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Public Notice: GRDM Integrated Development Plan, Budget, Performance Management Time Schedule adopted by Council; 2024/2025 Draft Unaudited Annual Report is also now available for Public Comment

Public Notice: GRDM Integrated Development Plan, Budget and Performance Management Time Schedule adopted by Council;  2024/2025 Draft Unaudited Annual Report is also now available for Public Comment

Notice number: 81/2025

Notice is hereby given that the 2026/2027 IDP, Budget and PMS Time Schedule has been adopted in terms of Section 21 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (Act 56 of 2003) by the Garden Route District Municipal Council, at a Council meeting held on 22 August 2025.

Furthermore, the 2024/2025 Draft Unaudited Annual Report has been noted by Council in terms of Circular 63 of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, Act 56 of 2003. The Unaudited Draft Annual Report for the 2024/2025 financial year is open for comments. Comments must be lodged in writing to The Municipal Manager, PO Box 12, George, 6530 or by e-mail at rekords@gardenroute.gov.za before or on 30 September 2025.

The document will be available for public inspection during office hours at the IDP unit, Garden Route District Municipality, 54 York Street, George as well as at all the satellite offices of the Garden Route District Municipality: Riversdale, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn, Knysna and Bitou. Copies will also be accessible at all main local libraries and on the municipal website here: https://www.gardenroute.gov.za/document-category/2024-25-annual-report/

Those who are unable to read or write are encouraged to contact the Garden Route District Municipality during ordinary office hours, where they will be assisted to formulate their written comments or objections. For any further enquiries, please contact: Ms M James (IDP Unit: Garden Route District Municipality) on telephone number: 044 803 1431.

Access the following documentation by clicking on the links below:

M G Stratu, Municipal Manager


01 September 2025 Expanded Public Works Programme Seasonal Firefighters

Expanded Public Works Programme Seasonal Firefighters

 The EPWP of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) is offering an exciting opportunity for unemployed youth who have completed Firefighter 1, Hazmat Awareness, and First Aid Level 3, and who are physically and mentally fit. This opportunity will run for a period of four (4) months, from 1 December 2025 – 31 March 2026.

PERIOD:  4 Months

Candidates who wish to apply must meet the following minimum requirements:

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

·        Completion of Firefighter 1 course at an accredited firefighting training institution.
·        Completion of Hazmat Awareness course at an accredited firefighting training institution.
·        Completion of First Aid Level 3 course at a registered first aid training institution.
·        Valid police clearance or proof of payment for police clearance.
·        Ability to speak at least two of the three official languages of the Western Cape.
·        Must be unemployed and not registered on any other Learnership, Internship, or WIL Programme.
·        Must reside within the borders of the Garden Route region.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

·        Certified copy of Identity Document.
·        Proof of police clearance or proof of payment.
·        Proof of Firefighter 1, Hazmat Awareness, and First Aid Level 3 completed courses.
·        Completed Curriculum Vitae.
·        Completed EPWP application form.

APPLICATION FORMS AND FURTHER INFORMATION:

Please submit a completed EPWP application form, together with your Curriculum Vitae (CV), a certified copy of your Identity Document, and proof of police clearance at one of the Garden Route District Municipality Satellite Offices listed below, or via email to: epwp@edendm.co.za.

Click here and download the EPWP Database Application form.

Click here and download the Official Advert.

CLOSING DATE: 19 October 2025

Notice number: 86/2025

MG Stratu
MUNICIPAL MANAGER

01 September 2025 Media Release: Garden Route & Klein Karoo Tourism celebrates Tourism Month

Media Release: Garden Route & Klein Karoo Tourism celebrates Tourism Month 2025

For immediate release
1 September 2025

Tourism Month, celebrated every September, highlights the vital role tourism plays in South Africa’s economy and communities.

In the Garden Route and Klein Karoo (GR&KK) region, tourism is a powerful driver of sustainable transformation, creating jobs, attracting local investment, and fostering a sense of regional pride. By promoting cultural exchange and showcasing the area’s rich heritage and traditions, tourism not only strengthens the local identity but also encourages responsible travel practices that preserve the environment and empower communities for future generations.

A basic intro of the GR&KK

The Garden Route and Klein Karoo (GR&KK) region is one of South Africa’s most breath-taking and diverse travel destinations. Stretching over 24,000 km from Witsand in the west to Plettenberg Bay in the east, this region is home to lush forests, pristine beaches, majestic mountains, and charming towns like Still Bay, Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp, and Ladismith and more!

As a key tourism hub, the GR&KK offers something for everyone from thrilling outdoor adventures and rich wildlife to cultural heritage and culinary delights. Under the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation,” the region continues to grow in ways that protect its natural beauty, celebrate its people, and create lasting opportunities for local communities.

Find out what the Garden Route & Klein Karoo has to offer or for more information, visit/contact:

ENDS

01 September 2025 Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality calls on residents to “Grow a Living Legacy” this Arbor Week (01–07 September 2025)

Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality calls on residents to “Grow a Living Legacy” this Arbor Week (01–07 September 2025)

01 September 2025

The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) will join the nation in celebrating National Arbor Week from 01 to 07 September 2025. This annual campaign raises awareness about the importance of trees and encourages communities to plant indigenous species, conserve our natural heritage, and contribute to sustainable environmental management.

Arbor Week also highlights South Africa’s Champion Trees – some of the country’s oldest, largest, and most culturally significant trees, such as the Sophia Town Oak Tree and the Sagole Baobab Tree in Limpopo. These trees symbolize the connection between our natural and cultural heritage, which is celebrated during Heritage Month in September.

The key objectives of Arbor Week are to:
• Emphasise the importance of planting and protecting trees.
• Increase knowledge and appreciation of indigenous tree species.
• Promote sustainable and eco-friendly living practices.

Why trees matter

Trees supply oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, improve air quality, support biodiversity, stabilise soil, and provide both medicinal and cultural benefits. By planting and caring for trees, communities can actively contribute to tackling climate change and building a greener, healthier environment for future generations.

Restoring what we’ve lost

In the Garden Route, Arbor Week takes on even greater importance as we work to restore areas affected by the polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB). First detected in George in 2018, this invasive beetle has spread rapidly and is likely present in other parts of the municipality where susceptible trees, such as English Oaks, occur. Residents are encouraged to be vigilant for signs of infestation, report sightings to their municipality, and chip infested wood to prevent further spread. Planting new indigenous trees during Arbor Week will help replace lost trees, restore biodiversity, and ensure our communities remain shaded, resilient, and beautiful for generations to come.

Community involvement

Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) encourages residents, schools, community-based organisations, and businesses across the district to participate in tree planting and greening activities. Greening refers to the planting, care, and management of vegetation in urban and rural spaces — ensuring that disadvantaged areas, such as townships and informal settlements, also benefit from parks, trees, and green open spaces.

How to plant a tree
• Selection: Choose the right tree for your location — indigenous and endemic species are recommended.
• Location: Plant trees at least 3 metres away from walls, powerlines, and municipal utilities.
• Planting: Dig a 1m x 1m x 1m square hole, remove stones, and separate or mix topsoil and subsoil. Place the tree in the hole, refill with topsoil first, and water thoroughly.The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) calls on all residents to join hands during Arbor Week to create a greener and more sustainable Garden Route. Together, we can grow a living legacy that benefits both people and the environment.

-END-

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)

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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