Parties who have not lodged a notice to appeal against the Gautrain viaduct to be built through Centurion can no longer do so, the Gauteng provincial government said this week.
”People were given time to lodge notice of intention beyond the December holiday season … That period is now over,” said spokesperson for the Gauteng department of agriculture, conservation and environment Sizwe Matshikiza.
The notice to appeal period was closed on Friday 12 January.
”Full documentation setting out the grounds of appeal must be lodged with the office of the [provincial minister] within 30 days after the notice of intention to appeal was lodged.”
Matshikiza was responding to a statement by the Democratic Alliance last week Thursday, which asked the department to give Centurion residents more time to object to the Gautrain sky bridge.
”We believe the [provincial minister] should extend the period for the lodging of notice to object by at least two weeks,” said DA transport spokesperson James Swart.
”If he does not do so we believe he will open himself to accusations that the decision was deliberately announced over the Christmas period in order to sneak it through while many of those affected were away,” he said.
Matshikiza has argued, however, that to delay the process could delay development of construction.
”Appeal processes cannot be opened endlessly. If such a situation was to [occur] it could unnecessarily delay implementation of legitimate developmental projects or applications.”
Construction on the 3,4km viaduct is expected to begin towards the end of the year, said Gautrain Rapid Rail Link Project spokesperson Barbara Jensen. — Sapa