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01 September 2025 Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality Urging its Citizens to Join the Annual International Coastal Clean-up Celebrations during the Month of September 2025

Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality Urging its Citizens to Join the Annual International Coastal Clean-up Celebrations during the Month of September 2025

 1 September 2025

Annually, on the third Saturday of September, volunteers around the world take part in the world’s biggest coastal clean-up – the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) day, which will be held on the 20th of September 2025. This event encourages volunteers to clean and record trash along coastlines and other water bodies throughout the month of September, with 2025 marking the 29th year of the country’s participation in this global effort. The ICC event is also used as the platform to address issues concerning coastal pollution, as well as to stimulate change in the behavioural patterns that negatively affect the marine environment.

The ICC event has been held internationally each year since 1986, and started when communities rallied together with the common goal of collecting and documenting the trash littering their coastline. Over the years, this movement has created a family that spans oceans and country borders.

This year’s coastal clean-up efforts align with the 2025 World Ocean Day theme, “Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us,” which emphasises protecting the ocean to sustain life and build resilience against climate change. A major goal is to shift harmful behaviours that lead to pollution, and emphasising responsible waste disposal. Beach cleanups are important mitigation tools that helps to create an understanding of the global trash problem and encourage people to engage in solutions. Awareness is the first step to creating behaviour change!

The Garden Route District has 300 km of coastline and some of the most diverse marine environments of the world. The benefits derived from the oceans include climate regulation, waste absorption, sustenance (sea food), economic development (tourism, seafood distribution), transportation (shipping), medicine (biomedical products from marine plants and animals) and recreation (swimming, diving etc.). In addition to this, estuaries are sensitive environments, due to its ecological uniqueness, and are increasingly being regarded as important ecological infrastructure to protect and enhance given the ecological services that it provides. It is however typically in these sensitive systems where the problem of marine litter is seen to manifest itself so clearly and profoundly.

Due to human activities along estuaries and beaches (due to increasing population and urbanisation), marine litter creates one of the major threats to our beaches and marine life.  Every year thousands of tons of marine litter finds its way onto our coast, most of which ends up in our oceans with devastating effects to our sensitive marine ecosystem.

This year, the Garden Route district’s Municipalities and organisations will be embarking on various awareness campaigns, litter collection / clean-up activities on beaches, estuary and river clean-ups, educational talks and speeches. The Garden Route District Municipality would therefore like to encourage its citizens to get involved in the various activities within their areas. Citizens must unite – communities, volunteers, learners, and officials must come together to take action for the ocean.

Some important key dates to know are:

  • September 2025 – Clean-up & Recycle SA Month

  • 14–20 September 2025 – Clean-up & Recycle SA Week

  • 17 September 2025 – River Clean-up Day

  • 19 September 2025 – National Recycling Day

  • 20 September 2025 – International Coastal Cleanup (ICC)

-END-

29 August 2025 Public Notice: Amendment of the Garden Route District Municipality Spatial Development Framework (2025) open for Comment

Amendment of the Garden Route District Municipality Spatial Development Framework (2025) – Notice Number 88/2025

Open for Comment

Notice is hereby given in terms of Section 21(a) and 28(1) of the Municipal Systems Act, 2000(Act 32 of 2000), Section 20(3) of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, 2013 (Act.16 of 2013) and Section 11 of the Western Cape Land Use Planning Act,2014 (Act. 13 of 2014) that the Draft Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Spatial Development Framework (SDF) is now open for public comment.

The SDF is amended in terms of Chapter 2 section 3 of the Municipal Planning and Performance Management Regulations (2001) and Section 11 of the Western Cape Land Use Planning Act, 2014 (Act 13 of 2014).

Interested and affected parties are hereby requested to provide comments on the Draft SDF of the GRDM.

The document is available on the GRDM website.

Furthermore, the draft document is available for inspection at the GRDM Municipal Office at 54 York Street, George.

Motivated comments must reach the Municipality on/or before 29 October 2025 and should be directed to the Municipal Manager (Reference: SDF), Garden Route District Municipality, 54 York Street, GEORGE, 6530 / andisiwe@gardenroute.gov.za. Comments received after the closing date will not be considered.

For any queries, please contact Ms. Monalisa Gcilitshana via email at monalisag@gardenroute.gov.za or at (044) 803 1440.

Persons who cannot write, are invited to visit the above-mentioned office of the Municipality for assistance to transcribe and submit their respective comments and/or objections.

MG Stratu
Municipal Manager
54 York Street / PO Box 12
GEORGE
6530
Tel:   044 803 1300

Click here to download the Official Notice.

