Beacon Bay loses recycling centre due to red tape
Administration, zoning blamed
Zoning discrepancies and haphazard municipal administration have robbed Beacon Bay of the opportunity of having a buy back recycling centre.
The Beacon Bay recycling buy back centre would have been established as part of the Border Kei Chamber of Business’ (BKCB) Call to Action programme. Plans for this have been underway since early this year but the BCM property and land planning department put the brakes on the initiative, forcing the centre to move to Nompumelelo in ward 15.
Zoning discrepancies also nearly compromised the future of the recycling buy back centre on St George’s Street in Southernwood, which has been operating for a year unbeknown to BCM property and land planning.
The BCM department of solid waste had approved the piece of land for the recycling buy back centre without confirming the zoning limitations, but BKCB is taking steps to rectify this.
Project manager at BKCB Wena Brukwe said, “We are not subject to the internal processes of BCM as they are responsible for identifying a piece of land and providing us with a site so that we can start with construction.”
Ward councillor Frederick Pohl said, “One would think that BCM would follow their own planning by-laws.
“We lost an opportunity for a recycling centre in Beacon Bay but if it is in Nompumelelo, at least it’s close enough for the residents from Beacon Bay to still make use of.
“In principle, we support the establishment of a recycling centre but not on a piece of land not zoned for that purpose.”
In recent years, the Call-toAction programme has greatly improved recycling and waste management across the city.
Spearheaded by BKCB in collaboration with the municipality and recycling organisations, and funded by a grant from National Treasury, the programme has established five recycling buy back centres in Southernwood, Oxford Street, Gonubie, Qonce and Mdantsane.
By the end of June, the chamber will have established seven centres in total, finishing development in Quigney and Nompumelelo.
After June, the recycling centres will be handed over to local SMMEs who are currently being trained to run the centres.
“Not only do these buy back centres divert recyclable waste from the landfill but they play an important role in creating local economies for employment.
“Though it is coming to an end, the Call-to-Action programme has achieved so much in terms of the volumes of waste we were able to recycle and the thousands of rands gained in recycling for profit.”
Ward councillor for ward 15, Nwabisa Mcwabeni said, “The centre will help to keep my community clean and will provide jobs in the area.”