(1) In preparing the regional plan the regional planning council shall consult with such persons as it may consider appropriate or as the Minister may direct.
(2) After consulting persons in terms of subsection (1) and before submitting the draft regional plan to the Minister, the regional planning council shall—
(a) place on public exhibition for two months or for such other period as the Minister may direct, a copy of the draft regional plan with a statement indicating the time within which representations in connection with the draft regional plan may be made to the regional planning council; and
(b) give public notice of the place or places at which, and the period for which, the draft regional plan will be exhibited in terms of paragraph (a) and the time within which representations in connection with the draft regional plan may be made to the regional planning council; and
(c) advise the persons consulted in terms of subsection (1) of the matters referred to in paragraph (b) and of its intention to adopt, subject to subsection (3), the draft regional plan as exhibited.
(3) At the expiration of the period referred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (2) for the making of representations the regional planning council shall—
(a) reconsider the draft regional plan in the light of any representations received in terms of subsection (2); and
(b) thereafter adopt the draft regional plan with any modifications it considers desirable and submit such draft to the Minister, together with copies of all such representations received and a report—
(i) examining the inventory and analysis in terms of subsection (1) of section six; and
(ii) summarizing any such representations received and the attitude of, and action taken by, the regional planning council in relation thereto.
(4) On receipt of the draft regional plan and report in terms of subsection (3) the
Minister shall—
(a) refer them to the Director for an evaluation report thereon; and (b) refer copies thereof to such other Ministries and departments of the State as are likely, in his view, to be affected thereby.
(5) The Minister may refer any representations received in terms of subsection (2) to a local inquiry for investigation and report.
(6) Subject to subsection (8), the Minister, after taking into account—
(a) the evaluation report received in terms of subsection (4) and any submission from a Ministry or department referred to in that subsection; and (b) the reports submitted in terms of paragraph (b) of subsection (3) and of subsection (5); and
(c) any other matters which he considers to be relevant, whether or not they were taken into account by the regional planning council;
shall submit the draft regional plan, together with his recommendations, to the President.
(7) On receipt of the draft regional plan and the recommendations of the Minister in terms of subsection (6) the President shall—
(a) approve the draft regional plan, subject to such modifications or
reservations as he deems fit, to become operative on a date to be specified by him; or
(b) reject the draft regional plan;
and shall notify the Minister accordingly, who shall give notice of such decision in the Gazette and, if the draft regional plan has been approved, of the date fixed in terms of paragraph (a) on which the regional plan shall become operative.
(8) The Minister may, at any time before submitting a draft regional plan to the President, return it to the regional planning council for reconsideration of such matters as the Minister may direct, and the regional planning council shall give further consideration to such matters and, if the regional planning council considers that any change should be made, subsections (2), (3), (4) and (5) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to any portion of the draft regional plan affected by such change.