SA Weather Services Bill; Proposed Salmon Farming Project; Committee Programme

Meeting report

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This Report is a Contact Natural Resource Information Service
Taking Parliament to People, and People to Parliament
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The aim of this report is to summarise the main events at the meeting and identify the key role players. This report is not a verbatim transcript of proceedings.

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
27 September 2000
SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICES BILL; PROPOSED SALMON FARMING PROJECT; COMMITTEE PROGRAMME: DISCUSSION

Documents handed out:
Public Servants Association (PSA) submission on the South African Weather Services Bill

SUMMARY
South African Weather Services Bill
The Portfolio Committee heard a submission from the Public Servants Association (PSA). After extensive debate the Committee decided unanimously to postpone further deliberations on the Bill until early 2001. The Committee unanimously supported the ruling of the Chairperson, agreeing that the Department had not done the necessary preparation on the Bill, and was therefore having to act as a facilitator between different affected parties.

The Committee instructed the Department to use the time until early 2001 to meet jointly with the key stakeholders, in particular the PSA and NEHAWU (National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union) on the key issues of transformation and the potential re-advertising of posts. In addition, key private sector institutions such as those in the aviation and agricultural sector should be further consulted on the agentisation of the Weather Services Bureau. The Committee would hold hearings on the Bill early in 2001 with key stakeholders.

Proposed Salmon Farming Project
Mr September (ANC) briefed the committee on a proposed salmon farming project to be developed in Walker Bay in the Western Cape. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism was considering approving an application for the project to proceed, and had suggested an Environmental Impact Assessment process be initiated. After a brief discussion on the issue, the Committee supported the suggestion that further investigation was required, and decided to request some of the key stakeholders identified in the documentation to present to the Committee in a meeting the following week.

Committee Programme
The Committee discussed their programme for the rest of the year, and agreed on the following meetings:

Tuesday, 3 October: Meeting on Medical Waste and Salmon Farming Project.
Tuesday, 10 October: Meeting on Air Quality and Pollution.
Wednesday, 11 October: Meeting on Genetically Modified Organisms.
Tuesday, 31 October: Meeting on Asbestos issues.

The Chairperson highlighted the importance of Medical Waste to all South Africans, and emphasised that the Committee must give it proper attention. She therefore will strive to ensure that key role players, the media and NGO's, attend the meeting.

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