There is no simple answer to this very basic question. The conservationists have shouted their ‘green’ messages from the treetops whilst the industrialists have simply argued the need to ‘provide jobs and grow’. “Never the twain shall meet”. We will all have to change our attitudes and work together to find the balance. This is a team effort. The government has taken the first steps in providing legal guidance with the proclamation of the National Environmental Management Act and the Integrated Coastal Management Act. These Acts still have a way to go before they have the required impact to provide the answer to our question.

Let us all, National, Provincial and Local Government with the Private Sector and Non-Governmental Organizations, as partners, take hands and make a difference in conserving our Saldanha Bay and Langebaan Lagoon for future generations whilst ensuring responsible development.
Councillor André Kruger
Chair SBWQFT