According to s 23, 24 & 25 of the MPRDA, mining companies must submit a Social and Labour Plan (SLP) when applying for mining rights, and the local economic development (LED) of the SLP must be aligned with the local and district municipality Integrated Development Plan (IDP). The alignment between the SLP and IDP local economic development initiatives provides a platform for investment opportunity, economic growth, poverty reduction and infrastructure development (ICMM, 2006). The main objective of this research was to determine the extent to which the mining SLPs are aligned with municipal IDPs. The research was conducted using a qualitative method for three case studies, a literature review, a documents review (of the SLPs and IDPs), questionnaires and interviews. The mining industry charter gives mining companies targets for the development of local communities through their SLPs. The King reports on corporate governance also give the industry ways to report on corporate social responsibility and sustainability. The local government Municipal Systems Act governs the development of local communities through the development of IDPs as per s 29.There are also debates on the increase of local beneficiation by mining companies, thereby creating jobs and accessing incentives in the form of royalty payments and tax relief. In addition there is a growing demand for a portion of such royalties and taxes to be paid directly into the municipalities to improve the LED and infrastructure challenges. The main challenge with alignment is how mining companies deal with related community grievances and risks, capacity constraints at local government and the DMR, poor stakeholder engagement and the backlog of service delivery. Overall, in the three case studies the KPIs were generally aligned (criteria B) with the municipal IDPs, which indicates that there is a general compliance with the DMR regulations and guidelines. The SLPs, socio-economic background and key economic activities were aligned (criteria A) with the IDPs, while projects and programmes were also generally aligned (criteria B). The negative social impacts were just aligned (criteria C) with the IDPs while no KPI was found to be not aligned (criteria D) with IDP. Some of the initiatives to improve the positive social impacts were the continuous Social Impact Assessment (SIA) throughout the life of mine. Most importantly the research identified that there is a need to improve capacity in local government for dealing with local economic development as this will also aid/improve the alignment of IDPs and SLPs. / M Environmental Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Thesis (MPA) --(University of Limpopo), 2007 / This study had two aims. Firstly, it investigated the existence of the Local Economic Development (LED) strategy, and secondly, the sustainability of such a strategy at the Thembisile municipality in Mpumalanga province. The rationale behind this study was to provide the municipality with possible mechanisms to improve the development and implementation of the LED policy. The concept of Local Economic Development has been studied and debated widely in South Africa. The importance of introducing policies that assist to stimulate economic activities at the local sphere of government has been acknowledged by a number of scholars. The LED policy in South Africa was developed as a way of creating a platform for municipalities to play a role in economy of the municipality and the country. This study focused on how the LED policy has been developed and implemented at the Thembisile municipality. In order to achieve this, various strategies were used to collect data. Firstly, policy documents such as the Mpumalanga Provincial Growth and Development Strategy and the Thembisile Municipality’s LED strategy were studied. Secondly, questionnaires were administered to participants. Interviews were also conducted with members of the LED Committee at the municipality and entrepreneurs. The study mainly used the Evaluation Research methods to analyze the various critical aspects of policy implementation. The results of the study show that there are possible improvements both in the development and implementation of the LED strategy at Thembisile municipality. It is also critical that the element of sustainability enterprises established should be prioritized. Finally, the study provides recommendations for improvement for the municipality.

