Search Climate Insights Directory
40 results
APPELLANTS’ SUBMISSIONS IN TERMS OF SECTION 165 OF THE SPATIAL PLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT (SPLUM) BY-LAW FOR THE DR PIXLEY KA ISAKA SEME LOCAL MUNICIPALITY
This document contains legal submissions by a coalition of eight environmental organisations, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, appealing a decision by the Gert Sibande District Joint Municipal Planning Tribunal. The appeal seeks to revoke the approval of a land-use change application by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd to enable the construction of the Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine on Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT, arguing that the decision is unlawful, environmentally catastrophic, and contrary to national water security interests.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
APPLICATION FOR CHANGE IN LAND-USE IN RESPECT OF PORTION 1 OF YZERMYN 96 HT, IN THE DR PIXLEY KA ISAKA SEME LOCAL MUNICIPALITY AND THE GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY, MPUMALANGA
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is challenging the approval of a land-use change for Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT in Mpumalanga. The CER argues that the approval by the Gert Sibande Joint Municipal Planning Tribunal is invalid because a previous decision by the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality Joint Municipal Planning Tribunal to dismiss the application remains legally binding.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
APPLICATION FOR CHANGE IN LAND-USE (IN TERMS OF REGULATION 18 OF THE SPLUM REGULATIONS), IN RESPECT OF PORTION 1 OF YZERMYN 96 HT, IN THE DR PIXLEY KA ISAKA SEME LOCAL MUNICIPALITY AND THE GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY, MPUMALANGA
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) wrote to the Municipal Manager of the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality on 15 March 2019 to request the status of a land-use change application for Portion 1 of Yzermyn 96 HT, following reports that a previous outcome was communicated erroneously.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
PETITION TO BE GRANTED INTERVENER STATUS IN RE: APPEAL BY THE PRACTICE GROUP (PTY) LTD (ON BEHALF OF ATHA VENTURES AFRICA (PTY) LTD) AGAINST THE DECISION OF THE JOINT MUNICIPAL PLANNING TRIBUNAL SITTING IN THE APPLICATION FOR CHANGE IN LAND-USE (IN TERMS OF REGULATION 18 OF THE SPLUM REGULATIONS) IN RESPECT OF PORTION 1 OF YZERMYN 96 HT, IN THE DR PIXLEY KA ISAKA SEME LOCAL MUNICIPALITY AND THE GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY, MPUMALANGA
A petition submitted by eight civil society organisations, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), seeking intervener status in an appeal by the Practice Group (Pty) Ltd on behalf of Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd. The appeal concerns a land-use change application for Portion 1 of Yzermyn 96 HT in the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality, Mpumalanga, to transition the land from agriculture to mining.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
Mpumalanga Spatial Development Framework
The Mpumalanga Spatial Development Framework (PSDF) is a strategic report designed to guide the province's spatial transformation, aiming to reverse apartheid-era spatial imbalances and promote sustainable, inclusive economic growth. It proposes a polycentric growth management model based on a hierarchy of growth centres and corridors to integrate urban and rural areas.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Spatial Challenges and Opportunities Report
The Spatial Challenges and Opportunities Report (2018) provides a comprehensive biophysical, socio-economic, and built environment analysis of Mpumalanga Province to inform its Provincial Spatial Development Framework (PSDF). The report identifies a resource-based economy heavily dependent on coal mining and electricity generation, while highlighting significant spatial fragmentation, infrastructure backlogs, and environmental threats to biodiversity and water sources.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
APPLICANTS’ HEADS OF ARGUMENT
This document contains the applicants' heads of argument in a legal application to review and set aside decisions made by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and the Minister of Mineral Resources to grant Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd permission to conduct commercial coal mining in the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE) in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
SUBMISSIONS ON THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION DOCUMENT (BID) FOR ESKOM’S SECOND POSTPONEMENT APPLICATION IN RESPECT OF THE 2015 MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS (MES) FOR TUTUKA POWER STATION
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of the Life After Coal campaign and the Highveld Environmental Justice Alliance Network (HEJN), submitted formal objections to Eskom's Background Information Document (BID) regarding a second postponement application for Minimum Emission Standards (MES) at the Tutuka Power Station. The submission argues that the application is legally impermissible because Tutuka is located in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA), where ambient air quality does not comply with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), a prerequisite for any postponement. The CER further contends that Eskom's request for a "rolling postponement" is equivalent to an illegal exemption and that the BID intentionally withholds critical information regarding pollutants, timeframes, and health impacts to mislead the public and decision-makers.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
APPELLANTS’ SUBMISSIONS IN THE APPEAL ON 15 TO 17 AUGUST 2017
This document contains the legal and technical submissions made by a coalition of eight appellants (including Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and BirdLife South Africa) on August 14, 2017, appealing an environmental authorisation (EA) granted to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd for the Yzermyn underground coal mine in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
APPEAL IN TERMS OF SECTION 62 OF ESKOM’S CAMDEN POWER STATION ATMOSPHERIC EMISSION LICENCE MSUKALIGWA/ESKOM H SOC LTD/CPS/0012/2015/F02 ISSUED ON 31 MARCH 2015
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing groundWork, Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, and the Highveld Environmental Justice Network, filed an appeal on May 20, 2015, against the atmospheric emission licence (AEL) issued to Eskom's Camden Power Station. The appeal argues that the Gert Sibande District Municipality failed to consider the severe health impacts and poor air quality of the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) when granting emission limit postponements that allow pollutants to exceed national minimum emission standards (MES).
