management Framework, please refer to www.magaliesbergbiosphere.org.za For additional information, please email hello@magaliesbergbiosphere.org.za