The Executive Mayor of the Eden District Municipality, Cllr Memory Booysen, and the Municipal Manager, Mr Godfrey Louw, on behalf of Council, hereby gives notice in terms of section 28(3) and 29 of the Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), section 20 of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Act, 2013 (Act 16 of 2013), Section 11 of the Western Cape Land Use Planning Act, 2014 (Act 13 of 2014) that Eden District Municipality intends to compile its Municipal Spatial Development Framework (MSDF).
A Spatial Development Framework (SDF) is the 20 year development Plan for a Municipality and is a core component of the Municipality’s 5 year Integrated Development Plan (IDP). It is required for the SDF to be reviewed every 5 years to ensure proper alignment with the IDP, as well as the Provincial and relevant local Municipal Spatial Development Frameworks.
The objectives of the planned revision of the Eden SDF is:
- To develop a Spatial Development Framework that is compliant both in terms of content and process as set out in the recently implemented Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, 2013 (Act No 16 of 2013) (“SPLUMA”) and the Western Cape Land Use Planning Act, 2014 (Act No 3 of 2014) (“LUPA”) as it pertains to the development of municipal SDFs;
- To develop a practical and implementable SDF for Eden District that will guide the Eden District Municipality in the execution of its powers and functions, as well as to provide direction to the 7 relevant Local Municipalities, all Provincial Departments, National Departments and State Owned Enterprises (such as SANRAL, PRASA and Transnet etc.) in the execution of their own functions within the municipal area, as well as the private sector in where investment and development will be supported by the municipality. This will include assessing areas of potential collaboration, as well as coordinating and integrating the delivery of government services. Additionally, the SDF will set out what type of development should be promoted and where such investment and infrastructure delivery should spatially occur – for both government and the private sector.
The study area will cover the whole of the Eden District Municipal area and will include the 7 Local Municipal areas being – Hessequa, Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Bitou, Kannaland and Oudtshoorn Municipal areas.
Eden DM also gave notice to the Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in terms of section 28(3) and 29 of the Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), section 20 of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Act, 2013 (Act 16 of 2013), section 11 of the Western Cape Land Use Planning Act, 2014 (Act 13 of 2014) that Eden DM is planning to proceed to compile the Eden SDF and to conclude the Draft Eden SDF for circulation by April/May 2017 and to conclude the final Eden SDF by June 2017, whereafter the formal approval process will follow – in an attempts to conclude such approval process before the end of 2017.
Eden DM also notified the Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning that Eden DM is planning to establish an Interdepartmental Steering Committee (ISC) as per Section 11(b) of the of the Western Cape Land Use Planning Act, 2015 (Act 3 of 2014) to be chaired by the Municipal Manager of Eden DM.
To start off the process, an Eden SDF Strategic Visioning Engagement will be held at Garden Court Mossel Bay, 1 Pinnacle Point, Heiderand, Mossel Bay, on 29 November 2016, 10am – 4:00pm (GPS Co-ordinates: 34°11’44.99” S 22°5’25.38” E) where Key Stakeholders will be invited to participate in a joint Strategic Visioning Session for the Eden District Municipality. The South Cape Economic Partnership (SCEP), the Western Cape Government and the Eden District Municipality are jointly hosting this initiative to launch the strategic alignment of, and cooperation between key planning, investment and institutional initiatives within the Eden District.
This initiative recognizes the critical importance of cooperative government, common purpose and a shared vision between government, state agencies and the private sector in securing a more sustainable, economically robust and socially equitable future for the district.
Eden DM will subsequently be holding “Focus Group” Workshops from 1-3 February 2017 in George where the following 10 Eden SDF Focus Areas will be discussed nl:
- Agriculture
- Aviation
- Disaster Management, Safety & Security
- Engineering Services
- Environment & Heritage
- Industry, Tourism & Business
- Innovation & new Technologies
- Oil, Gas, Ports & Freight logistics
- Roads & Transport
- Urban Settlement & Growth, Health, Community Services, Social Facilities and Education
Key Stakeholders wishing to attend the abovementioned Focus Group Workshops must register with the:
Eden SDF Project Manager – Mr Willie Fourie at (044) 803 1300 / e-mail willie@edendm.co.za or
Eden PMU Manager, supporting Mr Fourie namely, Mr. Eduard Lotz, at e-mail: eduard@palenative.com.
An Eden SDF Facebook page will be soon be launched, to provide an opportunity for citizens to give comments and also to keep the public abreast of all progress and developments.
