It considers the municipality as the most important competent authority to deliver most environmental outcomes, and proposes far-reaching possibilities for higher authorities (provinces and central government) to regulate environmental issues. To that effect, the Environmental Planning Act (under discussion) introduces six core instruments clustered around strategic vision documents, plans and programmes, decentralised regulations, rules of the central government for certain activities, the environmental permit, and the project decision. The underlying regulation of the act will integrate the assessment framework and the conditions for activities that need to be regulated (general rules, permits).