ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY
CITY PLANNING COMMISSION – 4rd QUARTERLY MEETING
MINUTES OF MEETING 01/12/2016
MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM-GOLD BUSINESS CLUB 1
PRESENT
Name and Surname / Organization1. / Ivan Turok - Chairperson / Human Sciences Research Council
2. / Erick Mtshali / Civil Society
3. / Akash Singh / Durban Chamber of Commerce
4. / Rory Wilkinson / SAPOA
5. / Urmilla Bob / UKZN –Dean of Research Full Professor in Geography
6. / Glen Robbins / KZN Provincial Planning Commission
7. / Yasmin Rajah / Civil Society
8. / Malcolm Mitchell / Civil and Transportation Engineer
9. / Viv McMenamin / Growth Coalition
10. / Adrian Peters / Strategy Office
11. / Pamela Moonsamy / Strategy Office
12. / Shivani Singh / EDU
13. / Phumelele Sokhela / BPCC
14. / Mimmy Ndokweni / EDU
15. / Ajiv Maharaj / EDU
16. / Puven Akkiah / Strategy Office
17. / Bongumusa Zondo / Strategy Office
18. / Ken Breetzke / Engineering Unit
19. / Sohana Singh / Communications
20. / Shunnon Tulsiram / EDU
21. / Devoshini Konar / Strategic Spatial Planning Branch
22. / Nomfundo Phetha / Governance Cluster
23. / Nirmala Govender / Organisational Development and Change Management
24. / Debra Roberts / Environmental Planning and Climate Protection
25. / Justice Nopfumbada / EMARAS
26. / Jo Douwes / Environmental Planning and Climate Protection
27. / Michael. Dladla / Organisational Development and Change Management
28. / D. Cele / City Integration and Investigations Unit
29. / D. Lakay / Organisational Development and Change Management
30. / Soobs Moonsamy / Urban Renewal
31. / Phillip Ntsimane / Internal Audit
32. / Helene Epstein / Development Planning
33. / Brian O’Leary / Strategy Office
34. / Hlengiwe Zondi / Strategy Office
35. / Mabongi Xhakaza / Skills
36. / Mavuso Shabalala / Sizakala
37. / Mokgosti Ngcobo / City Integration and Investigations Unit
Item.no / ACTION / Resp. Person / Due Date
1. / WELCOME AND APOLOGIES
The Chair welcomed everyone to the last meeting of the year for the Commission. Officials were requested to introduce themselves.
The Chair advised that the purpose of this session was to look at the 3 thematic groups, prioritise action items identified, sharpen actions and agree on the way forward in reaspect of strategic priorities for the plan.
The focus is on the interim plan. We are hoping to influence internal processes within the Municipality and hoping to strengthen and engage external stake holders as well in the course of the year.
The challenge was the reconciliation of priorities in the plan with programmes and initiatives. New and additional effort is required in endorsing what is already in existence, refining certain items and ensuring that value is being added.
1.1 Apologies were received from;-
· Mr. Philemon Mashoko
· Commissioner Beauty Zibula / Chairman
2. / CONFIRMATION OF THE AGENDA & MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD 23 June 2016
· Agenda was adopted and the Minutes from previous meeting were confirmed. / Chairman
3. / GLOBAL IMPERATIVES (Presentation by Dr Debra Roberts)
· COP 21 –agreement adapted in Paris 2015
· A series of goals were agreed
- Temperature goal – average temperature must be well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures
- The target is 1.5 degrees – A report is due in 2017 looking at the feasibility of achieving this
- A target of net zero emissions after 2050
- The agreement came into effect on 4/11/2016
- These stats are prioritized in SDG’s and NUA
- The SA commitment INDC was submitted on 25/09/2015
· Mitigation
- We are committed to a peak, plateau & decline to between 398 & 614 MtCO2 over the period 2025-2030
- This will affect all sectors
- The key instruments – carbon tax with provision for an offset allowance & desired emission reduction outcomes that are sector specific
- Climate Tracker regards SA target as inadequate – not consistent with limiting warming to below 2 degrees
- The annual stocktake will result in more ambitious targets imposed
· Adaptation
- Goal 3 is to build the necessary institutional capacity for climate change response & planning for the period 2020 to 2030
- Durban will have to contribute to national commitments
- The 100 RC RBO’s are looking at mitigation & adaption
- We need to incorporate Informal settlement findings into the spatial theme under the sub theme relating to informal settlements
- Risk typologies will require different responses
- Work has already been done in Durban on mitigation and adaptation
· Next steps
- Climate change incorporated into 100RC RBO’s
- Recommendations will be crafted
- We need to Include Climate change into 3 workstreams
- Support work required
Ø Durban’s potential contribution
Ø Opportunities & potential barriers to a low carbon & climate resilient economy
Ø Funding opportunities - Green Climate Fund
- There are recommendations re relevant structure/mechanisms to coordinate responses
3.1 Following a presentation by Debra Roberts, the following comments/questions were made:-
· Chairman
- What is the status of Climate Tracker?