28 August 2025 Media Release: Groundbreaking initiative launched to combat high risk environmental threats in the Garden Route

Media Release: Groundbreaking initiative launched to combat high risk environmental threats in the Garden Route

28 August 2025

A first-of-its-kind platform to combat primarily Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) in the Garden Route was launched today during an engagement, chaired by Paul Gerber from the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). Through this initiative, the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) also joined hands with the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) and key partners to address some of the region’s most urgent environmental and wildfire risks, bringing together government, conservation bodies, and local stakeholders.

The key obstacle to achieving high-impact and effective results remains the lack of funding, which was one of the issues that cut across the board.

Cobus Meiring from GREF, said: “The drive to launch this platform is also rooted in past occurrences and helps prevent similar instances like the Knysna and Bitou wildfires of 2017 and the Outeniqua fires of 2018, where IAPs fuelled the intensity and spread of these disasters. Furthermore, rather than just sharing information, stakeholders involved in this platform will focus on executing tangible actions”.

“It is important to note that while post-fire rehabilitation has progressed, AIPs have re-emerged more aggressively, worsening the wildfire risk for the region and threatening the Garden Route’s biodiversity.”

The platform has set a bold interim vision: to reduce IAP coverage across the Garden Route by 30% by 2030. This will support biodiversity conservation, water security, and wildfire risk reduction.

“We cannot afford to lose further control of wildfires. IAPs are choking our rivers, threatening ecosystems, and putting lives, infrastructure, and local economies at risk. This platform is about coordinated action,” said Cobus.

According to Gerhard Otto, GRDM Head of Disaster Management, “We need to roll out block burning to achieve greater impact over the next two to three years. IAPs have already been flagged by the GRDM as one of the highest risks for the region and we need to focus on block-burning the highest risk areas.”

GRDM Fire Chief Deon Stoffels emphasised that, “fynbos fires are part of the natural cycle, but IAPs create unnaturally high fuel loads that make fires catastrophic.”

A Coordinated Effort for Risk Reduction

The multi-stakeholder Task Team includes DFFE, GRDM Disaster Management and Fire Services, local municipalities, CapeNature, SANParks, the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association, and several NGOs and research institutions.

Together, the team will:

  • Coordinate alien invasive plant management across administrative boundaries.
  • Strengthen fire management capacity through integrated planning and joint operations.
  • Support ecological rehabilitation in exit plantation areas (such as Buffelsnek, Bergplaas and Jonkersberg).
  • Explore leveraging technology like drone mapping, geo-referenced data, and machine learning for cost-effective clearing and monitoring.
  • Engage landowners and communities in coordinated clearance and fire mitigation efforts.

Stakeholders stressed that the funding challenge is immense. Clearing the IAPs between George and Nature’s Valley alone would cost R2.3 billion (2018 figures). This is far beyond individual landowners’ means. GRDM over the past few years submitted two multi-million rand funding applications of which none were approved; financial resources therefore remain limited.

Call-to-Action

The Task Team is open to consult with all stakeholders who play a role or is responsible for the management of IAPs, including private landowners. Participation is vital to ensure that IAP clearance takes place at an ecological and landscape level, not just in fragmented administrative blocks. More details about how to get involved will be communicated soon.

Next Steps

In the coming quarter, the sub-teams will be to “connect the dots” of what has been done so far, enforcement efforts, consolidate available funds and more.

ENDS

26 August 2025 Public Notice: ROLL-OVER ADJUSTMENTS BUDGET 2025/26

Public Notice: ROLL-OVER ADJUSTMENTS BUDGET 2025/26

Notice Number: 90/2025

Notice is hereby given that the Garden Route District Municipal Council’s Roll-Over Adjustments Budget for the period 2025/2026-
2027/2028, was compiled in accordance with the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act 2003 (Act 56 of 2003).

This document was approved by the Garden Route District Municipality at a District Council meeting held on Friday, 22 August 2025.
This document will be available for public inspection and comments on the GRDM municipal website www.gardenroute.gov.za from
25 August 2025.

Members of the public are invited to submit written comments or representations to the municipality in respect of this document.

All comments and inputs must be directed to “The Municipal Manager, Garden Route District Municipality, 54 York Street, George, 6530”.

Please contact the Budget Manager (Ms Louise Hoek) at 044 803 1300 with any enquiries.

M G Stratu
Municipal Manager
54 York Street
PO Box 12
GEORGE
6530

Tel: 044 803 1300

Click here to view/download the Official Notice

Click here to view/download the Documents

Media Alert: Sedfa, in partnership with GRDM and partners, to host Pop-Up Market in George

Media Alert: Sedfa, in partnership with GRDM and partners, to host Pop-Up Market in George

29 – 31 August 2025 at the Garden Route Mall, George.

The South African Enterprise Development Finance Agency (Sedfa), in partnership with Garden Route District Municipality and other key ecosystem partners, is proud to host the Sedfa and Garden Route Pop-Up Market from 29 to 31 August 2025 at the Garden Route Mall, George.

