Concern over state of dam area after film crew leaves

GEORGE NEWS - There is concern over the condition in which the Garden Route Dam area was left behind after the filming of a South African television series there.

An environmentalist who often visits the area said he informed the tourism department on Saturday 30 November of the state of things.

"Litter and plastic had been left behind which had since been blown into hidden corners of the dam. Logs had been planted in the water and cut flush with the water's surface, a potential danger for canoeists," he said, requesting to remain anonymous.

"There are also drifting logs and debris from the construction work. Patches of the indigenous forest have been cleared unnecessarily. A new footpath was made between the two houses in the indigenous bush while there is an existing path further up. One can see that while they were making the path, there were places where they had cleared the underbrush to the right, but decided against it and then cleared to the left. If an environmental consultant had been appointed, he certainly did not do his job."

Garden Route Dam Action Group (Gardag) chairperson Desireé du Preez also contacted the paper, saying it has been 21 days since the crew left, yet debris and litter glaringly meet visitors.

"This past weekend, white plastic drums have been spotted bobbing up the Kat River as well as toward Pepsi Pools. Pieces of the floating bridge are stranded along the dam wall as well as below the spillway. Will the houses now be left for informal settlers to occupy?"

Rubbish in the water near one of the huts.

Du Preez said the municipality had indicated that the site needs to be rehabilitated under supervision of an environmental control officer (ECO).

"But the public is becoming increasingly concerned that the structures have still not been removed. The ECO also had to oversee measures to prevent pollution of the watercourse and other risks. The film crew has gone, but the damage remains."

George Municipality had granted rental use of the dam area to the production company Red Pepper Pictures for the filming stint.

Some of the logs planted in the water are cut flush with the water's surface, a potential danger to canoeists.

'Area will be restored to original condition'

According to communications head Chantèl Edwards, the production team met the strict conditions of the filming permit prior to and during filming, including the appointment of a professional environmental practitioner. Cleaning up is underway and much of the debris has already been removed. "The production team remains committed to addressing any outstanding debris and restoring the area to its original condition."

Edwards promised that the municipality will conduct a thorough inspection once the clean-up and environmental rehabilitation efforts have been completed. This is expected to be soon. "The municipality is deliberating the future of the structures left behind, with safety, legal, and environmental considerations in mind."

Red Pepper Pictures assistant producer Anton Smal confirmed that they have employed an environmental practitioner before the project started. "They will continue the roll-out of their processes in conjunction with our clean-up and clearance processes which are all still ongoing. The clean-up phase of the project is 100% locally manned with more than 40 people contracted to assist in the process."

The TV series is under embargo and its title may not be released.

Clearing of indigenous bush evident at the water's edge. Photos: Marthinus Esmeyer