last-news

Media Statement: #George Means Business
Issued George Municipality, 26 May, for immediate release

Executive Mayor for George, Leon Van Wyk will this week participate in the Western Cape Property Development Forum’s 9^th Annual Conference taking place in Cape Town at the CTICC . Session 3 will be hosted by Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde today 26 May, and he will present his vision for attracting and pitching investment to the Western Cape. Thereafter the executive mayors for George, Drakenstein, Overstrand, Saldanha Bay and Stellenbosch will share their own strategies for their respective cities.

“George is thrilled to be at the Western Cape Property Development Forum for the first time. It is an honour and privilege that our city has been invited by the Premier of the Western Cape to showcase George as a leading intermediary city. We have come to learn and understand the needs and aspirations of property development. We believe this will help us drive economic development in George,” said the Executive Mayor, Alderman Leon van Wyk.

Attending the 2022 WCPDF Conference with Ald Van Wyk will be newly appointed Municipal Manager, Dr Michele Gratz and Director for Human Settlements, Planning & Development, and Property Management, Lauren Waring.

George has long been highlighted as one of the fastest growing intermediary cities in the country with good governance, and a stable political environment and administration. The city has shown itself to be responsive to emerging trends actively utilizing improved data management and analysis thereof to ensure excellent planning and integration between the Municipal Master Plans, Spatial Planning, and the GIS interface.

” George is currently experiencing unprecedented growth, being one of the preferred destinations of semi-migration. It is important that we understand and are responsive to the needs of all the role players in growth and development. This is a unique chance to network and plan growth of our town. The programme is jam-packed with interesting topics and high-profile speakers and George is honoured to be a part of this” said Dr Michele Gratz, Municipal Manager.

The city is currently focused on extending and upgrading water and sanitation infrastructure by a full 50% and was recently awarded R1.197 billion via the Budget Facility for Infrastructure funding (“BFI”), the first non-metro municipality to ever receive such a grant in South Africa. The BFI funding is allocated to George Municipality through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant managed by the Department of Water and Sanitation.

The electrical division is spearheading innovative projects such as a possible hydroelectric scheme at the old George dam, being one of the first B- municipality’s  in South Africa to offer wheeling and electricity trading through the municipal grid, keeping traffic flowing with 40 traffic intersections fitted with UPS backup, applying for Loadshedding curtailment and a number of renewable energy projects to be implemented over the next three years in a bid to reduce the municipal reliance on electrical supply.

“Economic growth is a driver of social development. To grow George and encourage sustainable development for the community of George, the municipality interacts with a wide range of stakeholders, and built environment practitioners are key partners. While we are here to showcase George as a best practice city, we are also here to listen and learn from the industry” said Lauren Waring, Director Human Settlements, Planning & Development, and Property Management.

George means business and the municipality is doing all it can to facilitate the ease of doing business as a smart city. The city’s property portfolio is being leveraged to draw investment, micro-developers are being engaged and there is a clear understanding of the residential market needs.

The city provides mobility with an integrated public transport network, an airport and an extensive fibre network. Excellent educational opportunities together with the numerous sporting facilities provide a well-located city, with a relaxed outdoor lifestyle on the doorstep of any resident.

Information:
The Western Cape Property Development Forum (WCPDF) is a registered non-profit organisation (246-760 NPO). It was founded in 2008 to create awareness, address the challenges that face the property development and construction industry and to be the collective voice of the industry in the Western Cape. We focus on the full production line of private and public property projects and associated infrastructure provision.

 The WCPDF actively engages and lobbies politicians and government representatives and provides detailed input and feedback on draft legislation and policy to make the public sector aware of the ramifications that decision-making processes and service delivery have on property development and construction and, in turn, the economy and most importantly jobs.

While the industry is also impacted by national legislation, the most critical development issues tend to occur at ground level, and therefore our emphasis is regional. Property is produced at municipal level.

Ends.

Over the past week, I have once again realised the importance of communication channels between the municipality and the public. The weather forecasts indicated that the berg wind conditions were to be a precursor to the approaching cold front.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, 18 May 2022, we started to receive messages of electricity outages due to wind damage and fires that turned into runaway problems on various fronts. Our Communications team comprising Chantel, Ntobeko and Debra went into overdrive to produce the communications necessary to alert the public. Many councillors have developed messaging groups through which these critical messages can be disseminated. We constantly trust that the persons on our distribution lists are connectors who then share messages to reach a broader audience.

Wednesday’s runaway fires and power outages impacted many communities and through messaging we were able to keep citizens informed on the status of bringing fires under control and then dealing with the more disruptive power outages where our repair teams worked long hours to clear vegetation and re-connect lines. I was touched once again by the positive comments for the work of our communications team, our fire-fighters and electrical teams.

We take pride in having employees (on an ongoing basis we also need to remember our water, sewer, refuse, stormwater teams and others) who are dedicated in keeping our services functioning at a high standard, as well as the privateers who pitch in or are contracted to assist.

It is critically important that our customers and all citizens ensure that their contact details are updated with the municipality so that the communication system can function effectively. The incidents that I have referred to (and the recent floods) are examples where we need to be able to reach our citizens quickly. Our Municipal App can be downloaded onto mobile phones (https://george.comunity.me) to report service faults, download your municipal account and receive communications.

