Stads- streekbeplanning binne die konteks van 'n nasionale beleid vir omgewingsbestuur

Abstract

The President's Council recently con­ducted an inquiry into a national en­vironmental management system. The comments of the Cape Branch of the South African Institute of Town and Regional Planners to the Council prompted the author to undertake an in depth analysis of the role of town and regional planning in environmen­tal protection. Threats to the environment span a wide spectrum of both scale and types. Many perceived 'threats' are based on subjective norms of desirability. The extent to which these cultural values are perceived to be threatened, depend on the background and income level of the observer. Town planning deals mostly with cultural value systems. The town planning process is particu­larly suited to address threats to the environment at the local and regional levels. It provides a well tested arbitra­tion process. In a democratic political system it is responsive to the real needs and aspirations of citizens. Structure plans are an ideal medium for making explicit the policy of a community on environmental mat­ters, but they lack enforceability. Where strong protection is needed, other measures must be invoked. The present lack of coordination between the local planning process and Acts of Parliament that could provide protec­tion, such as the Environment Conser­vation Act, is a major shortcoming that needs to be addressed. The role of central government departments, such as Environment Affairs, Planning and Provincial Affairs, the various 'own affairs' departments dealing with lo­cal government and the provincial ad­ministrations, in planning and en­vironmental protection need to be clarified. Ideally the public should only have to deal with a single system encompassing planning, development control and environmental protection at the local level. At the local level ur­ban planning and environmental pro­tection can not logically be separated. The role that the local planning pro­cess can play in environmental protec­tion should be brought to the attention of the public, environmental groups and the relevant government depart­ments.
*This article is written in Afrikaans.