OUDTSHOORN NEWS - Community members, landowners, businesses and government stakeholders are being invited to a meeting on Monday, 17 August, to discuss the future management of the Grobbelaars River and efforts to develop a whole-river and catchment maintenance management plan.

The meeting will be hosted by Cango Wildlife and will bring together stakeholders with an interest in the river and its management.

According to Tammy Moult, Chief of Staff at Cango Wildlife, the meeting will include community members, landowners, businesses, private-sector representatives, as well as relevant government and municipal stakeholders.

The Grobbelaars River Maintenance Management Plan (RMMP) is being led by the Garden Route District Municipality under Dr Nina Viljoen, Head of Environmental Management.

The process was spearheaded by Western Cape Premier Alan Winde following his visit to Cango Wildlife in June after the recent floods.

“This resulted in a preliminary river management meeting on 9 July, where Dr Viljoen was confirmed as the lead for the process,” Moult said.

She added that while the current initiative represents a renewed effort to address the management of the Grobbelaars River, it is not a new undertaking.

Previous work towards developing a River Maintenance Management Plan stalled several years ago, partly due to challenges around specialist funding and, more recently, without the input of CapeNature.

“The current process aims to revive that work, bring the relevant stakeholders together and move towards a coordinated, whole-river management approach,” Moult said.
“Cango Wildlife, as a multi-sector private stakeholder, has been appointed to coordinate the project and assist in bringing the relevant parties together.”

Moult said the future management of the Grobbelaars River would require collaboration between those who live, work and operate along the river and the authorities and organisations responsible for its management.

“The local municipality and other relevant government stakeholders have also been invited to participate, as their knowledge, responsibilities and involvement will be important to the process,” she said.

The meeting will also provide an opportunity to identify the individuals and organisations whose voices, knowledge and interests should be represented on a future Steering Committee.

Attendance at the meeting does not commit participants to serving on the Steering Committee.

“The Grobbelaars River has a direct impact on flood resilience, properties, businesses, tourism, infrastructure, environmental management and the wider Oudtshoorn community,” Moult said.

“Meaningful collaboration between government, landowners, business and the community will be essential to developing a practical, whole-river approach.”

The meeting will take place at 17:30 on Monday, 17 August, at Cango Wildlife, 191 Baron Van Reede Street, Oudtshoorn.
Stakeholders wishing to attend are requested to RSVP by Saturday, 15 August, to [email protected]. 

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’