Richtersveld National Park Stakeholder Participation Report
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Richtersveld National Park PLAN T N MANAGEME – NATIONAL PARK Stakeholder participation KRUGER report 2018 1 Table of contents No. Index Page Prelude 3 Introduction 4 1 Background 4 2 Stakeholder participation strategy 4 2.1 Stakeholder engagement objectives 4 2.2 Approach 4 3 Stakeholder engagement process 5 4 Stakeholder identification, registration and meetings 5 4.1 Media platforms used to invite stakeholders to register and participate 5 4.2 Documentation dissemination 6 4.3 Public information sessions on Draft Management Plan 6 5 Stakeholder comments / inputs 7 2 Prelude This report is the accompanying stakeholder participation report to the revised park management plan of the Richtersveld National Park (RNP). The report includes the comments received from stakeholders on the draft park management plan released for public comment on 22 January 2018. This report is submitted with the revised park management plan of RNP to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) for technical review. For further information please contact: André Spies Manager: Park Planning and TFCA Co-ordination Postal address: P.O. Box 787, Pretoria, 0001 Tel: 012 426 5285 PLAN T Email: [email protected] N MANAGEME – NATIONAL PARK KRUGER 3 Introduction 1. Background In compliance with National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act No.57 of 2003 (NEM: PAA), SANParks has initiated a process to revise the RNP management plan. Section 39(3) of NEM: PAA requires that all persons who may be interested or affected by a management plan for a protected area be given the opportunity to participate in, or comment on the plan. Section 41(2e) of NEM: PAA states that a management plan for a protected area must contain at least procedures for public participation, including participation by the owner (if applicable), any local community or other interested party. The stakeholder engagement strategy was developed inline with the requirements of SANParks guidelines for stakeholder engagement and Chapter 5 of the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998). This report is submitted as a record of the formal comments received from stakeholders on the draft RNP park management plan. 2. Stakeholder engagement strategy 2.1 Stakeholder engagement objectives The objectives of the stakeholder participation process are to: Create a channel for the accurate and timely dissemination of information to interested and affected stakeholders; Create the opportunity for communication between SANParks and the public; Promote opportunities for the building of understanding between different parties; Provide the opportunity for stakeholders to give meaningful input into the decision-making processes that drive the development of the Park Management Plan. 2.2 Approach The approach to the Stakeholder Participation Process is based on the principles embodied in the following legal framework: The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act No. 108 of 1996; National Environmental Management Act No. 107 of 1998 (NEMA); and The National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act No.57 of 2003 as amended by the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act No.31 of 2004, Act No. 15 of 2009 and Act 21 of 2014. In addition to the above legal framework, the stakeholder process was developed with the Guiding Principles for SANParks Stakeholder Participation in mind. SANParks thus undertakes to: 4 Seek to notify stakeholders of participation processes through appropriate mechanisms. Ensure that the process provides the opportunity for input from all stakeholders within reasonable timeframes, emphasising the sharing of information, joint learning and capacity building. Promote participation by stakeholders through timeous and full disclosure of all relevant and appropriate information. Provide feedback on the outcome of the process to stakeholders and demonstrate how their inputs have been considered in the decision making process. Ensure that methodologies accommodate the context of the issue at hand and the availability of resources (people, time, money) and do not conflict with these guiding principles. Give particular attention to ensuring participation by marginalised communities, communities with specific concerns, or communities that have contractual rights in the National Park. 3. The stakeholder engagement process The stakeholder engagement process took the form of a wide-reaching open process where comments and / or input on the draft sections were collected, considered and responded to. The ‘call for comments’ to participate and comment on the draft sections was advertised in national PLAN and local newspapers, on the SANParks website, local libraries and community centres. T Stakeholders were able to register at three public information sessions. At the public information N sessions, stakeholders were given a chance to directly interact with park management. 4. Stakeholder identification, registration and meetings MANAGEME In total, 28 members of the public registered as stakeholders during the revision process. – 4.1 Media platforms used to invite stakeholders to register and participate A variety of media platforms (Table 1) were used to engage stakeholders in an effort to inform of the revision of the park management plan and invite stakeholders to participate. NATIONAL PARK Table 1. The various media platforms used to inform stakeholders of the revision of the park management plan. Media Description 1. Direct e-mail All the stakeholders that were registered during the 2008 KRUGER management plan revision were informed about the revision process. Key stakeholders were send personal invites to attend any of the public sessions. 2. National print media Advertisements to inform interested and affected parties to attend advertisements and comment on the draft park management plan were placed in the following national newspapers on 21 January 2018: Sunday Times; Rapport. 3. Local print media An Afrikaans and an English version of the advertisement, to advertisements inform interested and affected parties to attend and comment on the draft park management plan, were placed in the Die Plattelander, a local community newspaper, on 26 January 2018. 4. Radio Announcements were made on Radio NFM 98.1, three times a day on 29, 30, 31 January 2018 and 01 and 02 February 2018. Listeners were informed of the revision process and invited to attend the public meetings. 5. Internet Stakeholders were able to access the SANParks website from 01 April 2017 to gain information regarding the revision process. 5 6. Registration at meetings Participants were also able to register at the following meetings: Richtersveld Municipal Satellite Office, Eksteenfontein; Richtersveld Municipal Satellite Office, Kuboes; Richtersveld Municipal Satellite Office, Lekkersing; Richtersveld Municipal Satellite Office, Sanddrift; and Richtersveld Municipal Office, Port Nolloth. 7. Public information boards Official notices were place at five public venues. These were at the: Community Hall, Eksteenfontein; Community Hall, Kuboes; Community Hall, Lekkersing Community Hall, Sanddrift; and Richtersveld Municipal Office, Port Nolloth. 2. Documentation dissemination The draft park management plan was made available at the public venues as listed in Table 2. Table 2. Public venues where members of the public could view the draft park management. Item Action Date Draft document for Community Hall, Eksteenfontein; 26 January 2018 comment placed in public Community Hall, Kuboes; venues. Community Hall, Lekkersing Community Hall, Sanddrift; and Richtersveld Municipal Office, Port Nolloth. Draft document for https://www.sanparks.org/conservation/park_man/ 22 January 2018 comment placed on SANParks Website. Revised draft document The documents will be available on the SANParks and comments and Website once approved by SANParks ExCo. They N/A response report available will be made available to registered stakeholders by to stakeholders. email and internet link. Dissemination of The documents will be available on the SANParks finalised document and Website once approved by the Minister. They will be N/A comments and made available to registered stakeholders by email responses document. and internet link. 4.3 Public information sessions on draft sections Park management prepared a formal PowerPoint presentation addressing the draft park management plan. For the two advertised public information sessions (Table 3) all stakeholders had an opportunity to engage directly with park management. Table 3. Public information session held around the park. Number of stakeholders that Venue Date attended Community Hall, Sanddrift 05 February 2018 11 Community Hall, Kuboes 06 February 2018 62 Community Hall, Eksteenfontein 06 February 2018 12 Community Hall, Lekkersing 07 February 2018 21 Council Chambers, Richtersveld 07 February 2018 3 Municipality, Port Nolloth 6 5. Stakeholder comments All comments received on the draft park management plan are listed in Table 4 below. In total 68 comments were received. General, verbal responses were given to the commentators at the various meetings. SANParks has formulated responses to all the comments / input received, including comments received via email. PLAN T N MANAGEME – NATIONAL PARK KRUGER 7 Table 4. Summary of all comments and or input received. No Comment / Input Commentator/s Reference Official response 1 With regard to internal rules: It was stipulated that Mr. Willem Joseph Submitted via André Spies (AS): The internal