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / Since the mid-nineties, Local Economic Development (LED) has been the focal point for the South African government led by the African National Congress. The aim of LED is to redress the injustices of the apartheid regime and to enable previously disadvantaged groups to be incorporated into the formal economy and to involve them in poverty alleviation programmes. So far, the government has spent millions of rands in funding LED projects, with the primary goal of ensuring poverty alleviation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sustainability of LED projects in Kgwale village (Devilliersdale) in the Blouberg Municipality, Limpopo Province, with the main aim being to establish the factors that enhance the sustainability of projects vis-à-vis those factors that hinder the sustainability of projects. A qualitative study was conducted with 18 participants who were members of the three (03) projects and with three LED project managers from the Blouberg Municipality, the Department of Corporate Governance, Human Setttlements and Traditional Affairs and the Department of Health and Social Development. Data was obtained through semi-structured one-to-one interviews, focus group interviews and observations. The findings of the investigation mostly confirm what other researchers have already discovered, such as the role played by the educational level of beneficiaries of these projects in the success of the projects. Only one person who was a manager of the two (02) projects, namely, the Moselatlala/Farming and Moselatlala/Brick-laying projects, had a post-matric qualification. This however was in education, which is not relevant to LED. None of the Sewing Project members had Grade 12. All the three projects did not keep accounting records and did not use the services of the independent auditor to audit their projects. Most members in these projects were women, as in most projects in rural areas. The Sewing Project could not last for one year. This indicates that the members did not xii have interest in sewing, because they did not receive proper training and sufficient support. The researcher sees this as an indication that the members lacked patience and perseverance. In the Moselatlala/Farming and Moselatlala/Brick-laying projects, the members stuck to the projects despite the fact that the projects were not yielding results. They did not see these projects as get-rich-quick schemes where people will easily earn a lot of money without much effort. The members worked tirelessly, hoping that one day they will earn salaries, until they decided to share the resources which they had acquired because they realised that their efforts were meaningless. The researcher suggests that further in-depth research be conducted on the factors that lead to LED projects collapsing instead of sustaining themselves, creating employment and being financially and economically viable.

Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

Beer, brewing, and the public house have been celebrated institutions in English culture for centuries. The drink occupies a venerable position in the gastronomy of most regions and is an integral component in the lives of many. There is an emerging literature on culinary tourism as an increasingly important element of cultural tourism. Local cuisine can be used to distinguish unique tourist regions from their competitors in an ever-globalising world. While wine tourism in particular has been studied quite thoroughly in recent years, beer tourism has been largely neglected. The purpose of this study is to explore the current state of, and potential for beer tourism in Yorkshire, England. Beer tourism can be described as “visitations to breweries, beer festivals, and beer shows for which beer tasting and experiencing the attributes of a beer region are the prime motivating factors for visitors” (Plummer et al. 2003). Through the use of a mail survey, short interviews, participant observation and secondary data collection techniques the author explored the extent to which local breweries use beer tourism practices; the specific beer tourism techniques being used by breweries in Yorkshire, and their perceived benefits and limitations; the partnerships, alliances and cooperation that may exist between the brewers themselves, and the tourism and hospitality industries; if and how tourism stakeholders draw upon beer and brewing to promote and market the region to tourists, and the role that brewers may play in this process. The author also made recommendations for brewery managers and regional marketing boards based upon relevant academic literature and the specific findings of this study. The author makes note of numerous findings on participation rates for breweries in tours and beer festivals, the perceived benefits and limitations that beer tourism has for brewers, and research on the branding and marketing of Yorkshire beer. A detailed typology of breweries based upon their relationship and degree of integration with the tourism industry is introduced. Furthermore, a tentative hypothesis based upon a brewer’s rationale for involvement in tourism and the size and success of that brewery is presented. This hypothesis must be empirically tested in future research to determine its acceptability. The author also presented a detailed review of the relevance of wine tourism literature for the field of beer tourism. It was found that although the two forms of beverage tourism share many commonalities, there exist as many differences. This comparison ultimately emphasises the importance of developing a specific beer tourism literature. It is hoped that the findings of this beer-specific research may be used by others with a keen interest in beer and tourism to undertake additional studies in the field. This study solely investigates the links between beer producers and the tourism and hospitality industry in Yorkshire, England. A similar study in an alternative setting would most likely yield interesting results. Furthermore, additional studies on beer and tourism should take the size, brewing output capacity, and possibly the revenue of a brewery into account in order to investigate potential differences between breweries’ tourism strategies based upon their size and success in their market.

