Sonia Veltman of the Garden Route Dam Action Group writes:
I refer to the two structures erected on the shores of the Garden Route Dam last year for the filming of a reality TV series.
The George Municipality's Deputy Director of Planning and Environmental Management, Delia Power, said in October 2024: "The municipality values this conservation asset [the Garden Route Dam and surrounds] and is not open to any intent that will harm or degrade either the water source or the conservation area. The construction of the units is being done in close consultation with the manager: Building Control who has the delegation to grant approval for erection of temporary structures."
These structures were approved as temporary ones, but they are definitely starting to degrade the surrounding conservation area. What are the municipality's plans with them?
The George Municipality responds:
The municipality is exploring the option of retaining one of the structures. The appointed environmental compliance officer (ECO) has advised that, based on a preliminary assessment, the removal of the one structure and the fact that the remaining structure is built on poles means that there has been no significant soil disturbance.
Accordingly, this activity does not, in principle, trigger any environmental authorisations or permissions.
However, the ECO has also noted that formal written confirmation from the National [Environmental Affairs] Office is still outstanding. Until such confirmation is received, no final decision can be made regarding whether the structure may remain in place.
