Human Settlements
- (a) What is his Department’s processes and standards when reviewing business plans put forward by local municipalities with regard to new housing developments and (b) how often are these processes and standards reviewed;
- whether his Department supports local municipalities in the process of identifying suitable land parcels for housing developments; if so, what are the relevant details;
- whether his Department is liaising with other government departments regarding the necessary bulk services, community facilities and commercial spaces needed when identifying land parcels for development; if so, what are the relevant details?
1a) My department follows a regulated process of grant allocation, which is also an audited process. My department sets a strategic approach to the business plan requirements for the year, and this is adjusted as new directives are added. The Regional Directors, project managers and planners hold monthly technical meetings as well as ad hoc project pipeline discussions with municipal planners and human settlement officials to ensure that the pipeline is continuously refined in accordance with the strategy and budget limitations etc.
Each project funding application then serves at a Project Planning Committee (PPC) engagement, for each region Directorate to provide input into the project approval process. The business plan pipeline is then deliberated at a formal Grant Allocation Advisory Committee (GAAC) with all the senior management in attendance, before a draft business plan is submitted to the National Department for review. There are three drafts submitted at different points in the year, before it is adopted by the National Department (for the following year). Please note that the municipal officials are required to inform and seek approval from their Municipal Councils.
(b) The process follows an annual cycle and committees have been institutionalised by approved standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the business planning process, the PPC and the GAAC. The audited process is constantly reviewed, and SOP’s updated, to ensure alignment to the internal audit and National Department requirements.
2. Yes, the identification of suitable land parcels is an ongoing process, and each is presented at the municipal technical engagements for review by my department for a full scoping of their suitability, potential yield, cost, adherence to spatial planning imperatives. If found to be suitable, and if budget exists, then a formal funding application to acquire the parcel is submitted to the department by the municipality.
My department is also in the process of developing a Land Acquisition and Release Strategy outlining the approach to acquire and release land to support human settlement developments.
The Integrated Residential Development Programme (IRDP) is an instrument that facilitates the development of integrated human settlements in areas that provide convenient access to urban amenities, included places of employment. The IRDP provides for the acquisition of land and servicing of sites for a variety of land uses. This includes the provision of residential stands for low, middle and high income areas and other uses such as commercial and community facilities.
3. Yes, when land parcels or project funding applications are processed, the relevant departments are approached for comment, such as the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP). Similarly, during the planning process of the project, each sector department is engaged to ensure that their plans for e.g. hospitals, schools and commercial facilities for the area are considered, and that the User (and Custodian) Asset Management Plans of the relevant departments are updated accordingly.
In addition, my department’s technical officials sit on a range of infrastructure fora, such as the Spatial Development and Infrastructure Support (SDIS) forum attended by the Department of Local Government (LG): Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG), DEADP, Department of Transport and Public Works, Provincial Treasury. The different forums meet quarterly to discuss settlement planning within the Western Cape. Planning at provincial scale is taken into consideration, to ensure that there is alignment between projects and departmental budgets regarding bulk infrastructure and facilities.
Other infrastructure-related fora for example are the Integrated National Electrification Program (INEP); liaison with Eskom, Heritage Western Cape, the Infrastructure Delivery Management Committee at Provincial Treasury and the PGMTEC process itself.
