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Bergrivier Municipality wishes to remind residents that all property owners are responsible for preventing their properties from becoming overgrown, as it may pose a serious fire hazard.
According to the municipal bylaws, overgrown erven, including edges, must be cut, and trees (planted) and shrubs must be pruned. Maintenance of erven should be conducted throughout the year, to prevent them from becoming a nuisance or threat to other residents and the public at large.
Determining whether a property is overgrown is at the discretion of the responsible municipal official. Generally, a property is considered overgrown when the grass exceeds knee height. Shrubbery size requirements are based on the growth form of specific plants and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
If a property is found to be overgrown, the property owner will be notified by registered mail and instructed to clear the property within 14 to 21 working days from the date of the registered letter.
Once the notice period has expired, the property will be re-inspected. If it is still overgrown, a municipal contractor will be appointed to clear the property. The cost of this service will be added to the property owner’s municipal account and owners may be issued with a fine if found guilty of transgressing the municipal bylaw.

REPORTING OVERGROWN PROPERTIES:
Please report overgrown properties to any Bergrivier Municipal Office.
For any enquiries contact Ms. Magretha Van der Westhuizen at vanderwesthuizenm@bergmun.org.za
The regulations pertaining to overgrown properties can be found on the municipal website (www.bergmun.org.za) under Documents. Please refer to “Public Nuisances and the Keeping of Animals By-law, 2021. Published in Provincial Gazette 8591 on 13 May 2022 Commenced on 13 May 2022”.