George represented at WCPDF Conference

GEORGE NEWS - George Municipality was well represented at the 10th annual Western Cape Property Development Forum (WCPDF) Conference held on 8 and 9 June at the CTICC in Cape Town.

The WCPDF is a registered non-profit organisation 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.

The forum also facilitates relations between the industry and authorities, and actively engages in the education and transformation of the industry.

Municipal Manager Dr Michele Gratz and Director of Human Settlements, Planning and Development Lauren Waring participated in two panel discussions relating to the role of municipalities and their policies in unlocking land for development and the ease of doing business.

"They proudly communicated George's offering to the 350 delegates," said Mayor Leon van Wyk.

"The conference also covered micro-development, the product offered by the Western Cape and infrastructure. We believe that there will be positive outcomes from useful discussions that took place on the sidelines of the conference."

Waring said while the rest of South Africa remains suspended in a political and economic holding pattern, the Western Cape is moving forward due to the huge contribution made by the property development and construction industry. "This trend is certainly being seen in George, where the city is experiencing exponential investment and growth."

Thought leaders

The annual WCPDF conference brings together thought leaders from the public and private sectors involved in fixed capital investment, who aim to work together to tackle the challenges and celebrate the achievements of the sector.

Delegates at the conference represent the many facets that make up the industry, from large-scale developers to micro-developers, as well as the many professional consultants, contractors and other service providers who work within the sector.

George team take a selfie in the auditorium. From left are Director of Human Settlements, Planning and Development Lauren Waring; Municipal Manager Dr Michele Gratz and Mayor Leon van Wyk.

Discussions

On the first day, Waring formed part of a panel that discussed how to unlock municipal land for development. The discussion was facilitated by Kobus Munro, the Director of Development Management at the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning.

Gratz participated in a panel discussion on the role of the municipal manager, facilitated by chairperson of the WCPDF Deon van Zyl. Discussions ranged from the challenge of obtaining clean audits, to stressing the importance of being development-orientated and making provision for the growth of the town through the provision of adequate infrastructure.

Gratz highlighted the phenomenal expansion in infrastructure projects over the past three years and the allocation of the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) funding, which has raised the city's budget over the R1-billion mark. George is the first non-metro to be awarded such funding.

The invitation to participate on the panels emanated from a presentation at the 2022 WCPDF Conference, where Van Wyk presented the opportunities that George offers.

Another result from last year's conference was the establishment of a local chapter of the WCPDF: the Southern Cape Property Development Forum, which has been actively engaging with the municipality.