GEORGE NEWS - A delegation of mayors and municipal managers from the Garden Route visited the new regional waste management site in Mossel Bay on Wednesday 20 November to view progress being made with its construction. The delegation was led by District Mayor Andrew Stroebel.
The development of the site, next to PetroSA, started falling behind schedule in the first few months after construction had started in the last quarter of 2023.
George Herald journalist Michelle Pienaar reported in February this year that the first phase of the project, that was due to be completed by then, was 29 weeks behind schedule.
The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) said the latest projected completion date for Cell 1A, which is part of phase 1, is March 2025.
According to Johan Gie, GRDM manager for district waste management, Cell 1A needs to be completed for municipalities to start disposing waste. "It is part of the critical path of the project."
The access road, weighbridge with its associated buildings, leachate and water dams, drainage pipes, guardhouse and permanent fencing also have to be completed before waste disposal can start.
In the meantime, PetroSA agreed to a month-to-month extension waste disposal at its own site, provided that licence conditions are met.
Gie said delays to preparing the surface for Cell 1A have been mainly caused by rain and wind damage. "In some cases, work had to be restarted multiple times due to the extent of the damage."
The participating local municipalities that are currently using the PetroSA site as interim measure are George, Mossel Bay Knysna and Bitou.
"All have signed the agreements except for Knysna who promised to sign the agreement at their upcoming council meeting. Oudtshoorn and Hessequa municipalities both still have sufficient landfill airspace available at their own landfill sites. They will join the regional site once their own landfill sites have reached full capacity."
Pienaar reported that the George council had concerns that there was no guarantee that refuse removal rates will not be affected going forward.
