Final Report of the Second Independent Audit
18 April 2024,
BIODIVERSITY OFFSET AGREEMENT BETWEEN BLACK MOUNTAIN MINING (PTY) LTD AND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS, RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM
As a result, and in compliance with the Environmental Authorization, a legal Agreement (the Gamsberg Biodiversity Offset Agreement, hereafter referred as the BOA) was signed between DAERL (formerly DENC) and BMM on 16 October 2014.
In terms of the BOA (Clause 14.7), an independent review (IR) of the implementation of the BOA by an independent auditor or team of independent auditors should be undertaken every five years with the first review to be undertaken upon the expiry of the five years’ period calculated from the date of signature of this agreement (signature date 16 October 2014).
The first Independent Audit (FIA), comprising an Initial Independent Audit (IIA) and Close-out Independent Audit Report (CIA), was concluded in May 2020. The Implementing Parties (Ips) subsequently agreed to undertake the audit every 2 years.
The Second Independent Audit (SIA) was undertaken from October 2022 to February 2023. The purpose of the report was to inform external stakeholders about performance in key compliance areas and provide key recommendations to improve future compliance performance, with regards to implementation of the BOA.
Considerable progress has been demonstrated in the past year since the First Independent Audit (FIA) with regards to compliance.
BMM has made a concerted effort to improve protection of the set-aside properties through improved management plans and monitoring programmes incorporating many of IR's recommendations. Formal communications between the IPS have improved. BMM had demonstrated good cooperation with DAERL and other parties in responding to poaching incidents.
In conclusion, the BOA has achieved many of its conservation objectives and the IPS have demonstrated considerable progress since the FIA. However, some areas of improvement were identified, for example the need to ensure results of the audits are available to stakeholders. We recognize the need to pay attention to these areas and the fact that we have challenges ahead of us. We are working towards increasing compliance.
BIODIVERSITY OFFSET AGREEMENT BETWEEN BLACK MOUNTAIN MINING (PTY) LTD AND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS, RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM
As a result, and in compliance with the Environmental Authorization, a legal Agreement (the Gamsberg Biodiversity Offset Agreement, hereafter referred as the BOA) was signed between DAERL (formerly DENC) and BMM on 16 October 2014.
In terms of the BOA (Clause 14.7), an independent review (IR) of the implementation of the BOA by an independent auditor or team of independent auditors should be undertaken every five years with the first review to be undertaken upon the expiry of the five years’ period calculated from the date of signature of this agreement (signature date 16 October 2014).
The first Independent Audit (FIA), comprising an Initial Independent Audit (IIA) and Close-out Independent Audit Report (CIA), was concluded in May 2020. The Implementing Parties (Ips) subsequently agreed to undertake the audit every 2 years.
The Second Independent Audit (SIA) was undertaken from October 2022 to February 2023. The purpose of the report was to inform external stakeholders about performance in key compliance areas and provide key recommendations to improve future compliance performance, with regards to implementation of the BOA.
Considerable progress has been demonstrated in the past year since the First Independent Audit (FIA) with regards to compliance.
BMM has made a concerted effort to improve protection of the set-aside properties through improved management plans and monitoring programmes incorporating many of IR's recommendations. Formal communications between the IPS have improved. BMM had demonstrated good cooperation with DAERL and other parties in responding to poaching incidents.
In conclusion, the BOA has achieved many of its conservation objectives and the IPS have demonstrated considerable progress since the FIA. However, some areas of improvement were identified, for example the need to ensure results of the audits are available to stakeholders. We recognize the need to pay attention to these areas and the fact that we have challenges ahead of us. We are working towards increasing compliance.