🌿 National Conservation Council refutes misinformation about Department of Environment director's powers

The National Conservation Council (NCC) has dismissed false claims circulating on social media that suggest the director of the Department of Environment (DoE) holds unprecedented powers under the National Conservation Act (NCA). The misinformation implies that the DoE director is above the Cabinet and can make decisions without accountability. The NCC has stated that neither it nor the DoE director have any power over the Cabinet, which remains the decision-makers in all things related to the law. The NCC also clarified that the NCA does not make the Cabinet subservient and that the law prohibits its members from directing the Cabinet. 📑

The NCC explained that the NCA allows it to establish interim directives for urgent conservation measures, but these directives must be immediately reported to the Cabinet, which can repeal them at any time. The council also clarified that the DoE director does not have the capacity to review all planning applications alone and relies on a technical review committee of DoE scientific experts. The NCC has delegated the issuing of permits and licenses to the director, but there is a team within the DoE who process the applications based on Licensing Directives gazetted by the NCC. The council also stressed that the NCC has not delegated all its authority to the DoE director. 🌱

According to the NCC, the false narrative that the DoE director holds supreme power is being spread by those wanting to weaken the law, not out of concerns about the democratic process but because they believe that anything that could see development directed or controlled could cut profit. The NCC's mandate is to supply objective, robust, science-based advice and guidance to decision-makers regarding proposals that may adversely affect the natural environment. The council stressed that it has a primary function of making recommendations, not taking decisions. The NCC also clarified that the results of an environmental impact assessment are not binding, and it is still up to the Central Planning Authority whether planning approval is granted with or without conditions. 🌳