Region
George Local Municipality
South Africa
Western Cape

Sector
Infrastructure

Summary:

George falls within the Eden District, the third largest district economy. George enjoys the strategic advantage of being situated on the major transport routes between Cape Town in the south and Port Elizabeth in the east. This creates investment opportunities, particularly with regard to manufacturing, logistics and warehousing.

Contact
Charles Standers

Email
post@george.org.za

Tel
+27 44 801 9111

The water supply of any city is of course of critical importance. That is why the George Municipality implemented a water and sanitation design and management information system for the George area. Analysing and planning are critical aspects of a comprehensive water plan, which was why George saw fit to introduce the programme. It is part of its philosophy of looking ahead and planning accordingly. George was, however, not the only role-player and the provincial government was actively involved as well.

George Municipality is confident that, with this analysis, it is fully prepared for the challenges of future demands, and that within its ambit, it will be able to provide the city with an adequate supply of water, now and in the foreseeable future. 

One of the challenges placed on a burgeoning city such as George is how to manage its waste. It stands to reason that in this beautiful garden city, ‘green’ should be the watchword and recycling the philosophy that governs the way the city does business. The city removes most of the green waste to a private recycling plant to save space at the refuse site. Approximately 1 000 cubic metres of green waste is removed monthly and recycling is done by means of a blue-bag system whereby a private contractor collects blue bags containing recyclables from households on a weekly basis. 

George has launched several innovative waste-management initiatives that manage hazardous oil, batteries, used tyres, fluorescent tubes, etc. E-waste such as computers, hi-fis, radios, microwave ovens, etc is managed in a different manner. In addition to the above, communities will be educated on ‘green’ living and recycling through competitions. Through these initiatives, George is not only coping with the present-day problems posed by waste, but also looking towards the future, educating its people about the hazards of waste and helping them manage them. 

Master plans are in place for the long-term provision of electricity. There is a solid supply of electricity available from Eskom and with increased demand, HV and MV networks are simulated on Power Tools load flow software to determine where and when the network will need to be strengthened. Following these results, infrastructure is installed (as is allowed by the master plans and budget constraints), and as a result, the supply of electricity is keeping abreast of demand. Major electricity-supply projects have recently been completed or are in progress.

The existing road network requires constant upgrading in the realm of traffic-systems management in order to provide additional capacity at intersections, to reduce delays and cost of travel and to improve safety. Putting in place a world-class road and transport system was and remains a priority for the George Municipality. As part of its plan to create an integrated transport system for George, the municipality has undertaken a project to create a scheduled, reliable public transport system. Central to the George Integrated Public Transport Network (GIPTN) initiative is the introduction of an integrated modern bus system. Such a system will comprise local services within the built urban and the surrounding areas of George. It will also introduce a shuttle link with the George Airport, and inter-town services to better link George with Oudtshoorn, Mossel Bay and Knysna. For the inter-town services a terminus facility is required.

The George Municipality has enlisted the support of the George taxi industry in this regard. The process of formalising the existing taxi industry into an operator company is well under way. George is partnering with the Western Cape Department of Transport, which will be providing the support required to implement the project through financial assistance and capacity-building over a number of years.

For more information, contact:

Charles Standers, Executive Mayor
Email: post@george.org.za 
Tel: +27 44 801 9111
Fax: +27 44 801 9105
Website: www.george.org.za