Streamlining of Water Use Licence Applications. To assist emerging farming enterprises in the Agricultural Sector to access water use licences more efficiently, the Department of Water and Sanitation agreed to extend the 300-day turnaround time currently applied in the Mining Sector as part of the one environmental system to all other applications. The parties will also explore means in which to reduce duplication where an activity, outside of the Mining Sector, simultaneously requires an environmental authorisation and a water use licence and the processes prescribed are substantially similar. The parties also agreed to explore ways to reduce the costs of obtaining a water use licence, including the possibility of a guideline document that outlines the minimum requirement for information to be submitted in each sector to minimise the reliance on expensive consultants. Government and Business have agreed on collaboration on the review of the water use licensing procedural regulations which has just commenced, and which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of the 2019/20 financial year. Challenges with licensing conditions, particularly for the Forestry Sector are being addressed and a revised approach should be completed by the end of the year. It has also been agreed that challenges with the financial provisions for mining rehabilitation will be resolved in an engagement between Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), DEA and DWS. It has been agreed that the timing provisions of the “one environmental system” as applied to the Mining Sector will be extended to all sectors. Social partners agreed that the maximum turnaround time for issuing of water use licenses would be 300 days.
