Garden Route District Municipality: Overview

The Garden Route District Municipality covers the Kannaland, Hessequa, Mossel Bay, George, Oudtshoorn, Bitou and Knysna local municipalities.

District municipalities administer and make rules for a district, which includes more than one local municipality. The purpose of district municipalities and local municipalities sharing the responsibility for local government in their areas is to ensure that all communities, particularly disadvantaged communities, have equal access to resources and services. This will help some local municipalities who don't have the capacity (finances, facilities, staff or knowledge) to provide services to their communities. It will also help to cut the costs of running a municipality by sharing resources with others. The "richer" areas will help the "poorer" areas.

Local municiapl functions and powers

Some of the functions and powers of Garden Route District municipality include:

• Integrated development planning for the district municipality as a whole.
• Developing and maintaining waste disposal sites for the district.
• Acting as an agent for provincial government to maintain road infrastructure for the Eden District.
• Municipal health services for the district.
• Fire fighting services for the district.
• Control of fresh produce markets.
• Promoting local tourism for the district.
• Expanded Municipal Public Works Programme (EPWP).
• Supply municipal Health Services.