During the George veldt
fires end of last year, Geelhoutvlei Timbers situated in Karatara, was almost completely destroyed. This
tragic incident raised fears that Arsenic-treated
wood stored on the premises could contaminate the water sources in the
immediate surroundings.
Geelhoutvlei Timbers reacted pro-actively and contained the Chromated Copper
Arsenate used at their treatment plant. Surrounding residents still feared that
the locations where the treated timber were stored could downwash into the
nearby water sources. In order to determine if this fears are justified, the Garden Route District Municipality Air Quality Unit took
representative samples for independent laboratory analysis on 17 January 2019.
Outcomes of tests done were made available to GRDM on 14 February 2019.
It was confirmed that both water
and soil arsenic samples took at various sampling points comply with the Total
Concentration (TC) threshold for arsenic expressed as mg/kg or mg/l.
WATER SAMPLES:
Four samples were taken, of which the results
are as follow:
· Sample 1 – Karatara cement bridge – <0.001mg/l
· Sample 2 – 1st dam on Geelhoutvlei Timbers premises – <0.001mg/l
· Sample 3 – De Wit dam –
<0.001mg/l
· Sample 4 – Hoogekraal bridge –
<0.001mg/l
RESULT: Detection
limits are 0.001mg/l and
which is an indication that Arsenic was not detected in the water.
SOIL SAMPLES
Three soil samples were taken at
all the points where treated wood were stored on the Geelhoutvlei Timbers
premises:
·
Sample 5 – Treated
Timber area: 8.64mg/kg
·
Sample 6 – Pole
Yard-East- <0.20mg/kg
·
Sample 7 – Front pole
yard- 3mg/kg
RESULT: The Total Concentration (TC)
threshold for Arsenic is 500mg/kg.
Chemtech laboratory used the Draft
Standard for assessment of waste for landfill disposal as reference for
thresholds.
Google images of the sampling points
The Garden Route DM Air Quality Unit is in the process
to ensure that the contained arsenic on the premises is disposed of at an
approved hazardous waste landfill site (if not done already).
For more information with regard to
the above matter, contact:
Dr Johann Schoeman
Manager: District Air Quality Control jschoeman@gardenroute.gov.za
Tel: +27 (0)44 693 0006 | +27 (0)84 317 9167
Garden Route District Municipality (Garden Route DM), in collaboration with Hessequa Municipality, hosted its second Garden Route Skills Summit in Stillbay on 7 February 2019. This annual event is hosted to review the progress made in terms of establishing the Garden Route as a Skills Mecca. More than 100 delegates from the public and private sectors came together to discuss and plan the next phase of the Skills Mecca initiative.
More than 100 delegates from the public-and-private sectors attended the Garden Route Skills Summit at Stillbay in Hessequa.
The first Skills Summit was held in George during February 2018 with the aim of stimulating debate around training and skills development for the Garden Route District and the seven Local Municipalities within its jurisdiction. The idea was and continues to be to attract students to relocate and study in the Garden Route, which will provide an economic injection for the Garden Route.
Mr Solly Fourie, manager of the Western Cape Government’s economic development and tourism department, explained the importance of partnerships between various training institutions. He also said: “The Western Cape Government believes that there is a need to move towards a situation where large-scale industrial development in rural towns should be incentivized – we need municipalities to assist us in this process”. From this “move” it is evident that more jobs will be created, which will be aligned to skills needs.
Councilor Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor of Garden Route DM, who was also the keynote speaker, indicated that Garden Route DM identified a property where a three million rand skills centre will be built. “The first phase will focus on skills required by a district municipality, including firefighting, disaster management and law enforcement, to name a few. Other municipalities will also, on a later stage, be asked to share their skills shortages with us to include in the training institution,” said Cllr Booysen. He reminded government representatives not to “be in competition with other municipalities in our region – this is not conducive of growing the district into the country’s leading skills mecca.”
Cllr Booysen also vowed to move the District away from “red-tape and move towards red carpets when it comes to skills development.”
Later during the programme, group discussions were facilitated by a number experts in the fields of: agriculture and processing (Clyde Lamberts); tourism and film industry (Rushka Eli); Oil and gas (Paul Hoffman); smart cities and technology (Gill Cullinan); timber industry (Karl-Heinz Niemand) and training and development (Elsie Potgieter).
Ms Elsie Potgieter, South Cape College Principal, facilitates a group discussion about training and development at the Garden Route Skills Summit.
A ‘show and tell’ session also took place where four municipalities were given the opportunity to showcase a project that was implemented within their municipal area. Garden Route DM presented their Cater Care Project, Hessequa presented a people-centred project, Bitou a lifesavers training initiative and Knysna a rapid-response programme for the environment. Cheri-Lynn Speelman (Lecturer: Francois Ferreira Academy) and Yonela Khweleta (Intern: Francois Ferreira Academy), former students of the Cater Care training programme, which is financially spearheaded by Garden Route District Municipality and presented by the Francois Ferreira Academy, formed part of the winning team. Garden Route District Municipality’s Cater Care Programme was identified by delegates as the most successful out of all initiatives presented.
