Wilderness Beach Blue Flag to fly from Friday

GEORGE NEWS - The Wilderness beach Blue Flag will be flying from Friday 3 December for the coming summer season.

Facilities for the hoisting of the flag have been prepared, but George Municipality cannot hoist the flag before large piles of debris on the beach, resulting from the flash floods on Monday 22 November, have been cleared.

Deputy Mayor Raybin Figland, accompanied by Councillor Marlene Barnardt and acting municipal manager Michele Gratz, on Tuesday 30 November held an inspection of the facilities where the flag is to be hoisted.

They were accompanied by Nosidima Vuminda, manager of Parks and Recreation at George Municipality.

Figland said compliance for Blue Flag includes high standards of water quality monitoring, public safety and lifeguard services, and well-maintained coastal amenities. The flag can therefore only be hoisted after the cleanup.

"Blue Flag status offers many benefits including improved tourism facilities, enhanced management of coastal ecosystems, increased awareness of the coast and capacity building of coastal municipalities as well as carrying significant international merit," said Figland.

The Blue Flag season runs from 1 December to 31 January.

Wilderness Beach has full Blue Flag status and Victoria Bay and Herold’s Bay both gained Pilot status.

Blue Flag is an international coastal management programme that accredits beaches that meet standards of excellence in water quality, environmental management, environmental education and information as well as safety and services.

In South Africa the programme is implemented by the Wildlife Environmental Society of South Africa (Wessa). The country has been participating in the Blue Flag programme since 2001.

Cllrs Raybin Figland and Marlene Barnardt, Dr Michele Gratz and Nosidima Vuminda (from left) inspect the recently updated public facilities readied for the 2021 festive season and Blue Flag status.