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
NOTICE OF APPEAL IN TERMS OF SECTION 96(1) OF THE MINERAL AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT, 2002
This document is a formal notice of appeal filed on 30 March 2015 by eight environmental organisations, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, against the granting of mining right MP30/5/1/2/2/1/0069MR to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd (AAV). The appeal seeks to set aside the right and suspend its operation, arguing that the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine is located in the Mabola Protected Environment and the Wakkerstroom Wetlands Area, regions of irreplaceable biodiversity and critical hydrological importance.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
12-f99d03b7f1e2742e.pdf
This report by the Centre for Environmental Rights reviews the Integrated Water Use License Application (IWULA) and the resulting Integrated Water Use License (IWUL) for the proposed Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine. It identifies significant gaps in specialist studies regarding groundwater, hydrology, and wetlands, arguing that the IWUL was issued without sufficient information to mitigate environmental impacts. The document also includes a Socio-economic Impact Assessment and a Social and Labour Plan (SLP) detailing employment targets, skills development, and community impacts.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
13-a8bfe3f9e4900031.pdf
This document is a Social and Labour Plan (SLP) and associated supporting affidavits for the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine, operated by Atha-Africa Ventures. It details the company's commitments to human resource development, gender equity, local socio-economic investment, and closure planning within the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
2-cc55912e4e35173b.pdf
This legal document, submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) on behalf of a Coalition, challenges the rezoning of the Yzermyn 96 HT farm from agricultural to mining purposes. The document details the environmental sensitivity of the Wakkerstroom area, the potential for irreparable harm to water resources and biodiversity, and the limited socio-economic benefits of the proposed Atha coal mine compared to the risks to local subsistence farmers and the eco-tourism economy.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
4-progress-report-fb269491caeec439.pdf
This progress report from SRK Consulting, dated October 6, 2016, outlines the initial activities and status of a project involving Eskom, focusing on stakeholder engagement, baseline assessments, and alignment with national development goals.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
6-9bf69c53679fa3d1.pdf
This report presents the Environmental Management Framework (EMF) and Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) for the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality (PKISLM) in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Developed by SRK Consulting and BKS, the document provides a spatial and descriptive analysis of the region's environmental attributes—including biodiversity, water resources, and geology—to guide sustainable land-use planning and decision-making. It integrates legal frameworks, stakeholder recommendations, and socio-economic data to establish environmental management zones that balance development with the conservation of critical ecosystems, particularly the grassland biome and various wetland systems.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
7-e3681c85ab0a5935.pdf
This document consists of two primary components: an Environmental Management Framework (EMF) and a Spatial Development Framework (SDF) for the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality (PKISLM). The EMF establishes seven Environmental Management Zones (EMZs) to guide sustainable development by identifying preferred and undesirable land uses based on environmental sensitivities. The SDF provides broad spatial policy guidelines to manage regional growth, balancing economic development—particularly in agriculture, trade, and community services—with the conservation of critical grasslands and wetlands.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
9-049d4dd440ba8aa7.pdf
The document consists of a series of legal and administrative records regarding a land-use change application for Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The application, submitted by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd, sought to rezone the land from agricultural to 'special' use to allow for mining and related activities. The process involved multiple objections from environmental organizations and landowners, a dismissal by a local planning tribunal based on a lack of locus standi, a subsequent appeal, and a final approval by the Gert Sibande District Municipal Planning Tribunal on 29 April 2019.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
annexure-g-63f32611fe3da5fb.pdf
This document is a legal affidavit submitted by Catherine Horsfield of the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) on behalf of eight petitioning parties seeking intervener status in an appeal regarding a land-use change application in Mpumalanga.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
SKM_75820080511500
This document is a decision by the Water Tribunal regarding an appeal by the Endangered Wildlife Trust, the Federation for a Sustainable Environment, and Mpumalanga Landbou/Agriculture against a Water Use License (WUL) granted to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd for the Yzermyn underground coal mine in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The appeal focuses on the potential environmental impacts of the mine, specifically the dewatering of mine shafts, the risk of contaminated water decanting post-closure, and the mine's location within a Strategic Water Source Area (SWSA).
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report