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Speaker Bouw-Spies donates R10 000 to CANSA Relay

Garden Route DM Speaker donates R10 000.00 to ‘CANSA Relay for Life’


Only a few months in her new position as the Speaker of Garden Route District Municipality, and Councillor Eleanore Bouw-Spies has already committed R10 000.00 to the CANSA Relay for Life, which is taking place on 23 February 2019 in George. “Although I inhereted this budget, and have little left to work with, I felt the need to direct some of the funds to a worthy cause like this. We all know someone who has either passed away or been affected by Cancer and this ‘Relay for Life’ initiative serves the purpose of raising funds for research and awareness about Cancer,” Cllr Bouw-Spies said.


The Chairperson of CANSA Relay for Life, Lorraine Verhagen (left) visited the Garden Route District Municipality Offices to officially receive a cheque of R10 000.00, donated by Cllr Eleanore Bouw-Spies on behalf of her office and the rest of the municipality.

Last year, Speaker Bouw-Spies lost one of her cousins to cancer, and at this moment in her life, one of her close friends are affected by the illness. She said that she has seen how cancer causes a huge financial burden on those affected and on top of that, carries with it many other problems which affect the emotional and physical well-being of people. She firmly believes that we as a people should keep on providing support to those affected by Cancer by being by their side step of their journey.

Tomorrow Cllr Bouw-Spies will address the CANSA Relay for Life participants and organisers at the Carpe Diem School in George at 17:40. Garden Route District Municipality has entered two relay teams, consisting of ten employees each.

Entry fee for adults: R30 p/p, children, R20 p/p.

No Arsenic found at Geelhoutvlei Timbers

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 to move away from red-tape and move towards a red carpet for skills development

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:

  1. Continue and accelerate collaboration and cooperation among all District skills development role players.
  2. 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.
  3. As far as possible, link skills development to investment and economic development opportunities to the advancement for all.
  4. Ensure that all skills development processes in the Garden Route always proactively considers renewable energy.
  5. 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.
  6. Consider and leverage local skilled people, including retired people, within the district, to accelerate the growth of the Skills Mecca.
  7. 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.
  8. Progressively support the development of the new apprenticeship of 21st Century (A21) in the district.
  9. 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.

Upcoming Garden Route DM Skills Summit – 7 February 2019

The Garden Route District Municipality, in collaboration with the B-municipalities in the district and the Western Cape Provincial Government, will be hosting the annual District Skills Summit on Thursday, 7 February 2019 in Stillbaai, a coastal town within the Hessequa Local Municipal region. 

This year’s summit follows a resolution taken at the 2018 Garden Route District Skills Summit held on 1 February 2018 in George, during which it was resolved to take the concept of a Garden Route Skills Mecca forward and review progress on an annual basis.   

The idea of a Skills Mecca originates from the Garden Route Rebuild Initiative (GRRI), which followed the devastating fires that hit the district (Knysna/Plettenberg Bay) in June 2017.  Since last year’s summit, municipalities in the district, in collaboration with various stakeholders, among others, the Provincial Government,  progressively worked together in order to bring about and implement the Garden Route Skills Mecca concept.

The 2019 Skills Summit will focus mainly on the achievements of the previous year’s implementation of the summit resolutions. The “show and tell” (presentation/competition) will give municipalities an opportunity to showcase a project that was implemented within their respective municipal areas.

Another objective of the 2019 Skills Summit will be to discuss the progress of establishing the district-wide Skills Mecca made thus far,  and also to evaluate the resolutions  determined in 2018 towards  making the Garden Route a preferred pristine destination for learning in the country and continent.   

Other role-players involved are:

– MECs

– District Mayors

– District Municipal Managers

– Corporate Services Managers

– LED Managers

– Tourism Managers

– Skills Development Facilitator

– Youth Coordinators

– Various government departments

– Western Cape Government

– Local Businesses

– Garden Route Business Chambers

– Hessequa Business Chambers

– Local NGOs

The following resolutions were taken during the 2018 Skills Summit:

  • Continue and accelerate collaboration and cooperation among all district skills development role- players born out of the GRRI;
  • Become involved and add value to the Garden Route Skills Development Strategy for a Skills Mecca across the district;
  • Ensure that the Skills Mecca concept 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 consider and proactively
  • considers Water – a Shared Resource.
  • Ensure that all current and emerging skills development intervention in each municipality is supported and built into the Skills Mecca concept;
  • Consider and where possible; efficiently and effectively include the skills needs of Municipality in the Garden Route District, in the development and roll out of the Skills Mecca;
  • Engage with all willing partners, in particular the SETAs and the National Skills Fund, in order to explore the development and implementation of projects across the District as an integral part of the Skills Mecca.
  • Consider and leverage local skilled people, including retired people, within the District, to accelerate the growth of the Skills Mecca; and
  • Within the next six months a new skills project is started within each of the six focus areas within at least one local municipality

Municipalities are expected to prepare and present a case study of an actual skills development project implemented within their municipality at this year’s Summit. A ten minute presentation will form part of a competition to determine the annual Garden Route Skills Mecca Champion for 2018.  Presentations will be evaluated by the delegates on the day of the event through a simple ballot system.  Each case study will be judged against three criteria:

  • Did the partnerships in the project add value? – Yes or No?
  • Did the project support transformation in a creative way? – Yes or No?
  • Did the project make learners more employable? – Yes or No?

The envisaged outcome of the Summit is to ‘’fine-tune” the resolutions from 2018 and develop ideas on how to accelerate implementation of the Skills Mecca in the Garden Route. The Skills Summit will be an annual event on a rotational basis; municipalities therefore also need to budget and plan towards this purpose. The 2018 Skills Summit attracted approximately 350 people and for this year, arrangements are being made to accommodate 250 – 300 people.

For more information contact the GRDM’s Training and Development Section, Mr Reginald Salmons at 044 803 1363. 

Official Launch of GRDM Training Programmes

This year, 2019, marked the beginning of a prosperous year for approximately 120 young people from the Knysna and Plettenberg Bay municipal areas, as they benefited from the Garden Route Municipal Training Programmes, which includes:  First Aid Level 3 Training; Driver’s License Training and Law Enforcement Training.

These training programmes originated from the Garden Route Rebuild Initiative (GRRI), which was established after devastating fires hit the district (Knysna/Plettenberg Bay) in June 2017, and the need for a District Skills Mecca was identified.

The Training Programmes are funded by the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) and is managed through the Office of the Executive Mayor, under the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).  The project’s primarily focus is on youth development in the Garden Route, building capacity among young people; breaking the chain of unemployment and ensuring a marketable labour force in the region. 

The GRDM Executive Mayor, with his delegation, political leaders and officials from the Bitou Municipality, Service Providers and beneficiaries of the Training Programmes.

During the official launch of the training programme, which kicked-off in Plettenberg Bay, the Deputy Mayor of the Bitou Municipality, Cllr Sandile Gcabayi, warmly welcomed guests and applauded the District Municipality for the initiative of providing skills development opportunities to young people in the district.

Cllr Sandile Gcabayi, Deputy Mayor of the Bitou Municipality, during the official welcoming at the launch of GRDM Training Programmes in Plettenberg Bay.

The Manager in the Office of the Executive Mayor, Mr Siphiwe Dladla, briefly explained the background, purpose and objective of the project.  When elaborating on the selection and recruitment process he emphasised that according to the number of applications received, the need to continue with the programme is evident.  He ensured the audience that representation from all wards and areas of the greater Plettenberg Bay and Knysna were covered during the selection process.  Lastly, he explained that the First Aid Level 3 course will be an entry level, where after participants will be able to further their studies to become paramedics.

Manager in the Office of the Executive Mayor, Mr Siphiwe Dladla, gave a brief background and overview of the Programmes.

In his keynote address, the Garden Route DM Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen, stated that the Garden Route Municipal Training Programme will be rolled-out in all 7 B-municipalities in the district.  He further explained that the Garden Route, in collaboration with various stakeholders, among others, the Provincial Government is in the process of establishing a Skills Mecca. He raised a concern that participants are not taking opportunities seriously and said: “People complain that they are unemployed, but when we provide opportunities to enter the employment arena, they do not take it seriously.  Remember, you must be the ones who need to give the opportunities to those who did not make it into the programme, the first time around, because if this programme becomes successful, we will continue with the roll out “.

