During the Onrus Beach clean-up operations, it was identified that an inaccessible area is accumulating debris which causes wash up on the areas that has already been cleaned.

This greatly affects the timeline and progress of the operation.

Due to the location of the area, earth moving machines cannot access it and manual labour is not a feasible option due to time constraints.

The other option is to burn the debris. Overstrand Municipality’s Environmental Management Services, in consultation with the Fire Department, decided to proceed with this option and will conduct a controlled burn on Monday, 20 November 2023.  Should the weather conditions not be favourable for Monday, the burn will continue on either Tuesday or Wednesday, weather dependant.

Smoke is to be expected on either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Do not be alarmed if you see smoke or burning debris on the Onrus beach.

Traffic Services will also be on scene to manage traffic flow, and if necessary, certain roads will be closed and it will be communicated to residents.

Overstrand Municipality would like to thank the Onrus River Rescue Group for providing their beach cleaning team to rake the debris into manageable heaps. The Onrus Beach clean-up is truly a community effort; kudos to all involved.

In the event of an emergency, contact the Fire & Rescue Emergency Control Room on 028 312 2400.