Author: Marillia Veldkornet
Annual Fire Commemoration event to look at climate changeÂ
The Annual Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) event, to be hosted on 7 June to mark the devastating wildfire that ravaged the town and surrounds of Knysna in 2017, will broaden its scope in order to also look at the effects of climate change in the region,” says Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Municipal Manager, Mr Monde Stratu.
Continues Stratu, “Not only the Knysna wildfire disaster, but also regional wildfire disasters before and after the dramatic 7 June 2017 event, hint at a vulnerable environment grappling to deal with a change in climate, and  a region exposed to risks associated with drought, wildfire and a constant loss of biodiversity and natural habitat”.
“What we want to achieve is to support and promote efforts for a better prepared, more resilient and climate-ready Southern Cape and Garden Route,” concludes Stratu.
Says Cobus Meiring on behalf of the GREF Secretariat, “Natural disasters on an unprecedented scale, such as the Outeniqua fires and the more recent tropical cyclone Idai, raising havoc in the city of Beira in bordering Mozambique, must serve as a clarion call for communities and authorities alike, that climate change is real and no-one is immune to its effects”.
According to Meiring vulnerable communities, such as those living in the Great and Klein Karoo continue to suffer the long-term knock-on effect of extended periods of drought, with farmers abandoning their operations, leaving reliant communities destitute.
More detail on the commemoration event will be made available in due course on the GREF website: www.scli.org.za/gref.
Photo caption: Natural disasters such as the 2017 Knysna fires, perpetual drought in the Klein and Great Karoo, and the more recent cyclone Idai in bordering Mozambique are indicators that the effects of climate change are real and likely to increase, and the Garden Route must plan for survival.
* The intense tropical cyclone Idai was one of the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. The long-lived storm caused catastrophic damage in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, leaving more than 1000 people dead and thousands more missing. Idai is the second-deadliest tropical cyclone recorded in the South-West Indian Ocean basin, behind only the 1892 Mauritius cyclone. In the Southern Hemisphere, it currently ranks as the third-deadliest tropical cyclone on record, behind the aforementioned 1892 Mauritius cyclone and the 1973 Flores cyclone. (Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Idai)
** The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a regional forum for collaboration in conservation, environmental adaptation and community interaction. The forum aims to coordinate regional conservation efforts, serve as a catalyst to drive climate adaption practices in the Southern Cape and strive to establish a better-coordinated approach to environmental management.
WEBSITE: http://www.scli.org.za/gref
************************************************
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Cobus Meiring: Cobus Meiring: Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) Secretariat
Cell: 083 626 7619
Email: cobus@naturalbridge.co.za
Public Notice: Proposed Long-Term Lease of a Portion of Erf 419 Mossel Bay to Ikusasa Processing Engineer
Public Notice: Proposed Long-Term Lease of a Portion of Erf 419 Mossel Bay to Ikusasa Processing Engineer
Notice 59/2019
Notice is hereby given in terms of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act (No 56 of 2003), read with the Municipal Asset Transfer Regulations (R878 of 2008), the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (No 3 of 2000), as well as the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act (No. 32 of 2000), that the Council of the Garden Route District Municipality, in terms of Resolution H.4 intends to enter into a long-term lease agreement (50 years) with Ikusasa Processing Engineering Consultants, to construct a chemical manufacturing plant on a portion of erf 419, Mossel Bay. This plant, as proposed, will have the capabilities to manufacture products for various sectors such as Agriculture, Water Treatment, Textiles and Roads, with the ability to expand its product range in the future. The Applicant will also be responsible for all the costs, which includes the sub-division costs of the property. The property is, in terms of the provisions of section 14 of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act 56 of 2003), not required for the purposes of providing minimum basic municipal services.
Any comments and/or objections to the proposed long-term lease, with your reasons for such objection(s), must be submitted in writing and addressed to: The Municipal Manager, Garden Route District Municipality, P O Box 12, George, 6530, by no later than Friday, 14 June 2019. Any comments and/or objections which are received after the abovementioned closing date, will not be taken into consideration.
Any enquiries may be directed to Mr L Menze, Planning & Economic Development, at telephone number (044) 803 1398 or per email to properties@grdm.gov.za. This notice is also available on the website of the Municipality at www.gardenroute.gov.za.
M G Stratu
Municipal Manager
Garden Route District Municipality
Public Notice: Proposed Long-Term lease of a Portion of Farm 419 Mossel Bay Landfill Site to Moumakoe Energy (Pty) Ltd
Public Notice: Proposed Long-Term lease of a Portion of Farm 419 Mossel Bay Landfill Site to Moumakoe Energy (Pty) Ltd
Notice 58/2019
PROPOSED LONG-TERM LEASE OF A PORTION OF FARM 419 MOSSEL BAY LANDFILL SITE TO MOUMAKOE ENERGY (PTY) LTD
Notice is hereby given in terms of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, (No 56 of 2003) read with the Asset Transfer Regulations, R878 of 2008, the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, as well as the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act (No.32 of 2000), that the Council of Garden Route District Municipality in terms of Resolution H.2 intends to enter into a long term lease agreement (50 years) with Moumakoe Energy (Pty) Ltd, to construct a lubricant plant and petroleum storage tanks facilities on a portion of erf 419, Mossel Bay.