Garden Route DM’s Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen and Cllr Eleanore Bouw-Spies proudly presents the trophy which was awarded to the District for its Cater Care Initiative.
Francois Ferreira Academy (left) and Yonela Khweleta, Intern: Francois Ferreira Academy (right), together with Mr Denver Johnson, Garden Route DM Tourism Officer, won the best skills development initiative during their ‘show and tell’ presentation at the Garden Route Skills Summit.
Dr Florus Prinsloo from the Western Cape Government’s department of economic development and tourism reviewed 2018’s resolutions and adjusted it based on feedback from the group discussions and other participating members.
The 2019/2020 resolutions announced at the Garden Route Skills Summit are:
Continue and accelerate collaboration and cooperation
among all District skills development role players.
Ensure that skills development leverages digital infrastructure as far
as possible to ensure learning and processes methods are and remain of a
cutting edge nature.
As far as possible, link skills development to investment and economic
development opportunities to the advancement for all.
Ensure that all skills development processes in the Garden Route always
proactively considers renewable energy.
Engage with all willing partners, in particular, the SETAs and the
National Skills Fund, to explore the development and implementation of projects
across the district.
Consider and leverage local skilled people, including retired people,
within the district, to accelerate the growth of the Skills Mecca.
All public and/or private skills development projects and/or programmes
in all municipalities are acknowledged, recorded on Skills Mecca online
solution and supported within resource limitations.
Progressively support the development of the new apprenticeship of 21st
Century (A21) in the district.
Budget, plan and implement an annual Skills Summit that is held in a
different local municipality rotationally and alphabetically….2020 – Knysna –
proposed on 5 March 2020.
Continue and accelerate collaboration and cooperation among all District skills development role players.
Ensure that Skills Development leverages digital infrastructure as far as possible to ensure learning and processes methods are and remain cutting edge.
As far as possible link Skills Development to Investment and Economic Development opportunities to the advancement for all.
Ensure that all Skills Development processes in the Garden Route always proactively considers renewable energy.
Engage with all willing partners, in particular the SETAs and the National Skills Fund, to explore the development and implementation of projects across the District.
Consider and leverage local skilled people, including retired people, within the District, to accelerate the growth of the Skills Mecca.
All public and / or private skills development projects and/or programmes in all municipalities are acknowledged, recorded on Skills Mecca on line solution and supported within resource limitations.
Progressively support the development of the new apprenticeship of 21st Century (A21) in the District.
Budget, plan and implement an annual Skills Summit that is held in a different local municipality rotationally and alphabetically….2020 – Knysna – proposed on 5 March 2020.
1. Regional Waste Management Facility on Farm 419 Mossel Bay
The Development of a Regional Waste Management Facility on the property of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), Farm 419, will be finalised by the end of 2019.
The facility will occupy +-70% of the 205-hectare property (approximate size of 143.5 hectares) belonging to GRDM. A private partner was selected by GRDM and a Public Private Partnership agreement will soon be entered into between the District Council and the company. Constructing and operating the facility for a period of ten years will be the responsibility of the appointed company.
Bitou, Knysna, George and Mossel Bay Municipalities will make use of the Waste Management Facility which will deal with domestic and hazardous waste disposal. Mobile chipping and crushing facilities will be included to assist the four Local Municipalities with Green Waste Management.
In addition to the Regional Landfill Facility, the following two proposals were received and are subject to all applicable legislation, application requirements and approvals. One proposal was received from Ikusasa Processing Engineering Consultants (PTY) Ltd and the other from Moumakoe-Geza Joint Venture. Sufficient land (+-30% of the 205 hectares of land) is available on Farm 419 for these developments.
The Garden Route Investment Conference, which was held in March 2018, stimulated the interest of two multi-national companies to invest in the Garden Route. One of the two, which is known as Ikusasa Processing Engineering Consultants (PTY) LTD, approached GRDM with a proposal stating their intent to erect a chemical plant that will support the wide variety of sectors in the region and outside portion of Farm 419 in Mossel Bay. The size will be determined once the necessary plans are finalised and presented to the Garden Route District Municipality and approved by Mossel Bay Municipality. Necessary studies i.e. EIA’s will also have to be undertaken for this proposed development.
3. Moumakoe-Geza Joint Venture
Moumakoe-Geza Joint Venture has recently requested to lease 10 hectares of GRDM land, which forms part of Erf 419, adjacent to PetroSA for the construction of lubricant oil or a lube oil blending plant. The plant will have the capacity of producing 20 800 000 liters of blended products per annum. Studies have revealed that South Africa has a lubricant demand of 2 million barrels per annum. This project is, therefore, a win-win solution for the Garden Route in terms of social and economic development. Necessary studies i.e. EIA’s will also have to be undertaken for this proposed development.