Recently our Chief Whip, Marlene Barnardt attended a regional meeting of the residential estates community where she explained the importance of using the Municipal App and having access to messaging groups. We need to connect with all estates and community interest groups not only in relation to services (or to get counted for the Census) but also for the municipality to be informed about the needs and interests of citizens.

A key feature of becoming a successful, admired and innovative intermediate city is inter-active communication between the municipality and its citizenry and business communities. Communication promotes collaboration and understanding about our challenges and expectations. It would be appreciated if citizens and community groups who wish to be added to communication groups can send their names, addresses/suburbs, mobile numbers and email addresses to mayor@george.gov.za

George Municipality experienced a whirlwind of complaints and callouts last week following some extreme weather conditions in the Southern Cape. Extreme berg wind conditions from Tuesday 17th May contributed to intensifying a veldfire in Hansmoeskraal that was attended to by Garden Route District Firefighters with George Fire Brigade assisting through till Thursday morning when it was finally contained and the 7mm of rainfall recorded at the Denneoord Airbase, cooled everything down.

Executive Mayor Leon Van Wyk this week thanked all officials for their efforts in bringing fires under control and dealing with disruptive power outages where repair teams worked long hours to clear vegetation and re-connect lines. “I was touched once again by the positive comments for the work of our communications team, our fire-fighters and electrical teams. We take pride in having employees (on an ongoing basis we also need to remember our water, sewer, refuse, stormwater teams and others) who are dedicated in keeping our services functioning at a high standard, as well as the privateers who pitch in or are contracted to assist,” said Ald Van Wyk.

George Fire and Disaster Services
On Wednesday 18 May, the George Fire Department received a total of twenty-seven calls which included three structure fires, including a 3-bedroom house in Denneoord which was extensively damaged. Two informal structures were completely destroyed in Lawaaikamp.

A total of twenty-three calls for Veld and bush fires came in for areas including Hansmoeskraal, Groenkloof, Saasveld Road, Garden Route Dam, Kraaibosch Estate, Glentana, New Dawn Park, Zone 1 Thembalethu, Pacaltsdorp, and Ring Road. The Hansmoeskraal fire, the Saasveld Fire (which included Groenkloof, Saasveld Road and Garden Route Dam) and the Denneoord house fire came in all at the same time. Resources were stretched to the maximum and aerial support was called in to assist with the Saasveld fire. Helicopter operations were however limited at one point due to high wind speeds. Savannah Helicopters were able to provide support for a good hour and 10 minutes before being grounded late afternoon of Wednesday due to poor visibility.

Wind gusts of up to 40 km/h together with temperatures of up to 30 degrees were recorded on Wednesday afternoon at the Denneoord Airbase. Adding to the strain on resources was a motor vehicle accident with luckily no injuries recorded. Our Social Service division provided mattresses, blankets and food parcels to four families who lost their structures in fires from 17 – 21 May.

Power outages and loadshedding
The electrotechnical division had their hands full dealing with 11 high voltage power outages located in the Wilderness area alone, and another 18 in areas such as Hoekwil, Pinedew, Herold’s Bay, Garden Route Dam, Saasveld and Kraaibosch.  238 low voltage complaints were dealt with during the three-day period. Some of these outages were caused by trees that fell on lines, while others were in difficult terrains requiring extreme caution from the teams. In addition to the weather-related power outages, ESKOM called Stage 2 Loadshedding for the 17 – 20 May but George was fortunate not to be affected.  George Municipality is obliged to adhere to the ESKOM Loadshedding Schedule as received and cannot make amendments or give concessions to certain areas. Director for Electrotechnical Services,  Bongani Mandla, thanked his officials for focusing on addressing the key issues to restore electrical supply under such difficult circumstances.

Damaged trees
Parks and Recreation a division of Community Services attended to 15 callouts on 18th May. Seven of these were urgent where trees had fallen onto roads and were obstructing traffic in Denneoord and Blanco and were dealt with immediately despite the inclement weather conditions. The remaining trees were either felled or broken branches were pruned back on Thursday, with teams working throughout George collecting broken branches.

Water, Sewer and streets
Our Civil Engineering teams attended to 143 sewer network callouts, 76 water network callouts and 14 complaints with regards to streets during the three-day period.

George Municipality has taken into consideration the approach of the winter months with sun setting earlier and light fading,  and accordingly amended the times during which gardens can be watered by hand-held garden hose, in terms of the existing Water Restrictions in place. As of 1 May to 31 August, gardens may be watered by hand from 17h00 – 19h00.

The current water restrictions were implemented in January 2022 and are similar to those found in paragraph 2B of the George Municipal Drought Management Policy. An emergency as contemplated in Section 2(4)(b) of the Water Services By-law to limit or restrict the use of water currently exists in George as the water treatment works cannot meet the current potable water demand.

George Municipality has over the past year reported to the public that the consumption of drinking or potable water per day in George, is currently high compared to the amount of raw water that is being purified by our water treatment works.

DRINKING WATER DEMAND IS UP
The Annual Average Daily Demand for drinking water has averaged at 32 Ml per day and the current water treatment works output per day is about 38Ml. This is produced jointly on a daily basis by the Old Water Treatment Works and the New Water Treatment Works which are both operating at full capacity.