The lease will attract a multi-million rand investment into the local economy. It is envisaged that the tanks will be integrated into the existing system (pipes) that are used by other petrochemical plants in the region. The property is, in terms of the provisions of Section 14 of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act 56 of 2003) not required for the purposes of providing minimum basic municipal services.
Any comments and/or objections to the proposed long-term lease, with your reasons for such objection(s), must be submitted in writing and addressed to: The Municipal Manager, Garden Route District Municipality, P O Box 12, George, 6530, by no later than Friday, 14 June 2019.
Any comments and/or objections which are received after the abovementioned closing date, will not be taken into consideration. Any enquiries may be directed to Mr L. Menze, Planning & Economic Development, at telephone number (044) 803 1398 or email properties@grdm.gov.za. This notice is also available on the website of the Municipality at www.gardenroute.gov.za.
In terms of Section 21(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, notice is hereby given that people who cannot write may approach the Property Management Department during office hours, where a staff member will assist them to submit their comments or objections.
MG Stratu
Municipal Manager
Garden Route District Municipality
Garden Route Inter-governmental Agriculture Workshop held to strengthen agriculture in the district
The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), in collaboration with the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and the South Cape Economic Partnership (SCEP), on 9 April 2019, held a Garden Route District Inter-governmental Agriculture Workshop.
The engagement was held at the Outeniqua Experimental Farm in George and representatives from government departments and municipalities in the Garden Route district attended the event.
In setting the scene, Ms Natalie Raubenheimer, Senior Local Economic Officer at the GRDM, shared the municipality’s perspective in terms of agriculture development in the district. Raubenheimer also shared the objective of the workshop, which is to embark on a district process of effective stakeholder collaboration, including knowledge and resource sharing, which will ultimately lead to “higher productivity on farms, orient farming activities commercially, and strengthen the link between farming and other sectors of the district economy” – all these factors will be of benefit to emerging farmers.
Mr Clyde Lamberts, Deputy Director for Farmer Support and Development at the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s in the Garden Route, shared the Department’s regional approach towards the development of the agriculture sector. Lamberts said: “If we share our funds and expertise, we will make a success of agriculture in the Southern Cape, as the area has many opportunities to offer”. When referring to challenges faced by the Karoo, he said: “Fifty (50) percent of the national veld which is part of an extensive sheep production hub, got destroyed due to the prolonged recent drought, of which many parts do not have the potential to recover in the short term. He added: “As a team, we can make a change in our community now, but we need to find synergy, by identifying good products that are sustainable and resilient to grow”.
During the plenary session, municipal representatives identified the various resources available in their respective municipal areas and the discussions led to the topic on how these resources can be streamlined for this regional approach to take effect. Furthermore, government representatives shared and elaborated on their respective organisations’ involvement and contribution towards the development of the regional agricultural sector in the district. Representing the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), Ms Lianda Landman during the plenary session said, that the best way in which SEDA can provide support to Agriculture in the Garden Route district is through Agro-processing. She furthermore highlighted that the organisation can also assist with the application of funding for people involved in agro-processing and/or exports, to attend various international agro-processing shows/exhibitions and that SEDA will assist with these applications to the National Department of Trade and Industry.
Mr Richard Dyantyi, Expanded Public Works Manager at GRDM, touched on the issue of the clearing of alien invasive species and shared the municipality’s challenges in this respect in the Garden Route. When mentioning these challenges, especially with regards to properties of Council, he said: “Access to these properties is a challenge, as Council properties are based within the centre of other stakeholders’ properties. The municipality needs to get the buy-in from these land owners to adhere to the National Environment Management Biodiversity Act, Section 76. GRDM will share the draft plan with the stakeholders for their comments and that the Breede Gouritz Catchment Management Agency (BGCMA) will assist GRDM to register for water rights of Council properties.
In realising that this workshop is a stepping stone towards a bigger process that needs to be accessed, many thought that commercial farmers and other essential government departments, should be included in future discussions of this nature. The need for all municipalities to do more in-depth analysis of their available land was also identified. Some officials that were present recalled the words of Executive Mayor of GRDM, Cllr Memory Booysen, when he, at more than one occasion, last year, said: “We do have properties, but we do request people to come and engage with the District Municipality”.
Ms Melanie Wilson, Manager for Economic Development and Tourism summarised the discussions of the day and Executive Manager for Economic Development and Planning, Mr Lusanda Menze, formally thanked Mr Paul Hoffman from South Cape Economic Partnership for steering sound discussions throughout the session, as well as the colleagues from B-municipalities and government departments who took part and engaged in the discussions as key stakeholders of the agricultural sector.