The official opening and walkabout will take place on Friday, 29 August at 13h30, led by Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel, alongside Sedfa representatives and ecosystem partners.

The Pop-Up Market will shine a spotlight on local Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), offering them a platform to showcase their products, network with potential buyers, and grow their market access.

“This market is a direct response to the need for greater visibility and access for local entrepreneurs. At Sedfa, we believe in supporting MSMEs through practical platforms that not only promote their products but also build pathways toward long-term economic inclusion.” – Kiewet Mhlongo, Acting Provincial Manager: Western Cape, Sedfa.

“Garden Route District Municipality is proud to support initiatives that give local Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) the much-needed exposure they deserve. This Pop-Up Market is more than just an opportunity to showcase locally made products; it is also a platform that strengthens our economy from the ground up. As the Municipality, we remain committed to creating meaningful partnerships that open doors for MSMEs to drive job creation and stimulate sustainable development throughout the region and beyond.” – Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel

The Members of the Media are invited to attend the opening and engage with MSME participants and stakeholders.

ENDS

25 August 2025 Media Release: Garden Route Risk Reduction Task Team to Be Established

Media Release: Garden Route Risk Reduction Task Team to Be Established

For immediate release
05 August 2025

“Growing concerns about an increase of fire risk exposure levels in the Garden Route have led to the establishment of a Risk Reduction Task Team (RRTT),” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

The mission of the RRTT is to help prevent a recurrence of catastrophic events such as the 2017 Knysna and Plettenberg Bay wildfires, which were worsened by uncontrolled growth of invasive alien plants (IAP).

The RRTT aims to be a collaborative platform focused on strategic risk reduction and sustainable landscape management, working closely with landowners, conservation bodies, and enforcement agencies across the Garden Route.

Key stakeholders who form part of the task team will assist and encourage private landowners to reduce IAPs on their properties. Where necessary, action will be taken through the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Biosecurity resources.

Awareness creation will be a central pillar of the RRTT strategy. This will include direct engagement with landowners and sustained information-sharing campaigns through traditional media and social media platforms over the long term.

The RRTT will include experts and representatives from the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association (SCFPA), Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Disaster Management, local municipalities, DFFE, Nelson Mandela University, and GREF stakeholders.

Individuals or entities involved in invasive alien plant management, are invited to register as interested and affected parties by writing to louisamare@gmail.com.

The GREF is a climate change and environmental management think-tank. (www.grefscli.co.za).

Feature Image: Without collective action by all landowners in the Garden Route the region remains highly vulnerable to wildfire disasters.

ENDS

25 August 2025 Media Release: Wildfire preparedness done through risk mapping

Media Release: Wildfire preparedness done through risk mapping

25 August 2025

Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) and its stakeholders prioritise risk mapping as part of its Integrated Fire Management (IFM) strategy. Risk mapping helps firefighters to identify potential fire hazards and gives them the necessary time to prioritise, mitigate, and manage such risks.

GRDM Fire Chief, Deon Stoffels explains: “By mapping areas most prone to wildfires, stakeholders are able to allocate resources strategically, improve decision-making, and ensure rapid response to predetermined risks, especially when severe weather alerts are issued”.

“This process is continuously being refined through innovation and improved software applications, like exploring OroraTech’s Wildfire Solutions and the CSIR Meraka Institute’s Advanced Fire Information System (AFIS).”

Historical Perspective: Past Wildfires

The 2017 wildfires that swept through Knysna and parts of Plettenberg Bay, in a way contributed quite significantly to the Garden Route’s current wildfire management strategies. It also paved the way for new collaborative agreements to be drawn up between municipalities, forestry companies, and landowners to share the costs of year-round aerial firefighting services. The Western Cape Provincial Government and the Department Forestry’s Fisheries and the Environment, however, still funds the provision of first hour aerial firefighting deployment for incidents in high-risk areas over the high summer season.

As of now, improvements include:

  • Enhanced early warning systems aligned with known risks;
  • Increased public awareness programmes, particularly in high-risk rural communities and schools;
  • Greater emphasis on prevention and risk reduction;
  • Enhanced Integrated Fire Management, including fire awareness, fire prevention, prescribed burning, resource coordination, fire detection, and fire suppression;
  • Rapid deployment of most suitable resources, including aerial firefighting; and
  • Increased capacity, particularly over the summer period.

 Role Players in Fire Risk Mapping

Several partners contribute to wildfire risk mapping in the Garden Route. They include the GRDM Fire and Rescue Services, Disaster Management, South African National Parks, CapeNature, Forestry companies, Southern Cape Fire Protection Association (SCFPA), Working on Fire, landowners, and communities.

To strengthen this approach, GRDM collaborates with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) Advanced Fire Information Systems (AFIS); a satellite-based tool providing near real-time fire data and veld age maps to update local risk profiles.