Most of the
southern towns of the Garden Route District have bulk water in storage to
address their current water demand, at least until the first winter rains. The
northern parts of the Garden Route District are not looking good at the moment.
Currently, the towns Calitzdorp and Zoar in the Kannaland Municipal area do not
have a secondary water supply apart from their bulk storage dams.
In July 2018
the Raubenheimer dam, which is the main water source for Oudtshoorn, was at an
extremely low level of 31%. Fortunately, rain over this area and a drop in the
daily consumption lead to an increase in this dam’s level to 53,54% (measured
at the end of December 2018). In addition to the Raubenheimer dam, Oudtshoorn
has access to the Blossoms Wellfield that could still be connected to provide
groundwater that would be able to sustain the basic water needs of about 50
litres per person, per day, should the town face a “day zero” scenario.
Unfortunately,
the Kannaland municipal area is in a less fortunate position in terms
of their main water supply at Nel’s Dam, which is located in Calitzdorp.
The dam is at an alarmingly low level of 11%, leaving the town with
approximately five months of water. In Zoar, the main source of water, the
Tierkloof Dam ran dry after Christmas and their alternative source the
Jongmansland dam on an farm Amalienstein which is at a 12% level. The water
demand in this area is 1.4 megalitres of water per day, at the current rate of
abstraction water in storage would last only for the next month.
The average water usage per household in the region is as follows:
The smallest amount of water on average being used by households is in Oudtshoorn @ 121 litres per person per day;
George 126 litres per person per day;
Knysna 156 litres per person per day;
Hessequa 168 litres per person per day;
Bitou 180 litres per person per day;
Mossel Bay 189 litres per person per day; and
The most water being used per household is in Kannaland @ 314 litres per person per day.
Background on the situation in Kannaland
On 28 December 2018, the
Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Disaster Management Centre was
contacted by Kannaland Municipality, who raised concerns that Zoar could run
out of water due to the Tierkloof Dam level dropping to 10%. The Jongmansland
dam, which is also an emergency augmentation dam in Kannaland was at a 20%
level of water. Another issue is that the municipality has been
experiencing serious challenges at their water purification works. The water treatment works are not equipped to deal
with the poor quality of water supplied from both these dams. At the Calitzdorp
water, purification works pose a similar problem, but added to this, the
quality of water fed to town from the Nel’s dam had to include additional
purification measures to ensure that the water quality stays fit for human
consumption.
The GRDM Disaster
Management Centre advised the Kannaland Municipality’s Technical Services to
lower the pressure from the main water reservoirs that are supplying water to
Zoar. The goal is to lower usage to 70 litres per
person per day.
GRDM Disaster Centre also provided 3 x 5000-litre water tanks to be placed at the higher situated areas in Zoar, as these areas would be first to be affected due to the pressure reduction in the system. In addition, 1 980 x 5 litre bottled water (9 900 litres) and 7 992 x 2-litre bottle water (15 984 litres) were provided to be distributed to affected residents.
On the 17th of
January 2019 the GRDM Head of Disaster Centre, Mr Gerhard Otto, joined the
Kannaland Mayor, Cllr Magdalene Barry and Kannaland Municipal Manager, Mr
Reynold Stevens in a meeting with Zoar community leaders to discuss the urgency
of the town’s water situation as well as to inform community leaders that
drastic steps would have to be taken to reduce the town’s water demand. Later
on the same day, the GRDM Municipal Manager, Mr Monde Stratu and GRDM Executive
Management met with the Kannaland Municipal Manager and his team to discuss the
assistance required from the GRDM.
At this meeting, it was
agreed that at this point in time both the towns, which include Ladismith and
Van Wyksdorp, are not of immediate concern, but that the focus should be on
Zoar and Calitzdorp’s. Steps will now be taken to ensure that water
augmentation is prioritized and in place for the latter mentioned two towns. In
order to address these urgent needs, a meeting with Provincial as well as
National stakeholders was scheduled for Friday the 18th of January
2019.