BUT THE GARDEN ROUTE DAM IS FULL?
Residents should note that although the GARDEN ROUTE DAM LEVEL remains almost full, this is RAW WATER storage and not POTABLE or DRINKING WATER supply. The raw water needs to be treated at the George Old and New Water Treatment Facilities before it goes to the main potable water storage reservoirs for distribution into the reticulation system. The current water demand is higher than the production rate at these facilities.

FORWARD PLANNING
Forward planning is in place and the remedial and capacity (20Ml) extension projects funded by the Budget Facility for Infrastructure funding (BFI grant) will extend the water treatment capacity for George and will be implemented in two phases over three years. The construction for the 20Ml Water Treatment Works has started and will continue over the next few years. The overall funding required to ensure potable water security in the George system is R1.197 billion and the funding will be provided over the next forty (40) months for the full phases of the Potable Water Security and Remedial Works projects. There are currently 12 sub-components in various stages of procurement and implementation.

In 2021 it was determined that South Africans use 235 litres of potable water per person daily as per the Water Resources Commission. Following the implementation of Water Restrictions in George earlier this year and based on the 2011 STATSA population figure for George at 210 000, the daily consumption of drinking water for the average Georgian is equal to approximately 167 l per day. This shows that the public are responding to the Water Restrictions and using less drinking water. This is commendable and we thank everyone for their combined efforts. We do however have to remind the general public that the restrictions will remain in place until the new Water Treatment Works can be commissioned.

George Municipality has also applied for R238m in disaster funding for remedial work required to repair our water and sewer infrastructure damaged during the floods of November/ December 2021. The Municipality is still awaiting the outcome of the application.

The right of access to basic water supply and sanitation is a basic right for all communities and it is the responsibility of the George Municipality as the Water Services Institution to take reasonable measures to ensure these rights. Water Restrictions in George are therefore in place to reduce use of drinking water to ensure that the Municipality can fulfill this mandate.

The immediate measures to be adhered to are as follows:

1. The mechanical irrigation of gardens is prohibited.
2. Gardens may be watered by means of hand-held garden hose only, from 1 May to 31 August between 17:00 to 19:00 and from 01 September to 30 April between 19:00 to 21:00:
   Mondays and Thursdays for even-numbered households ONLY
   Tuesdays and Fridays for uneven numbered households ONLY.
3. The irrigation or watering of all sports fields is prohibited.  Exemption from restrictions in the following instances only: golf course greens, bowling greens, and cricket pitches which may only be watered between 19:00 and 21:00.
4. The washing of vehicles with a garden hose, except by a commercial enterprise whose business it is to wash cars, is prohibited;
5. The cleaning of ANY area using water is prohibited;
6. The filling of swimming pools is prohibited.
7. Where own water from a borehole or reservoir is used, the appropriate notice shall be displayed on the premises, e.g. “OWN WATER”.

Contraventions of the Water Restrictions can be reported on 0800 424477 and will be followed up by George Municipal Law Enforcement. Any person who contravenes these restrictions is guilty of an offence and is, upon conviction, liable to a fine as published in the annual tariffs list, or six months imprisonment.

In terms of Section 5 of the By-law, any person may apply in writing for the exemption from the provision of any notice published in terms of the By-law, and the Council may grant an exemption and impose conditions in respect of such an application.  The Policy grants permission to the Directorate Civil Engineering Services to approve applications for exemptions.

Applications for exemptions are to be submitted to the Directorate: Civil Engineering Services for approval. Once approved, a written exemption shall be provided, and individual applications assessed.

Report all water leaks to our Civil Engineering Department on 044 801 9262/66.

GEORGE SCORES R800 000 FROM THE WESTERN CAPE SPORT & RECREATION TOWARDS SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

The Western Cape Minister for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports (DCAS), Ms Anroux Marais presented George Municipality with an R 800 000 ceremonial cheque for the development and installation of steel structure pavilions for the Thembalethu and Touwsranten sports fields during a special handover ceremony that took place at the George Municipality on Tuesday, 17 May 2022.

George Municipality is one of three municipalities whose applications for funding from DCAS were granted. Minister Marais officially handed over the cheque to the executive mayor of George, Ald Leon van Wyk and said that the R 800 000 that has been awarded to George will be split in half. “The R 400 000 is for the Thembalethu Sports field pavilion and another R 400 000 for the Touwsranten sports field.”

“I am delighted to be in the beautiful town of George handing over this cheque. George is fast becoming popular with sports tourism events, and this contribution from the DCAS will certainly add value to sport, tourism, and the economy of George. I hope that the spectators from Thembalethu and Touwsranten will own and take care of these facilities for their communities and the future.

Receiving the cheque on behalf of George, Mayor van Wyk said: “We are extremely grateful for this funding, I’m happy that we also discussed various sporting engagements and events that can be facilitated between ourselves (George) and the DCAS. This will help us enormously, both in the development of sport for George as well as the tourism spin-offs.”

Lyndon Bouah Chief Director for Sport and Recreation in the DCAS explained the allocation criteria of the fund. “The Provincial Government allocates these funds based on received applications from the various municipalities in the Western Cape. The annual application process takes place between July and September, the Department would then award three applicants to share the fund of about R 2 million for sports infrastructure upgrade or development. We would like to congratulate George Municipality, as they applied last year, we subsequently considered their application and signed off the R 800 000.

