Implementing the National Development Plan at at local government level Sue Bannister Commissioner on National Planning Commission SALGA 11 th National MM s Forum, George 31 August 2017 1
DP The National Development Plan
The NDP: 2030 outcomes & mechanism Growth in inclusive economy for Jobs & Incomes Eradicate Poverty Reduce Inequality
The NDP Government Levers ECONOMIC SERVICES: Skills, Infrastructure (Eco & household), regulation, support (incentives) CAPABILITIES OF SOUTH AFRICANS: ECD & basic education, health, social protection Growth in inclusive economy for Jobs & Incomes CAPABLE STATE & ACTIVE CITIZENRY: Efficient public sector, active citizens; justice & policing 4
But It is often difficult to translate the NDP and other high level policy objectives into concrete steps we can take, in each of our sectors, to give effect to these goals. 5
EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN SPACE and municipalities are the places where the good and the bad, difficult and the easy, happen Our terrible legacy of racism and sexism is still writ large on our landscape and the gap between white and black, men and women continues to grow Our spatial disjuncture remains persistently difficult to difficult to redress 6
And so. A focus on a few aspects of the NDP looking at ways in which we can start making a difference locally 7
Implementing the NDP at a local level
ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT
Remove the most pressing constraints on growth, investment and job creation lower the costs of living & the costs of doing business
Components of costs of living Housing and Transport: 50% of household costs Other 23% Transport 17% Transport costs are closely related to how far people live from their place of work or education. Sprawl and poor planning increases transport costs. Misc. 15% Food 13% Housing 32% Increase efficiencies in service provision by ensuring that infrastructure is well maintained and losses are minimised. Rates, service payment etc indigent system must be operational and targeted.
Access to services has a significant impact on the productivity of households, their cost of living and their quality of life. Efficient delivery of water, sanitation, electricity and transport are therefore critical and exemptions in terms of a targeted indigent policy.
In these tough economic times o o o o o Many working class people become single migrants in cities. o How can we ensure they have access to safe, affordable accommodation during working days Many places of employment retrench or give people short time o Are there ways that municipalities can assist in finding short-term relief to slow down unemployment rates? Would it be possible to create synergies between municipal markets/farming cooperatives and creating fresh produce markets? Can we extend library hours to allow for students and scholars to study? Can we create accessible lists of skilled, but unemployed people who can take on jobs such as building, renovations etc?
Sprawl: Understand the Costs more than 50% of workers using several modes of transport have their hourly wage reduced by 40%+ by transport costs. Getting from here to there 14
Sprawl: Understand the Costs Increases the distances that must be traveled Increases the costs providing infrastructure Imposes additional time demands on workers Reduces accessibility Reduces the efficiency of public transport 15
Reducing the costs of doing business and supporting local businesses 16
Focus of Local Government could be on: o Infrastructure - providing basic services and transport o Improving the quality of public services, regularity, reliability o Streamlining and speeding up planning approval processes o Ensuring processes are transparent, simple, relevant, quick and inexpensive and don t discriminate against the poor and disadvantaged o The location of human settlements and public- transport systems are aligned o Ensuring that the poor and unemployed are located on well situated land o Encourage business activity (including manufacturing) close to and in dense townships.
REDUCING COSTS: Using resources more efficiently Municipalities can use its existing resources more efficiently in order to boost economic development, make resources more available and lower its operating costs. Eg: Multi-purpose facilities - halls can be used by schools during the day and for other community purposes at night Focus on the night time economy. For instance initiatives include encouraging retailers to stay open later, better latenight transport, Wi-Fi and after-hours libraries Use interns to assist in this process so that they provide solutions 18
SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS AND THE INFORMAL SECTOR Recognize and support the informal economy and expand the space for informality, not just physically, but also politically and in governance. Eg: recognizing the rights of street traders, understanding their needs and, allowing space for the most marginalized of informal workers 19
Creating Vibrant Township Economies o Street infrastructure is crucial for the incubation of informal businesses. o Traders stalls must be on busy streets with pedestrian movement streams. o Allow traders to cluster around transport nodes o Review legislation and by-laws in terms of their impact on traders. o Current land use approaches, including municipal land-use zoning, typically do not accommodate much mixed-use, with most township land areas formally residential only. This hinders the formalisation of businesses that require access to commercially zoned land, such as mechanics, micro-manufacturers and taverns 20
Key Economic Development issues for Local Government o o o o o o Develop flexible human settlements, responsive to changing locations of work (such as available rental stock, and good and affordable public transport systems). Reduce the cost of living in relation to food, transport, education, health and other basic services Government procurement should help reduce racial patterns of ownership of wealth and income Lowering the costs of transport and logistics and investing in remedies to address spatial divides Reduce red tape Focus on infrastructure that promotes efficiency in the economy and reduces costs for business and for individuals.
ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE
ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE o Electricity and water: resolve maintenance and refurbishment backlogs o Water conservation programme o Consolidate and selectively expand transport and logistics infrastructure o Public transport infrastructure and systems o Ensure alignment!
INCLUSIVE RURAL ECONOMY 24
INCLUSIVE RURAL ECONOMY o Rural and Urban areas are not opposites, but interconnected. We need both. o Strengthening linkages is essential to ensure a balanced and sustainable social and economic development and distribute opportunities and benefits of urbanization. o Rural growth needs urban markets and vibrant non-farm sectors. o Infrastructure planning and delivery that stiches places together- spatial integration(transport infrastructure- rail, road and air). 25
TRANSFORMING HUMAN SETTLEMENTS Strong and efficient spatial planning system Upgrade all informal settlements on suitable, well located land. More people living closer to their places of work. Better quality public transport. More jobs in or close to dense, urban townships. 26
TRANSFORMING HUMAN SETTLEMENTS Develop a strategy for densification of cities Resource allocation to promote better located housing and settlements Improving the balance between location of jobs and people. The need for more diversity in accommodation options Provide incentives for citizen activity for local planning and development of spatial compacts. 27
Good spatial planning builds communities and improves social cohesion 28
IMPROVING EDUCATION, TRAINING AND INNOVATION Prioritise ECD to improve the quality of education and long-term prospects of future generations. 29
BUILDING SAFER COMMUNITIES Safety audits done in all communities focusing on crime and safety conditions of the most vulnerable in the 30 community. 30
BUILDING A CAPABLE AND DEVELOPMENTAL STATE 31
BUILDING A CAPABLE AND DEVELOPMENTAL STATE o A public service immersed in the development agenda but insulated from undue political interference. o Staff at all levels have the authority, experience, competence and support they need to do their jobs. o Use placements and secondments to enable staff to develop experience of working in other spheres of government. 32
Conclusions o Local government plays a central role in all the key levers of the NDP, especially economic services for cost of doing business & services for quality of life o SPLUMA, IUDF and NSDF part of the implementation of the NDP o IDPs must focus on their key mandate and the services influencing the cost of doing business & impacting on living standards (through quality & cost of services)
Thank you 34