Within the greater movement of sustainable development, industrial practices have been identified as a key area in which much improvement is both necessary and possible. The development and operation of industrial parks have become a focus of these efforts. The basic premise of this thesis is that a sustainable industrial park should function in an economically competitive manner that provides for human needs through market mechanisms while doing so in alliance with the local community, in congruence with the local ecosystem and within the carrying capacity of the planet. From a municipal planning and economic development perspective, this thesis focuses upon the development of a municipal strategy to effectuate sustainable industrial development and operations. Utilizing a blended theoretical approach incorporating general systems theory and planning theories, the proposed industrial park surrounding the Hamilton International Airport, in the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has been analyzed to develop a viable sustainability vision for the park, identify barriers to implementing and achieving that vision, and formulate a municipal strategy to promote and enable the pursuit and realization of that vision. It was found that there is an important role for the municipality to assume and numerous opportunities for concrete municipal action throughout the planning, development and operational stages of the industrial park. Upon reflection of the research process, the findings were extrapolated to garner wider applicability and relevance to other municipalities provincially, nationally, and internationally, as well as to the professional and academic community involved in industrial sustainability.

A suitable climate, varied scenic terrain, and proximity of communities along Ontario’s system of 39,742 km of snowmobile trails have provided for domestic and international snowmobile tourism. Outdoor winter tourism in many parts of the world has been identified to be at risk to changes in global climate. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) reported a global increase of temperature of 0.74 degrees Celsius for the period 1906 to 2005 and estimates that by the end of the 21st century the global mean temperature will increase between 1.8 degrees Celsius to 4.0 degrees Celsius. Temperature increases of only a few degrees may contribute to variances in snow-based tourism reliant on the reliability of natural snow cover. This study examines the spatial and temporal impacts of climate change scenarios upon snowmobile season length and operations within the snowmobile industry in the Province of Ontario Canada to six climate change scenarios for the 21st century. Snowmobile trail operations in Ontario are reliant upon a minimum natural snow cover of 15 cm for smooth terrain trails and 30 cm to 60 cm for rough terrain trails, temperatures less than 0 degrees Celsius and, human and financial capital. Three or more consecutive snowmobile seasons with ≤ 28 days have been identified as having serious implications for human and financial capital necessary to develop and maintain the snowmobile trail system. As early as the 2020s, north eastern snowmobile districts are projected to be least vulnerable to changes in climate with the longest snowmobile seasons > 28 days, while south central snowmobile districts are projected to be the most vulnerable to changes in climate with the shortest snowmobile seasons of < 28 days. Snowmobile trail managers identified possible strategies to adapt to a changing climate (2020s to 2080s) including: pre-season preparation of the terrain including early season packing of snow cover, re-location of the most vulnerable snowmobile trails, and strengthening inter-district alliances.

Beer, brewing, and the public house have been celebrated institutions in English culture for centuries. The drink occupies a venerable position in the gastronomy of most regions and is an integral component in the lives of many. There is an emerging literature on culinary tourism as an increasingly important element of cultural tourism. Local cuisine can be used to distinguish unique tourist regions from their competitors in an ever-globalising world. While wine tourism in particular has been studied quite thoroughly in recent years, beer tourism has been largely neglected. The purpose of this study is to explore the current state of, and potential for beer tourism in Yorkshire, England. Beer tourism can be described as “visitations to breweries, beer festivals, and beer shows for which beer tasting and experiencing the attributes of a beer region are the prime motivating factors for visitors” (Plummer et al. 2003). Through the use of a mail survey, short interviews, participant observation and secondary data collection techniques the author explored the extent to which local breweries use beer tourism practices; the specific beer tourism techniques being used by breweries in Yorkshire, and their perceived benefits and limitations; the partnerships, alliances and cooperation that may exist between the brewers themselves, and the tourism and hospitality industries; if and how tourism stakeholders draw upon beer and brewing to promote and market the region to tourists, and the role that brewers may play in this process. The author also made recommendations for brewery managers and regional marketing boards based upon relevant academic literature and the specific findings of this study. The author makes note of numerous findings on participation rates for breweries in tours and beer festivals, the perceived benefits and limitations that beer tourism has for brewers, and research on the branding and marketing of Yorkshire beer. A detailed typology of breweries based upon their relationship and degree of integration with the tourism industry is introduced. Furthermore, a tentative hypothesis based upon a brewer’s rationale for involvement in tourism and the size and success of that brewery is presented. This hypothesis must be empirically tested in future research to determine its acceptability. The author also presented a detailed review of the relevance of wine tourism literature for the field of beer tourism. It was found that although the two forms of beverage tourism share many commonalities, there exist as many differences. This comparison ultimately emphasises the importance of developing a specific beer tourism literature. It is hoped that the findings of this beer-specific research may be used by others with a keen interest in beer and tourism to undertake additional studies in the field. This study solely investigates the links between beer producers and the tourism and hospitality industry in Yorkshire, England. A similar study in an alternative setting would most likely yield interesting results. Furthermore, additional studies on beer and tourism should take the size, brewing output capacity, and possibly the revenue of a brewery into account in order to investigate potential differences between breweries’ tourism strategies based upon their size and success in their market.