· Debra
- Climate Tracker is to be replaced by IPCC scientists in 2018
- The Scientists don’t think that the climate tracker is off track
· Commissioner McMenamin
- How is work being coordinated within City, Province & Nationally?
· Debra
- Adaptation is in the Environmental Branch & mitigation is in the Energy
Office in eThekwini Municipality.
- Political Climate Change structure put in place by previous Mayor
- At Province we are not sure
- At National – process is driven by DEAT & a series of Ministers.
· Commissioner Bob
- What are the major shifts required in Durban?
· Debra
- These are outlined in the strategy e.g. Water sector changes required re runoff,
maybe water taxes need to be looked at.
- We need to look at food sovereignty because transport costs are going to rise.
- There are opportunities for bio-mass which may compete with food needs
- It is critical to long term thinking
· Commissioner Singh
- Will the change in leadership in USA disrupt this process in the medium to long term?
· Debra
- There is a change in geo-politics with China moving into the space that the USA may vacate.
- India is likely to follow.
- China may become the global leader in responding to Climate Change
- It will take 4 years for the USA to pull out of the agreement which brings up the next election cycle.
· Adrian
Responded to Debra’s recommendations as follows:
- Climate change needs to be fleshed out
- With regards to the Informal settlements look at the 100 RC and whatever comes out of RBO gets pulled into the Informal Settlement sub theme of the Spatial theme
- In terms of the Governance – look at what specific stakeholder structures do we need to put in place ranging from political to administrative to inter-governmental
- Economic- We need to take stock of at where the CHG’s are coming from. We need to be careful that the CHG’s reduction targets are considered. We need to see if there are any possibilities to catalyse economic changes using that Green Fund which could be an economic growth opportunity for the future.
The Climate Change Strategy has been developed and approved by Council and it would be useful to share it with the Commission to determine if it is useful and has any deficiencies. We also need to determine now that the Paris Agreement is in place, if the Climate Change Strategy needs review as it could now require amendments to bring it in line.
· Commissioner Mitchell
- What magnitudes would Durban need to achieve bearing in mind that our primary energy source is coal and that is not within our control?
· Commissioner Tsautse
- How far is everyone contributing especially business & industry?
· Denzil
- What considerations have been made to involving people in the solutions
· Debra
- Climate Change strategy needs to be reviewed post Paris Agreement
- This can be presented to CPC
- We can look at supply mixes
- There are also lifestyle changes required as part of a set of societal changes.
· Chair
- Work with Economic Theme around Green Fund opportunities.
· Commissioner Singh
- Suggested that we show carbon footprint in bills.
· Commissioner Wilkinson
- The low hanging fruit in PT – look at Green Fund opportunities.
- Feed in tariffs are key.
· Commissioner Rajah
- Look at incentives to change household behavior. / Debra
Debra
Debra
4. / THEME 1: Growing An Enabling & Transformative Economy
Following a presentation by Mimi Ndokweni the following comments were made:-
· Chairman
- Look at work being done, sharpen up, elaborate etc.