Amongst the attendees of the handover were the Portfolio Councillor for Community Services: Social Development, Libraries & Sport Cllr. Brendon Adams, senior management of the George Municipality, officials from DCAS, Eden Sport Council and Eden Netball representatives

Ends.

CAPTION:

Please note: Masks taken off for purposes of the photograph.

Front row (FLTR): Dr Lyndon Bouah (Chief Director for Sport and Recreation in the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport), Dr Michele Gratz (Municipal Manager for George Municipality), Ald Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George), Minister Anroux Marais (Western Cape Minister for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport), Portfolio Councillor Brendon Adams (Community Services: Social Services, Social Development, Libraries & Sport) and Zelda van Staden (Eden Sport Council).

Back row (FLTR): Jean Neethling (Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport), Jeanetta Rhode (Eden Netball), Allen Paulse (Director: Community Services for George Municipality), Kevin Malan (Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport), Nicolette Pietersen (Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport), Dyllon van der Rheede (Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport), Granville Campher (Manager: Sport Development for George Municipality) and Dirk van der Westhuizen (Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport)

Photo 2:

Minister Anroux Marais says this contribution will certainly add value to sport, tourism, and the economy of George.

Photo 3:

FLTR: Dr Michele Gratz (Municipal Manager for George Municipality), Ald Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George), Minister Anroux Marais (Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport), Portfolio Councillor Brendon Adams (Community Services: Social Services, Social Development, Libraries & Sport), and Dr Lyndon Bouah (Chief Director for Sport and Recreation in the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport)

The Executive Mayor of George Ald Leon van Wyk, during his recent site visit to the construction site of the new composting facility, expressed his satisfaction with the progress made so far. The George Municipality commenced with the establishment of a compost facility in the 2019/2020 financial year.

“Today, we have come to inspect the progress made on the first platform of the new composting facility,” said Mayor van Wyk during his visit on Wednesday, 11 May 2022. “I would like to commend the team from Community Services who have taken the initiative to establish and initiate this project and made the progress we have seen here today. I would also like to thank the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers on-site for their invaluable input in making this project a success.”

In June 2021, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries promulgated Norms and Standards for the Treatment of Organic Waste. In terms of these norms, compost facilities must meet certain standards, and one of them is that the final platform layer works must contain a concrete platform or include a clay layer within its layer structure.

Mayor van Wyk confirmed that this construction is in line with the norms and standards for the Treatment of Organic Waste. “Effectively, builder’s rubble is used to fill the ground to the desired level whereafter a layer of clay is laid on top, and the working surface will consist of a wearing course material classified as G5, according to Committee of Land Transport Officials (COLTO) specifications. The idea is that the green bags that are collected from residents every week will go into a source which will make up compost.  Eventually, we are going to add garden refuse, kitchen waste and sludge from the sewerage works to create the compost. This is all to reduce the amount of refuse going into landfill sites in the municipal area.”

“Work is already underway to expand the size of the platform for future use. We are also introducing a green bag levy so that our residents can become part of the solution in dealing with our refuse and maintaining the critical environmental balance that we, as citizens of George, are custodians of. The levy will provide the funding to launch this project and to make a success of George becoming a Green City,” Ald van Wyk added.

The Municipality’s Department of Community Services assured that the Municipality will finalise the construction of phase 1 of platform A of the composting in the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 financial years. “Phase 2 of platform A is also underway, and the public is requested to divert and dispose of builders’ rubble at the Gwaing waste disposal facility to assist the municipality in finalising phase 2 of platform A,” said Sivuyile Mtila, senior manager for environmental services at the George Municipality.

“An attenuation pond will be constructed in the 2022/2023 financial year to treat and store stormwater runoff. Platform A will only be able to accommodate 76% of the George Municipality’s green waste. However, once platform B is built, all green waste will be accommodated. The maximum number of windrows that platform A can accommodate is 13. This equals a maximum volume of 2 486 m³. The average volume of compost produced for 6 weeks is 243 m³,” said Mtila.

The municipality urges the public to dispose of all builders’ rubble at the Gwaing landfill site instead of dumping illegally, as the material is required to complete the construction of the compost facility.

“We also urge the community to use the three-bag system to the benefit of reducing the landfill footprint. All three bags must be placed out on the same day on the designated refuse collection day,” Mtila added.

The municipality intends to operate the compost facility from 01 July 2023.

Ends.

Get counted now!

MAYOR’S NEWSLETTER  FOR GEORGE HERALD ON 12 MAY 2022

In reflecting on how we are getting things done, I thought it would be worthwhile reporting on current efforts to improve living conditions for the broader community. This is in contrast to the publicity that is given to councillors who regularly expend energy in attempting to disrupt Council meetings approving these projects.

On a recent oversight visit to view construction activity in Thembalethu, we visited a new sewer line being constructed towards the south-west following the contour line in one of the valleys that will flow towards a main sewer pump station in Pacaltsdorp. There are numerous stormwater projects underway in Thembalethu that will also result in roads being improved. In Parkdene and Maraiskamp an end of life waterline is being replaced. In New Dawn Park, the stormwater drainage system is being upgraded. This will improve the lives of the residents who received houses in the 1990s. At the time, the focus of grants received was on the delivery of houses without sufficient funding being made available for infrastructure that should have been constructed at the time.

I recently did a television interview for SANRAL relating to the commencement of the R200 million bridge construction project to double the Nelson Mandela Boulevard bridge over the N2 into Thembalethu. This project will provide for much skills development and contract experience for local contractors.

