GEORGE NEWS - The George Municipality expressed its disapproval with a contractor clearing vegetation at a proposed road construction campsite in the Boven Lange Valley without the required permissions.
Municipal spokesperson Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe said Martin and East, the company subcontracted by Sanral to upgrade the N2 from Kaaimans to Wilderness, had approached the municipality and SANParks three weeks ago to discuss site options for a potential road camp.
He said out of the four possible sites, the site in question, currently an agricultural zone 1 property, was endorsed by both the municipality and SANParks.
"The contractor was advised of the applications needed to legitimise such a site, which includes an application for temporary departure [from zoning regulations], an Outeniqua Sensitive Coastal Areas [Osca] exemption permit and building plans," he said.
Mangqwengqwe said the temporary departure to allow industrial operations will be subject to public participation and will, if granted, only be valid for the duration of the activity, which may not exceed five years. According to Martin and East's contract manager, Stuart Tanner, the project should only carry on for 36 months.
Mangqwengqwe added the Osca application will be exempt from public participation as the site does not require extensive clearance of vegetation.
"It is unfortunate that the contractor commenced without the required permissions. These actions are not condoned by the municipality," he said.
Martin and East has since been notified of the transgressions and met with the municipality on Wednesday. At the time of going to press, the meeting's outcome was not yet known. The article will be updated once George Herald receives more information.
Mangqwengqwe was also not yet able to comment on the potential impacts and or the required mitigation that would be triggered by the development, as full details of the proposed facility were not yet known to the municipality.
He did, however, reiterate the municipality's commitment to making sure the cart is not allowed to overtake the horses. "Our inspectors have visited the site on several occasions and the urgency of following due process has been impressed upon the contractor," said Mangqwengqwe.
He added the landowner will also be held accountable for his part in ensuring compliance with the applicable regulations.
The pasture on a farm at Rondevlei that has been cleared to make way for a construction yard linked to the N2 road upgrade between Kaaimans and Wilderness. Photo: Lisa Mulligan
Community feels cast aside
Meanwhile, some Rondevlei residents say they felt forsaken by local authorities who apparently ignored their calls for engagement over the surprise construction yard.
Unconfirmed claims suggest the project is being pushed through without the necessary permits and approvals in place. The construction yard for which earthworks reportedly commenced on 8 April, is linked to the tender awarded to Martin and East for upgrading the N2 from Kaaimans to Wilderness.
In addition to a perceived lack of procedural protocol (including public participation), the townspeople are most concerned about the potential environmental impact of the planned site office, laboratory, heavy construction machinery that will be maintained there as well as other vehicles that will access the site daily (12 to 18 in total).
The site is located at Farm Boven Lange Valley 189/110, about 2.5km east of the ecologically sensitive Malachite Bird Hide, and the road, already in a dreadful condition, is reportedly also frequented by wildlife such as bushbuck, caracal, porcupines and owls, as well as domestic animals such as horses, donkeys and dogs.
To try and iron out the creases, Martin and East initiated a community meeting on 16 April. However, the community leaders' best efforts at contacting the various representatives from SANParks, George Municipality, the George City Council and the Western Cape Government Roads Department to attend the meeting were met with crickets.
Pastureland cleared for the proposed construction yard to be set up.
Contractor engages community
At the meeting, Martin and East's contract manager, Stuart Tanner, fielded a raft of precollated questions.
According to the minutes of the meeting seen by George Herald, Tanner conceded the proposed site was not ideal, as it was far from the N2. He said other sites closer to the N2 were investigated, however, they each had either political or environmental issues that had to be addressed.
Regarding the Osca permits, Tanner said they had consulted with the relevant authorities, and as the land is zoned agriculture 1, an Osca permit was not triggered. This is in contradiction with what George Municipality would say seven days later.
Addressing the alleged lack of transparency and public participation, Tanner apologised, but stated that as subcontractors, they were not allowed to engage with the media without Sanral's approval. He added Martin and East was only the tenant, and as such, it was the landowner's responsibility to inform affected persons - a neglect of duty some commentators viewed as disrespectful to the community and a violation of their rights.
Tanner went on to say the site will have CCTV cameras and motion-censored security lights. Noise pollution would be limited to Mondays to Saturdays 06:30 to 17:00 and dust pollution should be reduced when the surface of the road is improved. Some of the water used on the site will be obtained from an on-site borehole, while water for the laboratory and human consumption will be brought it.
In conclusion, Tanner committed to full rehabilitation of the site after the 36-month contract expires.
After the meeting, while a large cohort of community members had made peace with the yard in return for some much-needed upgrades to the gravel road that serves this rural community, the subsequent surfacing of a petition aimed at forcing an alternative site at all cost appears to indicate a shift in the community's mood.
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