Development Assessment Branch Home Page

The Development Assessment Branch’s core mandate is to assess the environmental impacts of development taking place within the eThekwini Municipal Area (EMA) in an attempt to promote sustainable development and prevent wherever possible unsustainable development or development that will have a significant impact on the natural resource base of the city. Development assessment began in 1994 when the environmental function of the municipality was established by the creation of an Environmental Branch. The current Development Assessment Branch was established in 2003 when the municipality underwent its last restructure. The branch comprises a manager, five environmental officers, one capital projects environmental officer, one environmental enforcement officer and one environmental technician. There are currently two vacant environment officer posts and one vacant environment technician’s post.

Capacity-building exercises have been held, in conjunction with the Biodiversity Branch, with the various planning offices in the municipality in order to raise awareness around the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (DMOSS). The outcome of these workshops was that all development and planning applications located within or immediately adjacent to the DMOSS are to be referred to the Environmental Management Department for assessment. The development assessment branch comments on building plans, planning applications, low cost housing developments, and land transaction applications received from various departments within the eThekwini Municipality. In addition, we comment on Environmental Impact Assessments and mining applications, which are considered by Provincial and National Departments. The links below explain the assessment process, including development guidelines as well as the Decision making process including some of the implementation tools that are used.

The Assessment Process

The Decision Making Process