During the April Council meeting, we approved acceptance of a R1m grant for micro-enterprise facilities being made available in Pacaltsdorp, R26,6m to assist in upgrading the road infrastructure for Go George and R4,25m for the electrical reticulation at the Metrogrounds housing development.

Numerous other reports were received that relate to improvements for our citizens. In Uniondale we are commencing the planning of micro-enterprise facilities. Progress is being made by the Cremhog NPO in their project to assist the homeless in the CBD, while land is being made available to applicants providing creative training in Thembalethu, a day care centre in Groeneweide and for a vegetable garden in Rosemoore.

A draft town planning policy to regulate house taverns, places of leisure and places of entertainment in low-income single residential neighbourhoods was also received by Council. This policy will now follow the route to final approval and thereby provide remedies for the various stakeholders who live in the vicinity of these establishments.

The Adopt A Spot Policy was approved following a public participation process. The objective of this policy is to permit the public (citizens or organisations) to approach the Municipality to take care of pieces of land to ensure its beautification, cleanliness or to prevent illegal dumping or degradation that could otherwise occur. The intention is to build a social partnership with the public to preserve and benefit our environment.

Construction and repairs to Madiba Drive are progressing swiftly after pipe laying was completed on 13 April 2022. The second layer of bedding, a cradle constructed from boxed wet soilcrete, which allows for weathered edges at collars, began on 28 April 2022 and was completed on 6 May 2022.  A 200mm by-pass pipe was removed and water is now flowing through the newly laid 1.8m diameter pipe.

According to Lungisa Qendu, Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Senior Engineering Technician, the project has now reached 75% of its completion (excluding the headwalls and gabions).  “Headwalls and gabions are outside the roadway and will be constructed at a later stage because the priority for us is to open the road to the public,” said Qendu. “

The GRDM is working hard to maintain and repair roads damaged by floods. Please drive carefully whenever approaching construction sites. Let us work together to ensure that our roads are safe.

http://www.gardenroute.gov.za/2022/05/11/11-may-2022-media-release-update2-status-of-saasveld-road-george-construction/

Issued by the Garden Route District Municipality

11 May 2022

Issued by George Municipality

10 May 2022

The Meul sewer pump station, one of George’s most critical pumpstations, which has in recent years experienced frequent and costly breakdowns that threatens the integrity of the sewage system it serves, as well as the surrounding environment, is soon to be upgraded to provide more energy efficient pumps that meet future flow needs, as well as providing additional safety by adding an emergency power generator to keep the installation operational during load shedding, amongst other critical upgrades.

The contract value is approximately R31.67 million and the new upgrade is expected to be completed in the next 12 months. The George Municipality’s Civil Services Department confirmed that the appointed contractor has already started with the design work of the upgrade at the Meul Pump Station. The pump station is more than 30 years old and requires refurbishment to ensure equipment is kept in working order as well as upgrading to provide sufficient capacity.

The upgrade comprises three main components which are civil engineering, mechanical refurbishment and electrical. “The civil engineering upgrades will include repairs to the pump station including refurbishment of the internal of the pump station, new Motor Control Centre (MCC) room, new generator room and new valve chamber to rising main and sump modifications,” said Gerard de Swardt, a project manager in Civils department.

“Mechanical refurbishment will incorporate upgrading of the pump station including pumps, pipework, valves, screens, equipment, while the electrical comprises electronic and instrumentation refurbishment including new bulk electrical, motor control centre, standby generator, instrumentation, and related cables,” de Swardt added.

It is envisaged that there would be no disruption in services during the construction. “The public will be informed through media and George Municipality’s communication channels should there be any planned disruptions in any related services,” he added.

Access to the site will be strictly controlled. No members of the public will be allowed to enter the working area. The site will comply with the relevant requirements in terms of the COVID19 regulations.

Ends.

 Thembalethu Bulk Sewer system upgrade for future developments

Issued by George Mun 10 May 2022 for immediate release

The Executive Mayor of George, Ald Leon van Wyk, visited the R3.8 million Thembalethu Bulk Sewer project recently that will upgrade the sewer network for future growth and Upgraded Informal Settlement (UISP). The next phase of the proposed Upgraded Informal Settlement Programme (UISP) projects is specifically Area 1.  This UISP project’s civil services tender is expected to be advertised as soon as the current Bulk Sewer Project is completed, according to Mr. Lionel Daniels, Acting Director: Civil Engineering Services.

Ald Van Wyk said, “This is an important piece of infrastructure. What we are seeing here at this project is how gravity gets used in an area where stormwater lines run along the rim of the valley to ensure that water runs through. The design being used here will result in more efficient handling of the wastewater from the sewer line. Once completed, this work will be able to replace four smaller pump stations by using the gravity flow.”

Project Details

The current project consists of the laying of approximately 600m of 315mm diameter sewer pipeline and 600m of 355mm diameter sewer pipeline and associated sewer manholes.  Currently, most of the excavation of trenches is being undertaken mostly by labor-intensive methods to assist with job creation, with the work platform being created by machine.

The Thembalethu Bulk Sewer upgrades will continue to cater to future developments within the Thembalethu area. The next phase will be the upgrading of the Thembalethu No.6 sewerage pump station to cater to the future housing phases.

