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National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998)

Chapter 10 : General and Transitional Provisions

50A. Future amendments in respect of environmental matters in so far as it relates to the Agreement

 

(1)        

(a) Any proposed amendments to the provisions relating to prospecting, exploration, mining or production in this Act, the National Environmental Management Amendment Act, 2008 (Act No. 62 of 2008), a specific environmental management Act or any other Act of Parliament that may have the effect of amending the provisions of the Agreement, must be subject to concurrence between the Minister, the Minister responsible for water affairs and the Minister responsible for mineral resources.
(b) Any intervention contemplated in paragraph (a) that may lead to the amendment of the provisions of the Agreement must be tabled in Parliament prior to any steps being taken to effect those changes, and Parliament may express its view on the proposed amendment of the Agreement.

 

(2) Agreement for the purpose of subsection (1) means the Agreement reached between the the Minister, the Minister responsible for water affairs and the Minister responsible for mineral resources titled One Environmental System for the country with respect to prospecting, exploration, mining or production, which entails—

[Words preceding section 50A(2)(a) substituted by section 38(a) of the National Environmental Laws Amendment Act, 2022, GG46602, dated 24 June 2022: Commencement by Proclamation 125 of 2023, GG48869, dated 30 June 2023]

(a) that all environment related aspects would be regulated through one environmental system which is the principal Act and that all environmental provisions would be repealed from the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002;
(b) that the Minister sets the regulatory framework and norms and standards, and that the Minister responsible for Mineral Resources will implement the provisions of the principal Act and the subordinate legislation as far as it relates to prospecting, exploration, mining or production operations;
(c) that the Minister responsible for Mineral Resources will issue environmental authorisations in terms of the principal Act for prospecting, exploration, mining or production operations, and that the Minister will be the appeal authority for these authorisations; and
(d) that the Minister, the Minister responsible for Mineral Resources and the Minster responsible for Water Affairs agree on fixed time-frames for the consideration and issuing of the authorisations in their respective legislation and agree to synchronise the time frames.

[Section 50A(2)(b) and (c) substituted by section 38(b) of the National Environmental Laws Amendment Act, 2022, GG46602, dated 24 June 2022: Commencement by Proclamation 125 of 2023, GG48869, dated 30 June 2023]

 

[Section 50A inserted by section 17 of Act No. 25 of 2014]