Question NW1975 to the Minister of Environmental Affairs

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03 July 2018 - NW1975

Profile picture: Hadebe, Mr TZ

Hadebe, Mr TZ to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

(1)What is the official mandate of the Waste Bureau; (2) are there any plans in place to have the Waste Bureau continuing to manage the operations of the waste tyre industry after the 2018-19 financial year; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, has the bureau submitted a proposal to her?

Reply:

(1). The mandate of the Waste Management Bureau is outlined in the National Environmental Management Waste Amendment Act, Act 26 of 2014 (NEMWAA). Part 7A, Section 34A of NEMWAA refers to the establishment of the Waste Management Bureau.

Section 34D relates to the objects of the Waste Management Bureau as listed below.

“34D. The objects of the Bureau are to—

(a) function as a specialist implementing agent within the Department in respect of matters delegated to the Bureau in terms of this Act;

(b) promote and facilitate minimisation, re-use, recycling and recovery of waste;

(c) manage the disbursement of incentives and funds derived from waste management charges contemplated in sections 13B and 34D for the minimisation, reuse, recycling, recovery, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of waste and the implementation of industry waste management plans;

(d) monitor implementation of industry waste management plans and the impact of incentives and disincentives;

(e) progressively build capacity within the Bureau to provide specialist support for the development and implementation of municipal waste management plans and capacity building programmes; and

(f) support and advise on the development of waste management plans, tools, instruments, processes, systems, norms, standards and municipal waste management plans and capacity building programmes.”

Section 34E relates to the functions of the Waste Management Bureau and is listed below.

“34E. (1) The Bureau must—

(a) implement the disbursement of incentives and funds derived from waste management charges contemplated in sections 13B and 34D;

(b) identify and promote best practices in the minimisation, re-use, recycling or recovery of waste;

(c) progressively build capacity of the Bureau to support municipalities in the development and implementation of integrated waste management plans and capacity building programmes;

(d) support and advise on the development of industry waste management plans, integrated waste management plans and other tools, instruments, processes and systems, including specialist support for the development of norms or standards for the minimisation, re-use, recycling or recovery of waste and the building of municipal waste management capacity;

(e) monitor the implementation of industry waste management plans;

(f) monitor and evaluate the impact of incentives and disincentives; and

(g) perform any other task or function that the Minister may assign or delegate to the Bureau in relation to the implementation of this Act.

(2) The Bureau may—

(a) invest any of its money, after having complied with section 34F(2); and

(b) charge fees for services rendered, other than services rendered in terms of section 13A or to the Minister or the Department.”

(2) The Bureau will manage operations of the tyre industry until there is a new industry waste tyre management plan approved by the Minister. The Bureau will also be monitoring implementation of various other industry plans that the Minister will be approving in due course. The Minister has already called for three industry plans to be implemented in the short to medium term once approved. There will be many other plans that the Minister may approve in future and the Bureau will monitor implementation of all these plans.

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