Later in the day, the second launch of the Programme took place at the Knysna Municipality.  Beneficiaries from Knysna and surrounding areas attended this remarkable gathering.  The Executive Mayor of Knynsna Municipality, Cllr Mark Willemse, officially welcomed guests and extended a special word of gratitude to the Garden Route DM Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen, and his delegation for an amazing initiative.

The programme followed the same route as in Plettenberg Bay.  In conclusion, the EPWP Manager, Mr Richard Dyantji, introduced the Service Providers appointed to train the participants.  He encouraged the participants to make use of the opportunity given to them, to “grab it with both hands and run with it”.  Subsequent to the formalities, service providers were given the opportunity to discuss the course layout with the participants.

Mr Richard Dyantji, EPWP Manager at GRDM as well as Programme Manager of all EPWP related training programmes during his address at the launch.

During the past festive season, participants of the previous law enforcement training programme acted as peace officers and assisted the two municipalities to uphold law and order.  The Garden Route Municipal Training Programme will be rolled-out to other municipal areas within the Garden Route District.

The children of any nation are its future.  A country, a movement, a person that does not value its youth and children does not deserve its future – Oliver Tambo

Air Quality officials contribute to workshop held at NMU

The Sub-directorate:  Environmental Law Enforcement (Region 3), George of the Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning recently requested the Air Quality unit of Garden Route District Municipality, to do a presentation at the George Campus of Nelson Mandela University (NMU), as part of their annual Structural Practical Workshop.

Dr Johann Schoeman, District Manager for Air Quality Officer at Garden Route District Municipality, during his presentation to the students.
Student listen attentively to the presentation made by Mr Angus Andries, District Air Quality Officer, at Garden Route District Municipality

The Air Quality Unit was invited for the purpose to share information and educate the NMU second year students registered on the University’s Forestry and Wood Technology programme, on the basic Environmental Law and Management Principles.

This year, the Air Quality Unit once again partook in the session. Dr Johann Schoeman, the District Air Quality Manager, and Mr Angus Andries, the District Air Quality Officer from Garden Route District Municipality, presented the topics ‘Introduction to Air Quality Management,’ as well as ‘Atmospheric Emissions Licencing and the roles and responsibilities of the emission control officers in the Wood Drying industry’.

The presentations were well received and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning commended the Garden Route District Municipality for their input at the workshop.

WARNING -Veld Fire Conditions

Hazard Alert
Level		 Valid from
(SAST)		 Valid to
(SAST)
Veld Fire Conditions Warning 28/01/19 – 09h00 29/01/19 – 18h00
Veld fire conditions expected in places over the northern West Coast District and Peninsula of the Cape Metropole (Western Cape) today (Monday), but only in places over the Namakwa District (Northern Cape), Central and Little Karoo (Western Cape) tomorrow (Tuesday).
Description: Dangerous veld/bush fire conditions
Whenever there are prolonged periods of little and no rain coupled withwarm dry winds, veld or bush fires can easily be sparked and will spreadrapidly in strong winds.

Precautions: Dangerous veld/bush fire conditions
Do not make fires in the open and/or leave fires unattended. Do not throw cigarette butts out of cars or in the open veld. Do not throw bottles in the veld as they can magnify the sun’s rays and start fires. Prepare and maintain fire breaks in controlled manner. In the case of a large fire, report it immediately and move away from the area to let the professionals deal with it. Never throw water onto a fire started by an electrical fault or fires started by oil or paraffin lamps. In this case, sand or a blanket should beused to smother the fire. Listen to the radio or TV for warnings and obey the instructions from Disaster Management Officers. 

Description: Extremely High Temperatures
When temperature and the humidity is high at the same time, or when
the temperature exceeds a certain threshold, human’s ability to cool theirbodies through sweating is reduced. This can be a real threat that may leads to hyperthermia.

Precautions: Extremely High Temperatures
Stay indoors in a cool room near a fan, if possible. The old and infirm must take extra care to stay hydrated and cool. Avoid strenuous outdoor activity, playing excessive sport and hard labour. Dress in light weight clothes and drink plenty of liquids, NOT alcohol.

Listen to the radio or TV for warnings and obey the instructions from Disaster Management Officers.

Update on Garden Route DM’s 205-hectare property development in Mossel Bay

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.

 2.    Ikusasa Processing Engineering Consultants (Pty) Ltd

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.