Partial Amendment to the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act

This member's bill amends the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act to specify the scope and content of mandatory consultations between the public waters management authority and related government agencies when issuing occupation and use permits for wind power facilities and other renewable energy equipment on public waters. Specifically, it requires consultations to explicitly include matters concerning maritime traffic safety, aviation safety and navigation aid facility operations, and impacts on military operations and military facilities: addressing concerns raised by recent offshore wind installations near Busan that were found to affect maritime traffic and military operations. The bill is currently under committee review.

The current Act requires the management agency of public waters to consult in advance with the heads of relevant administrative agencies where it intends to grant permission for occupancy or use of public waters; however, the current Act provides only for matters concerning the duty to consult and does not specifically state the scope and content of the consultation.

Meanwhile, the fact that offshore wind power generation equipment recently installed in the sea area near Busan could also affect sea traffic, military operations, etc. came to light belatedly and caused public concern. In this regard, there is an opinion that, because large structures installed at sea can have a significant impact on national security and public safety, related matters should be reviewed in advance at the stage of permission for occupancy or use of public waters.

The first paragraphs of the bill's own statement, in KWI's English translation. The full statement and bill text are in the English translation PDF.

1. Received
2. In review
3. Enacted