Employment opportunities

Currently, approximately seventeen people are being employed out of the community with accredited training to be rolled out through several municipal projects to increase the capacity of the communities served by the projects to enhance their employment potential going forward.

Project timeline

The approximate five-month contract is currently just approaching the halfway mark in terms of time, with a due completion date expected in early August 2022.  There have been some delays in the recent past with the rainfall experienced in the region, but the project is currently on track, due to efficient progress on various aspects of the project.

Captions:

_WA0000 Trenches being started.

_WA0003  Site clearance work to create work platform for pipe trench.

_WA0004  Laying of bulk sewer in newly excavated trench, with alignment being checked to achieve acceptable tolerances.

_WA0006 New trench being trimmed.

_WA0008 New trench intersection where new manhole will be constructed.

_WA0009 View out of trench as work progresses.

Mayor: Ald Leon van Wyk, George Mayor, (right) on-site with Portfolio Cllr for Planning and Development, Henry Hill(left) and Adrian van Molendorff from Civil Engineering Services.

Following the successful application for a Budget Facility for Infrastructure funding (“BFI”) grant, two components of the 12 have broken ground and are underway while others will follow shortly. The 20 Ml/d treatment plant extension to the New Water Treatment Works (New WTW Denneoord) is component 2 of the 12 and the Sludge plant is component 1. These two components are grouped together in a single project with two construction contracts.

The first contract for the civil engineering construction has been awarded and construction has commenced on site for both components. This is the largest single component of the Water Security and Remedial Works project (BFI)  and is valued at R263 million. The tender for the mechanical, electrical and instrumentation (MEI) works is currently live and will close shortly.

The potable Water Security and Remedial Works project will also include the refurbishment of the existing sludge discharge system; upgrade of Garden Route Dam outlet supply; new generator for Garden Route Dam pump station to ease supply of raw water during power failures; new 30Ml Balancing Dam and pipeline to New Water Treatment Plant; rehabilitation of Old water treatment works; replacement for Kaaimans River Pump station pumps; new Pacaltsdorp (West) Reservoir; new Pacaltsdorp (East) Reservoir, Tower and pump station; new Thembalethu (West) Reservoir and Pump station and a new Thembalethu (East) Reservoir, Tower and pump station.

Executive Mayor Leon Van Wyk together with Portfolio Councillor Jackie Von Brandis ( Civil Engineering Services: Capital Projects & BFI) and Portfolio Councillor Henry Hill (Planning and Development) undertook a site inspection last week.  “The size of the site works illustrates the enormous scale of the project being undertaken. Discussions with the engineers on site outlined the various components of this huge Water Security and Remedial Works project that will need to be managed over the next few years,” said Ald Van Wyk.

According to Gerard De Swardt, Project Manager for George Civil Engineering Services, the earthworks are currently under way with the major excavation for the Water Treatment Works extension consisting of some 20 000 cubic meters of earth material that will be excavated and stockpiled on site for re-use elsewhere. The high clay content of the soil renders the material useful for earth dam construction and possible other uses where low permeability is required to prevent groundwater pollution. Such projects have already been identified with one being component 6 of the Water Security and Remedial Works project, that is the construction of an earth dam to provide an additional 30 Ml raw water storage for water supplied to the two treatment plants.

The excavation for the 20 Ml/d WTW module is nearing full depth for the construction of the structures, depending on the outcome of Geotechnical testing which will determine the bearing capacity of the in-situ soil. Some further excavation and material replacement may be required if the conditions are not suitable. The placing of concrete will commence shortly and for this purpose two tower cranes of 23m height will be installed on site.

It is well-known that there is widespread concern about the state of water and wastewater infrastructure in South Africa and that significant amounts of funding will be required to rehabilitate this infrastructure within municipalities. The George management team recognised that the capital expenditure required for such a project would be significant and place enormous strain on the municipality’s financial resources. The initiative was taken to approach National Treasury to search for a solution. This approach culminated in the application being launched and in being awarded the BFI facility, George has become the flag-bearer among non-metro municipalities to lead the restoration of water treatment as well as wastewater facilities in the country.

Ends.

Caption: Group pic from left: Henry Hill (Portfolio Cllr Planning and Development),  Jannie Koegelenberg (Engineer, Royal Haskoning DHV), Gerard De Swardt (Project Manager: George Civil Engineering Services), Ald Leon Van Wyk, Jackie Von Brandis (Portfolio Cllr Civil Engineering Services: Capital Projects & BFI) and Jonathan Bernon (Construction Manager, Icon Construction).

George Municipality is currently replacing a 40-year-old water pipeline infrastructure in Parkdene that is causing high water losses due to frequent pipe bursts. According to Lionel Daniels, Acting Director: Civil Engineering, the Parkdene pipe replacement is funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation, worth approximately R3 million. The existing very old pipework is replaced with Un-plasticised Poli-vinyl Chloride (PVC-u) pipes with new fire and gate valves to facilitate maintenance and operations going forward.

Multi-year pipe replacement programme

Daniels said that this is the start of a comprehensive pipe replacement programme for the Parkdene, Conville and Protea Park Areas over a multi-year period.  The initial phase will be funded by the department through the Water Services Infrastructure Grant or WSIG programme, which aims to accelerate backlog reduction and enhance the sustainability of services.  This programme supports the Municipality in implementing water conservation and water demand management (WC/WDM) projects.

