Welcome to WILDERNESS! - WRRA
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Welcome to WILDERNESS!
Attracted by its wildly diverse natural beauty, friendly ‘small village’ atmosphere
and the fabulous climate of Wilderness, more and more people are choosing to make
this piece of paradise their home.
Your Estate Agent has undoubtedly told you that Wilderness enjoys perhaps the best
climate in all South Africa, and that the sea, beaches, rivers, lakes and forest-covered
hills make Wilderness a nature-lover’s delight! We still have bushbuck, rooikat, wild
pigs, porcupines, and the occasional Cape clawless otter and honey badger sightings -
plus over 260 species of birds too!
But the challenge facing every Wilderness resident owner is to retain these natural
gifts - so it is vital that every property owner is committed to responsible,
‘eco-sensitive’ development. Otherwise, with each house, guest house, fence and wall
erected, Wilderness loses a little of its ‘wildness’ appeal and charm.
Inside please find some helpful guidelines that the WRRA (your Wilderness Ratepayers and
Residents Association) hopes you will find most helpful as a new home owner or builder.
Historically, rock art and shell-fish middens found in the mountains behind us testify that this area
was inhabited by the earliest human beings. In 1488, Bartholomew Dias wrote of Khoikhoi herdsmen
roaming the Cape coast. But because the steep gorges of the Kaaimans and Touws Rivers barred ox-
wagon access, Wilderness remained largely un-explored for some 100 years after the Dutch arrived in
Cape Town in 1652. In 1877, George Bennett of Liverpool bought land along the Touws River and
named it ‘Wilderness’. Montagu White, of Fancourt fame, acquired the
farm in 1902 but only when sold by auction in 1921 did development
begin. When the Knysna to George railroad was built in 1928,
Wilderness was the only station
along the way… and then in 1952
the N2 arrived! In the 1980s the
Wilderness National Park was
proclaimed, preserving much of the
natural beauty for us and future
generations to enjoy to the full!
Wilderness falls within the Garden
Route Biosphere Reserve.
For more hugely helpful and interesting information on Wilderness,
go to the WRRA website: www.wrra.co.za. To keep in touch with
WRRA Wilderness, news, talks, events, fire and security matters, Police
A Community in Action 1
Wilderness is a secure and caring community, passionate about the exceptional
natural beauty that surrounds us and the gentle village lifestyle we embrace.
Purchasing an EXISTING home?
Number of pets: Generally the limit is 2 dogs and 2 cats in a residential area. These
pets must be sterilized. (See the Animal Keeping by-laws on the WRRA or George
Municipality websites.)
Beaches: Look for signage as to where dogs are allowed. There are 3 zones: RED = no
dogs allowed, (endangered coastal bird breeding areas or Blue Flag Beach regulations);
ORANGE = dogs must be on leash 9am to
5pm; GREEN = dogs can run free providing
they are under the owner’s control.
Aggressive dogs must be muzzled.
Please bag and bin your dog poo on road
verges, beaches and any public place… or
risk a hefty fine and a day in court!
No alcohol and no fires are allowed on any
beach. N.B. Due to Wilderness being a high fire risk area, NO FIREWORKS are allowed at any time.
Sea Safety: Life guards are only present on peak holidays only. Please be aware of rip tides. Should you find
yourself carried away from shore, relax and go with the current until it dissipates, then swim back to shore.
General Safety: Please do not give to beggars. Rather give a donation to initiatives that feed
the poor: see www.wrra.co.za for details.
You are encouraged to join your neighbourhood security WhatsApp group (see back for details).
Your WRRA: To receive cell-phone fire, power and weather alerts, and to add weight to
Wilderness getting the services it needs from the municipality, join the Wilderness Ratepayers and Residents
Association. (See overleaf).
Garbage: Black garbage bags and green garden waste bags should be put out by 7.30am Tuesday
mornings (or Thursdays in Wilderness Heights), NOT THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, PLEASE! The limit is a
generous 7 bags per week.
Recycling: On the same day, your clean, dry, cardboard, paper, hard plastics, glass and
tins should be put in a blue bag for collection by the municipality or an independent
company. A first blue bag can be collected from the Wilderness Info Office (George
Street). Thereafter, the recycling company will leave you a replacement blue bag.
Litter: Please help keep Wilderness litter free...and feel free to even remove weeds on road verges
when on your walk! As fire is an ever present danger, it is illegal for anyone (including a garden ser-
vice) to dump garden cuttings on a verge or empty erven. Compost garden cuttings (or put in green bags for the
Municipality to remove). The Municipal dump (near George Airport) is open long hours. (See their website).
Wildlife: Please enjoy the wildlife that may visit your garden (and be prepared to
share a bulb or the occasional plant!). If you have a larger property, please help
preserve our wildlife by not fencing along your boundary but rather closer to your
home to allow space for bushbuck to feed and breed! Snakes can be frequent summer
visitors but will move off if allowed to do so. Contact the snake catchers listed on the back
page should you want a snake removed.
Indigenous gardens are encouraged.
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Building can be exciting and satisfying… providing regulations are adhered to.
A good Environmental Practitioner and builder will ensure success.
Going to BUILD?
