announcements, tablings and committee reports - Parliament of ...

4896 [Tuesday, 29 October 2013The Portfolio Committee processed the Amendment Bill, by receivingbriefings from the Department of Environmental Affairs (theDepartment), calling for written submissions from the public, hostingpublic hearings for oral submissions by the public and the PortfolioCommittee engaged in deliberations on the Amendment Bill.The Portfolio Committee, mindful of the need:(a) for development of our country;(b) to effectively track and improve environmental managementsystems; and(c) to monitor the environmental sustainability of development,particularly relating to coastal public property, which is held intrust for the benefit of all citizens and the importance ofmanaging development activities in the sensitive anddynamic coastal zone area, particularly within the sea,decided to support the following amendments:Decided to support the following amendments:1. Amendment of definitionsCertain definitions are amended to clarify their meanings andusage. These include technical improvements to definitionssuch as "estuary", "high water-mark", and "land unit". It isproposed that the scope of "coastal waters" be expanded byincluding the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and thecontinental shelf. New definitions are proposed for insertion asa consequence of proposed amendments to the Act, e.g. thedefinitions for “access fee”, "reclamation" “harbour” and "port".2 Section 2: Insertion of coastal protection zone in theobjects clauseIt emerged from the public comments that the coastalprotection zone was erroneously omitted from the objects ofthe Amendment Bill.ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS NO 147─2013