Executive Mayor Leon Van Wyk noted during his site inspection that the administration endeavours to conduct pre-emptive placement of these water lines to ensure breakages can be dealt with efficiently. “PVC allows for the introduction of valves and metres. The valves make it easier to isolate areas and meters will help with the management of water flow. “

Job Creation

Currently, approximately ten people are being employed out of the community with accredited training to be rolled out through a number of municipal projects to increase the capacity of the communities served by the projects to enhance their job creation potential going forward.

Safety

The work is undertaken in short sections to allow the trenches to be closed at the end of each day’s work.  This minimises inconvenience to residents and ensures access to each property at the end of each day as well as the safety of pedestrians.  The work is challenging due to a number of existing services being located within the sidewalk.

Duration of Work

The four-month contract is currently just over the halfway mark in terms of time, with a due completion date expected in early June 2022.  There have been some delays in the recent past with the rainfall experienced in the region.

Next steps

Approximately 800m of a 160mm diameter water pipeline along Main Road, Parkdene, needs to be replaced, with all associated fire hydrants and isolating valves.  At the same time, new erf connection pipework will be provided under Main Street by directional drilling. To protect the recently resurfaced Main Road, a number of the existing erf connections will be reinstated with new connection lines being drilled under the road thereby saving the newly resurfaced road.

Captions:

164508: Trenches on site are closed off daily to ensure access to properties.

155512:  Sites are being rehabilitated after work is completed in a section.

135443:  Several existing services like electrical cables, provide challenges in laying a new pipeline.

Parkdene water: Executive Mayor of George, Ald Leon van Wyk, Adrian van Molendorff from Civil Engineering Services and Cllr Henry Hill visited the site in Parkdene.

Ends.

Air blowers installation under way for air delivery to provide oxygen to the aerobic zones in the reactor.

Works at the Outeniqua Wastewater Treatment Works (OWWTW) for the upgrading and capacity extension of the plant are well under way and progressing steadily. The upgrade will allow for an increased capacity from 15Ml/dl to 25Ml/dl.

The components at the inlet works are nearing completion and are being commissioned as the installations are completed. The new perforated inlet screens are operational as well as the screenings and grit bins and the grit removal systems while the rock catcher and odour control systems are nearing completion. The remainder of the works largely focuses on the completion of equipment installation in and around the new reactor whereafter the focus will shift to the upgrading of the screw pump station for the sedimentation tank underflow sludge recycle.

After the commissioning of the new reactor, the full flow to the works will be diverted though it and this will allow the remedial works to the existing (old) carousel reactor to proceed. This tank of 17.5 Ml needs to be emptied and the concrete condition to be assessed with the necessary remedial and repair works to follow. The screw pump station for the Return Activated Sludge recycle also requires upgrading. The two new pumps were shipped to South Africa from Italy, and have arrived finally after a four month delay in Las Palmas, Canary Islands. This caused a project delay of this component of the project but will not have an impact on the final estimated completion time.

The major challenge will be to empty the old carousel reactor while separating the liquid from the various inorganic (non biodegradable) solids in the tank. These solids must be dewatered and disposed of separately. The contractor proposed geofabric bags for this dewatering and is currently experimenting with a small version on site. The mechanical & electrical installation is currently 70% complete and the construction is scheduled to be completed during the first half of 2023.

George Munisipaliteit vier Vryheidsdag

Uitvoerende Onderburgemeester van George, Rdl. Raybin Figland, Portefeuljeraadslid van Gemeenskapsontwikkeling, Rdl. Brendon Adams, nog raadslede, amptenare van die Gemeenskapsontwikkelingafdeling, asook lede van die LGBTQIA-gemeenskap, het Dinsdagmiddag 26 April ‘n demonstrasie voor George-stadsaal gehou ter viering van Vryheidsdag. Die inisiatief was ter bewusmaking van die vryheid en menseregte vir alle lede van die samelewing. 

Issued by George Mun 3 May 2022 for immediate release

Text: George Tourism held a successful tourism conference in George recently and had the support of 36 attendees from local tourism stakeholders.

Dr Kosie Haarhoff, Deputy Director; Strategic Growth and Development, discussed in his presentation the George’s Film policy, which purpose is to facilitate, regulate and standardize filming within the George Municipal area and provide for the issuing of a film permit; to provide for filming in environmentally sensitive areas. Dr. Haarhoff also shared the Events Assistance Policy that prescribes processes to be followed by the Municipality for event support provision, commercial partnerships, event permit applications and more.

Santa Sternsdorf from George Fire Department discussed the importance of population certificates and the importance of the timeous applications of such certificates.

The Garden Route Film Commission shared its focus with the audience. Its first focus is to develop the region as a “Film Friendly” destination for filmmakers. This is achieved through skills development and training in the short term, education of stakeholders and the supply chain and further support for production development.

A second focus is an economic focus which the GRFC must facilitate through its focus; job creation, tourism growth through film events, attracting productions to the region by creating platforms, permitting access to locations and much more.

Chairperson of the Regional Tourism Liaison Committee (RTLC), Denver Johnson, explained the role of this committee and how the different regions in the Western Cape can benefit from being part of the committee.

Cape Town Air Access touched on its mandate to broaden Western Cape air access for targeted international markets, to improve economic competitiveness and shared recovery figures of Cape Town and George Airports since the pandemic. Between presentations, local artists from the Dotsure George Arts Theatre entertained the attendees.

