GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The waste management licence for the construction of the Garden Route's regional waste management site has been extended by 10 years.

It would have lapsed on 5 February 2024, according to a statement by the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) issued on 17 March.

An environmental impact assessment (EIA) for establishing a waste site was completed during 2012. Following the finalisation of the EIA process, the GRDM was issued with an environmental authorisation by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP) and a waste management licence from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) (in February 2014).

A condition of the licence is that the construction of the site had to start within two years from the date of issue of the licence.

"Due to the various delays in the establishment of the facility, including the inconclusive public private partnership process that did not come to fruition largely because of the Covid-19 pandemic, GRDM had to apply to DFFE for an extension of the start date on a bi-annual basis," says GRDM communications officer Marillia Veldkornet.

"The last approved extension was to expire on 24 May 2023, and another application for an extension was submitted on 7 December 2022."

"The licence is only valid for a period of 10 years from the date of issue, meaning the validity period was to expire on 5 February 2024. Therefore, together with the application for an extension of the start date, GRDM further applied for an extension of the validity period of the licence."

Approval of the commencement date was granted for a further two years, and the validity period of the licence was extended by 10 years. The extension was issued by the DFFE on 6 March.

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