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Public Communication: Important Notice to Coastal Property Owners

The George Municipality acknowledges the urgency faced by owners of coastal property, particularly in the Wilderness area, to protect their beachfront properties from the immediate impacts of coastal erosion and the uncertainty surrounding the responsible authority for this. It must be clarified that, under the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act 24 of 2008 (NEM: ICMA), the state is not obligated to prevent or address the effects of coastal erosion on private properties. The responsibility for protecting properties from natural coastal processes rests with property owners, and any interventions must comply with legal requirements.

There are increasing incidences of sandbags and gabions being placed outside of property boundaries for erosion control along the coastline. It is important for property owners to understand that sandbags and other coastal defence structures may only be placed within their property boundaries. The Municipality and organs of State are obliged to take legal action against property owners who place sandbags or any other structure outside of their boundaries. Section 15 of the NEM: ICMA states that it is unlawful to erect any structure on coastal public property without the required authorisation. Placing sandbags and other structures outside property boundaries without proper approval not only violates this law but can also result in negative consequences.

While these measures provide immediate relief to the property, improperly placed sandbags and structures can obstruct natural processes that are meant to maintain the integrity of the foredune. This can accelerate erosion on adjacent properties by changing the natural flow of sand along the coast and can lead to increased erosion down shore, endangering neighbouring properties and aggravating coastal erosion.

The George Municipality in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning and South African National Parks has prioritised interventions to address coastal encroachments.  These interventions will include raising awareness with affected property owners regarding their obligations in terms of environmental and planning law and enforcement of the legislation.  Affected property owners in the Wilderness area will be issued with contravention notices in this regard and are encouraged to engage with the Municipality regarding rehabilitation efforts.

The Municipality supports the rehabilitation of the foredune, as restoring and maintaining the dune system is an effective way to increase the resilience of the coastline against erosion and storm surges. Before undertaking any such measures, please contact the George Municipality to check compliance with applicable legislation, such as the Outeniqua Sensitive Coastal Area / Extension Regulations, National Environmental Management Act: Environmental Impacts Assessment Regulations and NEM: ICMA. Please follow the link below to access and review the Erosion Response Guideline for more information: Erosion Response Guideline. Alternatively, you can access it on the George Municipality Website > Documents > Policies, Guidelines, Plans and Guidelines > GM Coastal Erosion Guideline.

Affected property owners in Wilderness will in due course receive notification from the Municipality to partake in joint discussions regarding coastal erosion and encroachments along the Wilderness coastline.