· Commissioner Wilkinson
- Is anything new?
- If same is it about implementation?
· Commissioner Bob
- Position city as the centre of job creation.
- Cross cutting themes to build an economic base in the city.
· Chairman
- Lots of new stuff.
- Not making enough progress. Quite a lot of work is still required. Adrian to provide advice on how to do this. Elaboration and definition required in a way that the City relates to business change.
- Key Assets- We recognize that dedicated resources are required
- Research required to ensure where opportunities for development are at its strongest and push these specialisations very hard. Linkage between business and the municipality to be found and the business skills and governance in the municipality find each other and take advantage of the opportunities. This must be communicated in a compelling manner
· Adrian
- Reminded that for now we are looking at municipal actions. Next year we want to expand discussions to stakeholders and then see what each stakeholder will be doing in response to each theme. In the first area which is the enabling business environment we need to understand what do we want to elevate. In that space there is a whole lot of overlaps. There is also a need to recognize that there is a business and economic relations management strategy and we need to make sure that the charter that we are looking at contains the response times to business as opposed to other components of the business community. Also need to talk about dedicated customer relations managers. Where are the key economic nodes which would link up with the Urban Improvement Precinct Strategy
- In the first area there is a need to understand what do we want to elevate as there are a lot of overlaps
- Business/Economic sector- linked to governance but what is the significance
- Where are the key economic nodes which would link up with the Urban Improvement Precinct node?
- The Durban Investment Strategy will have
· The Charter
· Systems
· Rationlise those services that people come to and involve appropriate
government services
- Also Durban Investment Promotion Study by Feb/March. Need firm
recommendations on how we deal with land strategy
- The One Stop Shop process needs reviews
- There are a lot of initiatives underway dealing with the internal focus
- We nNeed to focus on implementation
· Commissioner Singh
- Progress is being made.
- Need to articulate differently.
- If Business man in economy for last 15 years, what is different.
- What is catalytic?
- Crime & grime needs to be covered.
- Business retention must be a priority.
- Identify top 3 priority sectors, tourism and agriculture.
- Housekeeping – sell soft infrastructure hospitals, schools etc.
· Commissioner McMenamin
- Distinction between what is summarized and what Ivan & Adrian has said.
- Put some detail around initiatives like Investment promotion/WB.
- Step change e.g. High level indicative aims that would make a significant difference e.g. Process business proposals within 6 months.
- Think through what these are?
- What changes is when we look at targets.
- Sectors – who are the biggest ratepayers, water, electricity consumers and trends associated with them?
- Identify key clients and provide dedicated CRM.
· Commissioner Rajah
- Need to focus on informal economy.
· Commissioner Mitchell
- Focus on achievable goals.
· Chairman
- Not convinced that can quantify in a way that’s compelling.
· Chairman
- Targets etc. must be looked at by Theme groups
Look at how define key clients
· Commissioner Wilkinson
· Crime & Grime- precinct management to be included.
· Chair
Not articulated but is there
· Adrian
- Pointed out that you need to understand and deal with duplications as a duplicated effort is not required. What’s important is that these initiatives are is covered
- In respect of the issue of goals the debate is whether we should have the vision unpacked into goals and targets
- The Customer Relations Management strategy will identify ratepayer segments to deal with differentiation and identify managers who are accountable. The Commission needs to support as there are implications on institutional restructuring
- With respect to the Informal economy and the SMME’s the first realization is that we do not have enough info to understand to get the level of information to allow understanding. A finer level of understanding is required to craft a response. The next steps would be to:
Ø Identify areas
Ø Targets and goals
· Chair
- Delegate to Theme Groups
- Quantify existing process and build target on existing that will stand out as a symbol of significant change
· Commissioner Mitchell
- Would there be interest from business in UIP’s?
· Commissioner Singh
- Yes
· Mimi
- The detail is in spreadsheet
- The City Integrity and Investigations Unit
- Look at fraud, corruption and maladministration
· Chairman
- Are there other headline issues that should be included?
- Key Sectors – what else should be covered?
- Key assets – what else should be included