Within the greater movement of sustainable development, industrial practices have been identified as a key area in which much improvement is both necessary and possible. The development and operation of industrial parks have become a focus of these efforts. The basic premise of this thesis is that a sustainable industrial park should function in an economically competitive manner that provides for human needs through market mechanisms while doing so in alliance with the local community, in congruence with the local ecosystem and within the carrying capacity of the planet. From a municipal planning and economic development perspective, this thesis focuses upon the development of a municipal strategy to effectuate sustainable industrial development and operations. Utilizing a blended theoretical approach incorporating general systems theory and planning theories, the proposed industrial park surrounding the Hamilton International Airport, in the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has been analyzed to develop a viable sustainability vision for the park, identify barriers to implementing and achieving that vision, and formulate a municipal strategy to promote and enable the pursuit and realization of that vision. It was found that there is an important role for the municipality to assume and numerous opportunities for concrete municipal action throughout the planning, development and operational stages of the industrial park. Upon reflection of the research process, the findings were extrapolated to garner wider applicability and relevance to other municipalities provincially, nationally, and internationally, as well as to the professional and academic community involved in industrial sustainability.

A suitable climate, varied scenic terrain, and proximity of communities along Ontario’s system of 39,742 km of snowmobile trails have provided for domestic and international snowmobile tourism. Outdoor winter tourism in many parts of the world has been identified to be at risk to changes in global climate. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) reported a global increase of temperature of 0.74 degrees Celsius for the period 1906 to 2005 and estimates that by the end of the 21st century the global mean temperature will increase between 1.8 degrees Celsius to 4.0 degrees Celsius. Temperature increases of only a few degrees may contribute to variances in snow-based tourism reliant on the reliability of natural snow cover. This study examines the spatial and temporal impacts of climate change scenarios upon snowmobile season length and operations within the snowmobile industry in the Province of Ontario Canada to six climate change scenarios for the 21st century. Snowmobile trail operations in Ontario are reliant upon a minimum natural snow cover of 15 cm for smooth terrain trails and 30 cm to 60 cm for rough terrain trails, temperatures less than 0 degrees Celsius and, human and financial capital. Three or more consecutive snowmobile seasons with ≤ 28 days have been identified as having serious implications for human and financial capital necessary to develop and maintain the snowmobile trail system. As early as the 2020s, north eastern snowmobile districts are projected to be least vulnerable to changes in climate with the longest snowmobile seasons > 28 days, while south central snowmobile districts are projected to be the most vulnerable to changes in climate with the shortest snowmobile seasons of < 28 days. Snowmobile trail managers identified possible strategies to adapt to a changing climate (2020s to 2080s) including: pre-season preparation of the terrain including early season packing of snow cover, re-location of the most vulnerable snowmobile trails, and strengthening inter-district alliances.