Feedback from some of the attendees was very positive:

Nicola McDevitt from the Fat Fish restaurant raved about the super conference and said stakeholders who did not attend really missed out. She thanked the Tourism team for the time and effort they put into the conference and said the information that was shared was extremely useful and beneficial. She said the resources the Tourism office makes available to stakeholders are appreciated and make a huge difference.

Anthony Rosenbaum from Wide Open Spaces thanked George Tourism for a very informative conference, and it was good to catch up with team members at the event.

Sharon House, Senior Tourism Officer said: “We would like to extend a big thank you to all our tourism stakeholders who attended the tourism conference – it was fantastic to network with you in person, finally – after such a long spell of not being able to meet face-to-face due to Covid-19.  It was fabulous to hear feedback throughout the day from the tourism industry, and especially the insights into what is happening in private business ‘on the ground’.  We hope to see more tourism stakeholders attend future engagements and encourage all tourism products to engage with our office.  Please send us your marketing photos, videos and deals, specials or events to members@visitgeorge.co.za.”

Captions:

Tour 1: Denver Johnson, from Garden Route District Municipality, Sharon House (George Tourism), Melanie Martins (George Tourism), Joan Shaw, (George Tourism Manager), Lika Berning, (Garden Route Film Commission), Kosie Haarhoff (Deputy Director: Strategic Growth and Development at George Municipality) and Danyaal Samuels, WESGRO Air Access Unit at the conference.

Tour2: Melanie Martins, Sharon House, Lindi Harley, Rayvian Moolman, Joan Shaw and Caydyn Louis, the George Tourism team at the conference.

Tour 3, 4, 5: Local artists entertained the attendees at the conference at the venue, Dotsure George Arts Theatre.

Ends.

MEDIA STATEMENT                                                        

28 April 2022

Statistics South Africa will continue to collect census data from households in the Western Cape for an additional two weeks until 14 May. The extension follows a strong response by residents of the province to the call to get counted.

Stats SA data collectors will be visiting communities with low response rates across the province. Almost 1,1 million households in the province have completed the census questionnaire since data collection began in February.

Completing the questionnaire only takes 15 – 30 minutes. Stats SA assures respondents that all personal information collected for the purpose of the census is kept strictly confidential.

The online questionnaire is available on https://getcounted.statssa.gov.za (datafree) allowing residents to answer the questions at a time and place convenient to themselves.

Households have until the close of counting on 14 May to complete the questionnaire online. With over 600 000 households yet to be visited, Western Cape households that have not been counted are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.

Census information is essential for determining the funding allocation to provinces and municipalities. Census data will provide detailed information on where schools, clinics and houses should be built and where electricity, water and sewerage infrastructure is needed. Census has an impact on the life of every resident and everyone is encouraged to be counted.

Western Cape households are requested to please cooperate with the data collectors by answering the questions accurately and completely.

The Census call centre is open to assist with any enquiries – 0800 110 248 or email census2022@statssa.gov.za.

Ends…

For media inquiries contact: Trevor Oosterwyk Email: trevoro@statssa.gov.za

In the past week I attended two important meetings that once again signify how important it is to pay attention to economic activity within George.

At the annual general meeting of the George Business Chamber, Mr Nelius van Greunen, a leading commercial farmer, addressed the attendees. He mentioned the importance of the agricultural sector for the local economy and region and  that George needs to ensure it becomes more sustainable by also expanding from being pre-dominantly a “consuming” economy.

These comments are totally aligned to my philosophy that George needs to evolve towards a “producing” economy where we produce goods and services that are “exported” both nationally and internationally.

On Friday, the municipal manager, Dr Michele Gratz (now appointed for five years) and I attended a Meet and Greet Session in Cape Town where we were allocated a maximum of 20 minutes with each of the ten Provincial Ministers and the Premier to raise matters for their attention. We made full use of the opportunity to continue the discussion relating to the coordination required for increasing economic activity in George to improve job creation. There are already numerous initiatives underway that the Municipality and Provincial departments are involved in.

While we are looking closely at developing the agro-processing sector and expanding tourism event activity as examples, other niches are being explored as well. It is therefore critical that the private sector engage with us on opportunities that can be nurtured and grown. The Economic Growth and Development Strategy is currently under revision and further engagements are being arranged to foster the necessary collaboration.

It is generally accepted that George is experiencing in-migration. Some businesses are commenting that turnover is now 30% above pre-Covid-19 levels. The Municipality has been responding to these increases with increased spending on the capital budget to increase water and wastewater treatment capacity and refurbishment of existing infrastructure.

There is however an important role that George business leaders and residents need to play in their communication with the Municipality on how we can provide the enabling environment to ensure economic growth and the necessary collaboration can take place.

There is a very urgent call to Residents to participate in Census 2022 which has been extended to 30 April so that many stragglers in the Western Cape complete the Census. The Census can be completed very easily on mobile phones by using the following link:   https://getcounted.statssa.gov.za/#!/home

It is essential to complete the Census because this is used to determine the Grants that National Government allocates to municipalities. George has seen rapid growth in its population and if residents fail to register we do not receive our required allocation of funding with the burden shifting to municipal accounts. Comments are welcomed at: supportbusiness@george.gov.za