On Friday, 18 January 2019’s meeting, the following action steps were resolved:
Due to immediate capacity constraints, the Provincial Department of Local Government will deploy a full-time engineer to assist Kannaland to develop and implement both short-and medium-term drought interventions;
Groundwater consulting firm GHT has recently completed a groundwater augmentation study for both the towns Calitzdorp as well as Zoar. The findings of this study will form the basis of emergency interventions and will not only include drilling but equipping and linking of these groundwater augmentation sources to these towns;
The Provincial drought awareness team would be called upon to assist with the immediate roll-out of a drought and water conservation awareness campaign in the greater Kannaland area;
The irrigation of the bulk of the Lucerne at the farm Amalienstein will be stopped in order to conserve the water available in the Jongmansland dam. The Provincial Disaster Management Centre, as well as the Provincial Department of Local Government, will meet with the Department of Agriculture and the management of the Amalienstein farm (CASIDRA) in order to come to a suitable agreement in terms of the purchase of fodder for the animals at Amalienstein due to the foreseen loss of lucerne production;
From Monday the 21st of January 2019 the Kannaland Technical team will implement water shedding in Zoar as the demand needs to be reduced from the current 1 400 000 million litres of water per day to less than 350 000 litres per day;
The Kannaland Municipal Disaster Management Centre have requested 20x additional 5000-litre water tanks from the GRDM to be placed in Zoar as well as at water-stressed communities in the rural Kannaland Municipal areas.
At the
GRDM Council Meeting on 21 January 2019, the following was resolved:
The GRDM Council has approved the purchasing of 20 x 5000-liter water tanks and cement retainer blocks to be used to erect platforms for these tanks at a cost of R120 000.00.
Rent of 34 000 litre water tanker for a period of three months to assist with the filling of these tanks as well as tanks previously placed at water-stressed communities in the rural Kannaland Municipal areas will be paid at a cost of R240 000.00.
The purchasing of 20-litre water containers will be distributed to households in Zoar to be used during water shedding at a total cost of R140 000.00.
The Nel’s Dam in Calitzdorp is currently at an alarming 11% of its capacity.
All employees of Garden Route District Municipality gathered at Swartvlei Caravan Park on 7 December 2018 to celebrate the municipality’s successes to date. Employees were given the opportunity to immerse themselves into a distinctive entertainment experience through music and mingling with others who they do not usually see on a daily basis.
The vision of the municipality reads: “Garden Route District Municipality, the leading, enabling and inclusive district, characterised by equitable and sustainable development, high quality of life and equal opportunities for all”.
Public Notice: Tabling of 2017/18 Annual Report of Garden Route DM
Notice is hereby given that the Annual Report for the 2017/18 financial year will be tabled at the Garden Route District Municipality Council meeting on 13 December 2018 in terms of Section 127(2) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), 52 of 2003. Also, the Annual Report is tabled as informed by circular 63 of the MFMA.
On 21 October 2018 wildfires ignited in Vermaaklikheid near Riversdale in Hessequa. A few days later, more wildfires started in the George municipal area. The Disaster Management Centre of Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) recorded 12 wildfires over the month of October/November 2018, which also resulted in the death of 9 people, including a Working on Fire pilot.
Said to be one of the biggest wildfires recorded since the great wildfire of 1869, the Garden Route is facing a new “normal”. The change can be seen across the globe and it is almost common knowledge that climate change is not on our side. This poses an important question – how can we address this? Can we prevent these type of occurrences in the future or are we doomed?
In short, the Head of Disaster Management at Garden Route District Municipality, Mr Gerhard Otto explains: “ Municipalities and stakeholders, together as a collective we have to develop a system to better plan for fires in our wildland-urban interphase (WUI). Our town planners need to factor wildland fire risk into future development planning and our bylaws, as well as building codes, will have to be altered to ensure resilience to this type of fire incidents. With this, I mean that there should be adequate by-laws in place to address issues like high fire hazard areas. When we look at the urban fringes (where homes at the edge of neighbourhoods meet the forests), inhabitants should be made aware of the fire risk in these areas and a defensible space should be created around all properties not only to create a buffer area but also to provide a space from where firefighters could launch their firefighting actions when fires do approach these areas. In my opinion, the current fragmented approach to fire service delivery is central to many of our challenges, the sooner we centralise firefighting services by establishing a metropolitan municipality and address integrated veld fire management the better – “all efforts should be coordinated from one central authority”. He also added: ”During the recent wildfires, we managed to pull resources from all over South Africa together to work at our Joint Operations Centre at the GRDM head office. I know that since last year’s Knysna fires we have improved the way in which we do things, but there is always room for improvement”.
The following role players must be thanked for their selfless dedication to protect our communities and infrastructure over the past month: Provincial Disaster Management Centre, Working on Fire (WoF), South African National Defence Force, Cape Nature, SANParks, George Municipality, Knysna Municipality, Oudtshoorn Municipality, Bitou Municipality, Hessequa Municipality, Mossel Bay Municipality, Kannaland Municipality, Overberg DM, Cape Winelands DM, West Coast DM, City of Cape Town, Various NGOs and FBOs (Lions Alert, Rotary SA, Gift of the Givers, Garden Route Rebuild), SPCA, National and Provincial Departments, Department of Health, EMS, Human settlements, Rural Development, Housing Development Agency, Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, SASSA, DSD, ESKOM, Department of Transport, Provincial Traffic and SAPS.
