Garden Route (Southern Cape) Regional Spatial Implementation Framework Final Draft May 2019 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE SOUTHERN CAPE REGIONAL SPATIAL FRAMEWORK provincial economy through regionally planned and Department of Rural Development and Land Reform’s coordinated infrastructure investment. Guidelines for the Preparation of SDFs (2014) is defined 1. INTRODUCTION as a plan that deals with unique considerations that The purpose of this chapter is to introduce to the SC cross provincial and/or municipal boundaries and The 2014 Provincial Spatial Development Framework RSIF, articulating the background and purpose of the apply to a particular spatial location. A region is (‘PSDF’) identified three distinct urban priority regions project, to define the regional study area which forms defined as being a circumscribed geographical area in the Western Cape which are responsible for driving the spatial basis of the report, and provide the characterised by distinctive economic, social or considerable economic growth and development in methodology and give a brief overview of the parallel natural features which may or may not correspond to the province. These urban priority regions are 1) the planning processes that occurred during the the administrative boundary of a province or Greater Cape Functional Region, 2) the Greater development phase. This chapter will also provide a provinces or a municipality or municipalities. Saldanha Region, and 3) the Southern Cape Region. brief overview of the relevant legislative and policy context of the project. As such, this regional planning exercise seeks to To give effect to the PSDF, regional-scale spatial plans unpack the PSDF in the context of the Southern Cape have been created for these urban priority areas, Following on from this chapter, the normative region, as shown in figure 1.1 which shows how it fits which include this Regional Spatial Implementation framework and shared regional values underpinning into the planning framework continuum, while also Framework for the Southern Cape (‘SC RSIF’). This plan the framework will be set out in chapter 2, a synthesis drawing on the local and district scale planning has as its core objectives, the stimulation of inter- and performance assessment of the region in relation intents, thereby setting in place a desired future as municipal growth and development opportunities, to these values will be undertaken in chapter 3 and moulded by civil society, government, business and and to better support an integrated, regional chapter 4 will provide the Regional Spatial municipal role-players in the region. This plan’s intent approach to sustainable development, and urban Development Framework. The regional spatial is to ensure that the agreed spatial agenda of the and rural area management practices. framework will provide a set of policy directives, province and region is implemented across the together with a set of proposed implementation The economically defined Southern Cape region, as regional and local levels. actions as to how this will be taken forward. elaborated upon in the Status Quo Report (see The PSDF highlights the need for a coordinated Annexure A), covers the coastal corridor stretching 1.1. BACKGROUND approach to spatial development across spheres of between Mossel Bay, George, Knysna and government. This approach is echoed in the mandate Plettenberg Bay, and includes the greater Oudtshoorn The Western Cape PSDF (2014) sets out the province’s assigned to the Department of Environmental Affairs area. It is predicted that this area will contain 85% of spatial agenda for long-term development. It and Development Planning in taking responsibility for the population and 90% of the economy of the Eden identifies the Southern Cape as an important the preparation of regional plans and taking the lead municipal area by 2040 (MERO, 2016). The Southern emerging regional centre for the province and in forging a shared spatial agenda between the Cape region is identified as being a provincial leisure mandates the development of a planning framework stakeholders in the Southern Cape Region. The and tourism coastal belt and priority urban functional at the regional scale. The PSDF further identifies regional planning and development mandate is a region, with the abovementioned towns as regional regional planning as a priority intervention in its concurrent national and provincial constitutional centres (of different function and hierarchy) providing implementation framework and as the tool though competency, as a feature of South Africa’s new clustered facilities and services. The PSDF directs that which the PSDF will be unpacked in support of spatial governance system. Legislation provides for these towns should be prioritized for growing the implementing the PSDF policies at the regional scale. National or Provincial government to prepare and Regional scale planning, according to the 1 apply a Regional Spatial Implementation Framework According to the PSDF (2014), the purpose of As highlighted in the SC RSIF Status Quo Report, the (RSIF), Nationally in terms of SPLUMA (2013) or developing regional planning frameworks is to purpose of the Southern Cape Regional Plan is to: Provincially in terms of LUPA (2014). According to the manage the tension between the protection of high Greater Cape RSIF, a Regional Spatial value resources and landscapes and urban growth in a) Provide a coherent spatial vision for the Southern Implementation Framework is an instrument which the growth nodes of the towns in the Southern Cape Cape functional region taking into account the National or Provincial government can use (its area. The primary focus of the SC RSIF is to environmental, social and economic preparation in terms of the Acts is discretionary, not mandatory) in support of the coherent spatial development and management of regions. From the legislation, there is no direct mandate to undertake regional planning exercises, however it is a useful tool when it is appropriate to do so. Additionally, the mandate to compile this report comes out of the PSDF, as highlighted above. The SC RSIF Status Quo Report was finalised in draft in July of 2016. Having provided a snapshot of the status quo, trends, and issues in the region, this report serves as the response to the Status Quo report, whereby strategies and policies for interventions will be presented in response to the issues identified in the Status Quo report. In this way, this report will provide the conceptual development, concept, spatial framework, and implementation framework for the Southern Cape region for a twenty-year period. 1.2. PURPOSE One of the primary aims of a regional planning exercise, as provided for in both the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, 2013 (Act 16 of 2013) and the Western Cape Land Use Planning Act, 2014 (Act 3 of 2014), is to facilitate the coordination, integration, and alignment of Provincial and Municipal land use planning and development policy and to address specific economic, social, natural, or FIGURE 1.1 - UNDERSTANDING WHERE REGIONAL PLANNING FITS IN THE VARIOUS SCALES OF PLANNING (DRDLR, unique opportunities, constraints and features in a 2014) specific area that often traverses an area larger than unashamedly seek ways in which economic opportunities and constraints; a single municipal area. development can be achieved in a sustainable and ecologically sensitive manner. 2 b) Provide guidance on the promotion of a rational Take a balanced approach to development o Its external dynamic – relationship to the and predictable infrastructure, economic and which ensures, on the one hand, the integrity of broader regional and national economy; land use planning within the region; critical biodiversity areas whilst on the other hand, o Growth trajectories; facilitating appropriate socio-economic o Key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities c) Coordinate, integrate and align provincial and development of the region. and constraints; municipal land use planning, infrastructure and Ensure the protection of the sense of place and o Provide spatial direction in determining economic development policy, specifically beauty that the Southern Cape is so well known the viability of different public transport taking a regional approach to address regional for. options, as well a high level investigation environmental management, regional human Set out Spatial Planning Categories that reflect on the shift from road to rail for freight; settlement provision, economic development, suitable land use activities by utilizing the latest o Determine bulk infrastructure regional infrastructure, regional transport, Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBA) mapping, as a requirements over the next 20 years landscape character, sense of place primary informant; based on existing Infrastructure Growth preservation, and heritage. Plans (IGPs) and other information; f) From a social perspective: o Set out proposals with regard to the rural d) To give expression to the Provincial Spatial Set out proposals with regard to issues of food space-economy as per the PSDF; Development Framework, 2014, at the regional security and the loss of productive farm land to o Key considerations that will facilitate a level. This means, it will: urban development with particular reference to low carbon and climate resilient Elaborate what it means for the Mossel Bay – the National Department of Agriculture’s economy. George node being an emerging regional centre increased emphasis on this issue; and