Much of Wilderness is situated on fossilized sand dunes and developmentally sensitive
ecology. It is bordered by SANParks land with the RAMSAR Wilderness Lakes system in its
centre and the Indian Ocean coastline to the south. Historically the area was host to an
abundance of wildlife, endemic plants and bird life. However, development has slowly taken
its toll and many of these species are threatened.
But, by respecting current environmental, planning and building regulations and legislation, we can avoid
losing more natural beauty that we all appreciate and fight for- and avoid the hefty fines that go with not
complying! Here are some of the laws that may pertain to you and your property. Please contact the George
Municipality (044 801 9111) and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Devel-
opment Planning (DEADP, George – 044 805 8600) to clarify which permissions relate
to your property and proposed development. Please note: In addition to the George
regulations, Wilderness has its own Scheme Regulations and areas such as Constantia
Kloof even have additional ‘regulations’.
Outeniqua Sensitive Coastal Areas Act (OSCA): The disturbance and/or clearing
of any vegetation and any earthworks require an OSCA permit from George
Municipality.* (Check the George Municipality or WRRA websites to see if your erf
requires an OSCA permit.)
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): If your building site requires more than
300m2 of vegetation removed, you may need an EIA*.
* These documents are usually prepared by a qualified Environmental Practitioner.
Land-use regulations: Even if your property is zoned for Agricultural use, one has to apply to the
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF, Knysna – 044 382 5466) to cultivate
uncultivated land. Should you wish to use the property for other reasons (e.g. a resort or guest house), a
change of land use will be necessary through the municipality.
The National Heritage Resources Act of 1999 (NHRA) also gives a certain protection to envi-
ronmental assets and any development that will change the character of an area.
Declaration of Invasive Species: When you purchase your property you must be given a list by the seller of
any invasive species present. This means that you are now responsible for the clearing of those invasives from
your erf, thereby saving indigenous species, saving water and reducing fire risk. Invasive plant species (e.g.
Rooikrans, Black Wattle, Port Jackson, Pines and Eucalyptus) should be removed in a responsible manner and
prevented from spreading. (For details see the SANBI web site.)
Protected trees: The pruning, transplanting or removal or any protected trees
(such as Milkwoods and Cheesewoods, etc.) require a permit from the Department
of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF previously DAFF) in Knysna: 044 382
5466. Where possible, mature indigenous vegetation must be incorporated into the
design of new houses or structures. Rehabilitation, following construction,
should be done with suitable indigenous plant species that occur in Wilderness.
WRRA can supply you with a list of Environmental Practitioners who can guide you
and help ensure compliance with these regulations. Email secretary@wrra.co.za to
request the list, or see the WRRA website: www.wrra.co.za.
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WILDERNESS EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Wilderness Police Station 044 877 0011 NSRI 082 990 5955
Warrant Officer Boshoff 084 300 1151 Wilderness Life Guards 044 801 6311
Fire Department, George 044 801 6311 SANParks (24/7) 044 877 1197
Garden Route Fire and 044 805 5071 Southern Cape Fire 044 302 6912
Emergency Protection Association
George Municipality 044 801 9111 Snake Catchers:
After hours 044 801 6300 Gerhard 076 777 3909
Water leaks and 044 801 9262 Hennie 082 972 2232
Electricity faults Nick 082 378 7384
Sewage leaks 044 801 9258 OSCA permits 044 801 9038
Conservancy tank emptying 044 801 9266 SPCA 044 873 1990
After hours emergencies 082 378 7384
WHATSAPP GROUPS. Contact the relevant Administrators to join As at August 2020
AREA CHAT GROUPS SECURITY GROUPS FIRE (Your local FMU)
CONSTANTIA KLOOF Donald 083 251 8401 Donald 083 251 8401 Dave 083 225 4551
DIEPRIVIER Hein 072 350 2577 Hein 072 350 2577 Nadine 076 514 0747
HOEKWIL Abri 072 119 4963 Johann 082 857 9953 Lynn 083 321 6869
KINGFISHER CLOSE Roxi 071 442 7259 Ian 072 993 2953 Dave 083 225 4551
KLEINKRANTZ Kevin 081 556 2877 Liz 072 118 4328 Dave 083 225 4551
LANGVLEI DUNES Cato 082 820 6373 Jacques 076 782 8747 Andre 084 401 3006
RONDEVLEI Gavin 082 469 3236 Gavin 082 469 3236
SANDS ROAD Lucy 076 903 0257 Dave 083 225 4551
SOUTHSIDE/10th Claire 073 232 4407 Claire 073 232 4407 Dave 083 225 4551
WHITES ROAD Isobel 082 553 3288 Lydia 079 525 6377
WILDERNESS EAST Roxi 071 442 7259 Ian 072 993 2953 Dave 083 225 4551
WILDERNESS HEIGHTS Lynn 082 521 4496 Roy 082 060 7474 Lydia 079 525 6377
WILDERNESS LAKES Ashleigh 073 780 3032
If you love Wilderness, please join the WILDERNESS RATEPAYERS
& RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION. You will strengthen our voice with the
municipality and other authorities, and help maintain a clean and
safe village. Contact wrra@tiscali.co.za or visit our website:
www.wrra.co.za for how to join plus the latest NEWS and a
wealth of other information.
Be informed, be active, be involved!
WRRA
A Community in Action
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