Academic and Research Partnerships

Although no direct partnerships currently exist with universities or Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) at a district level, Stellenbosch University (SU) regularly participates in provincial platforms. In May 2025, SU contributed to a Western Cape wildfire workshop focusing on evidence-based fire management policies. This workshop highlighted the Five E’s of Fire Services: Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Response, and Economics.

Future workshops are planned, including one in Central Karoo in 2026, building on the inaugural session in Overberg in 2024.

Why Certain Areas Are Riskier

Wildfire risks do increase because of the following:

  • Human negligence (cigarettes, broken glass, uncontrolled burning, unsafe burning practices, illegal burning) and lack of awareness;
  • Lightning strikes in mountainous areas;
  • Extreme weather such as berg winds;
  • Variable climate patterns (heat, droughts and floods);
  • Lack of control over alien invasive plants;
  • Poor land management practices; and
  • Insufficient enforcement of legislation and more.

Addressing these risks requires education, compliance, and preventative measures such as alien invasive plant removal and rehabilitation, fire breaks, and risk planning.

Public’s Role in Reducing Fire Risks

Residents and landowners can play a significant role in lowering their properties’ fire risks by:

  • Clearing alien invasive plants (with guidance from municipalities, Fire Protection Associations, and environmental authorities);
  • Creating and upkeeping fire breaks;
  • Reporting incidents and risks to either the GRDM, local municipalities, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, or the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association;
  • Municipalities monitor compliance, while enforcement is a priority improvement area for the district and relevant environmental departments;
  • Fire Scaping your properties and homes; and
  • Applying for permits to burn and burning in designated places.

Looking Ahead

While measurable district-wide data (such as hectares cleared or number of prescribed burns) is not yet centralised, municipalities and the SCFPA maintain their own records. GRDM is working towards a centralised fire permit system to strengthen data capturing and future reporting.

ENDS

Feature image: A fire break, essential for providing firefighters a place where a back-burn fire can be started. 

25 August 2025 Media Release: GRDM Environmental Health Practitioners Delivered a Fun Lesson with a Serious Message

Media Release: GRDM Environmental Health Practitioners Delivered a Fun Lesson with a Serious Message

25 August 2025

On Tuesday, 19 August 2025, the children of Klein Wonderwerkies Kleuterskool  in Oudtshoorn enjoyed an interactive and educational visit from the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP).  During the visit, the EHPs facilitated a fun, hands-on training session about proper handwashing techniques. The initiative aimed to raise hygiene awareness and help prevent the spread of germs among young learners.

A Fun Lesson with a Serious Message

The training, led by the EHPs transformed a basic health lesson into an exciting learning experience. Through the use of colourful visuals, catchy songs, and interactive activities, the visitors captured the children’s attention while emphasising the importance of clean hands.  The little ones learned not only how to wash their hands properly, but also why it matters, especially before eating, after using the toilet, or coming in from outside.

“We know how important hand hygiene is, especially in early childhood development settings like Klein Wonderwerkies,” said EHP Anelisa Fuzani. “By making it fun and memorable, we are not only teaching them the correct way to wash their hands, but also helping them develop healthy habits that can last a lifetime.”

Children were shown the five key steps of effective handwashing:

  1. Wet your hands with clean water.
  2. Lather with soap, don’t forget between the fingers!
  3. Scrub for at least 20 seconds (they sang “wash your hands” song twice).
  4. Rinse well under running water.
  5. Dry hands using a clean towel.

-END

14 August 2025 Media Release: Garden Route plays host to Fynbos Forum

Media Release: Garden Route plays host to Fynbos Forum

For immediate release
14 August 2025

“The Garden Route played host to the Fynbos Forum from 12 to 14 August at the iconic Wilderness Hotel”, says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF)

Established in 1997 the Fynbos Forum is South Africa’s premier conservation and research group dedicated to the preservation of the South African Fynbos Biome.

Vital to indigenous bio- diversity the Southern Cape is home to a magnificent treasure chest of Fynbos species. Unfortunately much of what remains of our once abundant Fynbos is critically endangered due to intensive agriculture, over development, encroachment of invasive alien plants and animals as well as frequent wild- fire disasters.

The Fynbos Forum is a scientific group of natural scientists, researchers, planners, managers, landowners and key stakeholders. It meets annually to discuss the collaborative production of knowledge that underpins regional conservation efforts in the Fynbos Biome in South Africa.

The good news is that as more land and conservation corridors in the Garden Route are becoming available for conservation and rewilding purposes as well as awareness grows on the incalculable value of Fynbos, there is a real chance that it may prevail despite many challenges.

As a transdisciplinary regional learning network, the Fynbos Forum supports discussions on management issues and research results, prioritizing future research and conservation management actions required to ensure the conservation and sustainability of fynbos ecosystems.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF)- a climate change and environmental management think- tank.(www.grefscli.co.za)

ENDS