The Department of Public Works (DPW) has released the draft Built Environment Policy 2014 for public comment.

The Minster of public Works, Thembelani Nxesi, said in the draft document that, “Over the past decade the built environment grappled with a host of issues linked to the shortcomings of the regulatory environment, the need to organize professions to serve the imperatives of government, including transformation, public protection, [and]good governance.”

The document lists a number of challenges facing the built environment profession, such as: cooperation, accountability, governance, alignment to government policy planning, oversight, transformation, funding of mandates, non-compulsory registration and investigations of complaints. To arrest these challenges and drive government policy, the draft policy recommends that the Council for the Built Environment Act, 2000 (Act No 43 of 2000) be repealed.

The Council for the Built Environment’s function will be transferred to the DPW which will address issues including alignment of government to policy planning and national imperatives; governance; accountability; poor cooperation; oversight; procedural matters relating to recognition; serving as the body for appeals; ensuring consistent application of policy by Built Environment Professional Councils (BEPC).

The acts relating to the BEPC will be amended where necessary to improve governance and accountability. They will remain autonomous on matters relating to the built environment profession.

Comments on the draft policy must be submitted before 16:00 on 27 June.

Read the full draft Built Environment Policy 2014.