To see how hard working Ward Councillors go about their jobs, see Ward 6 councillor, Retief Odendaal’s newsletter below. Scroll down to see the contact Details for Ward 6.
Die Nelson Mandela Metro Raad is tans besig om die 2012/2013 begroting te finaliseer en het ‘n reeks openbare vergaderings gereël om insae van die publiek daarop te verkry.
Dit wil voorkom asof inwoners hul hierdie jaar ongelukkig weereens vir hemelhoë tariefverhogings moet staal synde daar gemiddelde tariefverhogings van 13% op erfbelasting, vullisverwydering en water in die konsepbegroting voorgestel word.
Nieteenstaande die metro se benarde finansiële posisie oor die afgelope paar jaar behoort hierdie dubbelsyfer tariefverhogings van meer as twee keer die huidige inflasiesyfer steeds ‘n skok vir meeste inwoners te wees.
Die Metro was genoodsaak om die voorgestelde tariefverhogings daar te stel synde daar weliswaar jaarliks ‘n al groter begrotingstekort is. Net verlede jaar het die Metro byvoorbeeld meer as twee honderd miljoen Rand meer bestee as wat verdien is. Gesonde begrotingsbeginsels verg nou maar eenmaal dat geen mens of instansie jaarliks meer kan uitgee as wat hy verdien nie; tensy jy iewers jou rieme wil styf loop.
Die Demokratiese Alliansie het dit duidelik gemaak dat die Raad alleenlik van belastingbetalers kan verwag om die voorgestelde tariefverhogings te ondersteun mits daar duidelikheid oor die Metro se bedryfsdoeltreffendheid gegee word. Daar kan immers nie verwag word dat belastingbetalers elke jaar meer tot die begroting moet bydra terwyl daar nog etlike plekke is waar belastingsgelde daagliks verkwis of wanbestee word nie. Aangeleenthede waarin duidelikheid verlang word sluit in die daarstel van dringende besuiningingsmaatreels waaronder streng beheer oor gebruik van die Raad se hulpbronne toegepas moet word asook die verkleining van die personeelskorps in beide die Burgemeesterskantoor asook die Hoofsweep se kantoor. Sodoende kan reeds meer as sestig miljoen Rand bespaar word. Die DA het dit ook duidelik gemaak dat hul net die begroting sal ondersteun indien daar afgesien word van planne om twintig miljoen Rand te bestee om die Maritzburg United sokkerspan te akkomodeer en dat daar ingrypend teen die Baai se verkeersdepartement opgetree word om hul produktiwiteit aan te spreek.
Gegewe die feit dat die meeste munisipaliteite in Suid-Afrika vandag finansieel sukkel, raak dit al hoe duideliker dat die huidige befondsingsmodel vir munisipaliteite nie volhoubaar kan wees nie. Daar is net eenvoudig te véél nuwe infrastruktuur wat gebou moet word, te véél dienste wat gelewer moet word en te mín vuisvoos belastingbetalers wat die munsipale wiele aan die rol hou.
WARD 6 INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PLAN (IDP SUBMISSIONS)
The following submissions have been made on behalf of the Ward 6 community and have been included in the 2012/13 Integrated Development Plan (IDP). The IDP regrettably remains very much a wish list but I can confirm that this is the first time that we have ever been successful in getting all of the priorities identified onto the IDP.
Please peruse the identified priorities and let me know if there are any particular areas where you believe we should be placing more emphasis or may have neglected to include.
Herewith then the 5 TOP IDP priorities as identified:
- William Moffat rehabilitation and upgrade;
- Construction of a link road between the newly extended Restitution Ave and Glenhurd Drive.
- Identification of Municipal Waste Disposal (tip) Site in Fairview;
- Glen Hurd Drive upgrade;
- Fairview illegal dumping cleared and electricity infrastructure restored.
The additional ward based priorities include:
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE
- Widening of 17th Avenue;
- Widening of Circular Drive from William Moffat to van Eck Road;
- Traffic Circle in Walter Road and Miles Avenue, Charlo;
- Erect suitable pedestrian crossing opposite MTR Smit children’s Haven and Crystal Garden Retirement Village;
- Rehabilitate 3rd Avenue dip/Glen Hurd Drive, Baakens River Bridge, to prevent ongoing flooding;
- Cycle track in Charlo along railway line;
- Widening of road from railway line into Carrington Road, to Circular Drive.
- Comprehensive traffic assessment for Newton Park
- Traffic calming measures: (a) Pedestrian Speed humps – MTR Children’s Haven/ Circular Drive and Buffelsfontein Road/ Melsetter. (b) Speed humps – Constance Rd, Broadwood; Cecil Str, Newton Park; Lucas Str, Newton Park; Kinnersley Str, Newton Park and Timothy Str, Charlo (c) Traffic Circle/ Traffic Lights – Harold Str/ Walter Rd
SAFETY AND SECURITY DIRECTORATE
- Ongoing law enforcement i.r.o. speeding in Walter Road, Constance Road, Circular Drive and Martin Road, Charlo as well as in Newton Park;
- Anti-crime volunteers;
- Installation of traffic cameras in Circular Drive and Walter Road, Charlo;
- Roving traffic camera for ward.
HOUSING AND LAND DIRECTORATE
- Enforcement of bylaws i.r.o. illegal business in Newton park (particularly 3rd Avenue and adjoining roads in Newton Park);
- Municipal tip in Fairview to replace the tip closed down off the William Moffat Expressway.
PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTORATE
- Bush Clearing in Public Open Spaces
- Clearing of dumping in Fairview;
- Clearing of overgrowth in 3rd Avenue dip to prevent flooding;
- Clearing of overgrowth under bridge, on William Moffat, between Pine Road and Circular Drive to prevent flooding.
ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY DIRECTORATE
- Erection of permanent substation, William Moffat expressway, to replace existing temporary structure;
- Maintenance of streetlights and implementation of further streetlights in Overbaakens;
- Lighting for John Avenue walkway to Margery Avenue, Charlo;
- Lighting for Heatherbank Reservoir, between Broadwood and Lovemore Heights.
SOCIAL HOUSING FOR FAIRVIEW
Imizi Housing Utility, a section 21 company, is currently applying for funding for the construction of 368 rental units on Erf 3937 Fairview (situated between Omar and Restitution Avenues). This is only the second social housing development to be launched in Nelson Mandela Bay and shall be similar to the first one, Walmer Link, which is currently under construction.
Funding for this project shall come from the Department of Human Settlements in the Eastern Cape, the Social Housing Regulatory Authority as well as the Dutch International Guarantee for Housing.
This project has been in the pipeline for a number of years and shall see the erection of 174 two bedroom units of 50 square metres, 136 one bedroom units of 38 square metres and 58 studio apartments of 30 square metres.
It is expected that the contractor shall break ground before the end of the year. Below is the architects’ proposed layout of the development.
VAGRANTS NEWTON PARK
Newton Park has recently seen a huge increase in vagrant activity. Complaints have been received from various business owners that the vagrants are now affecting business operations as some vagrants constantly harass customers.
Although this is a social problem which most metros face today, the problem has to be managed or it could easily spiral out of control.
On the 13th of June 2012 a public meeting was held at the Newton Park Auditorium where I discussed the matter with local business owners and representatives from the Mount Road Police Station. A social worker from the ACVV also addressed the meeting and expressed concern that the constant financial support from the public is actually inviting more and more vagrants into our area.
SAPS undertook to monitor the situation closely and indicated that they are willing to arrest and remove any problematic, unruly vagrants.
The meeting decided on the following action plan:
- SAPS shall closely monitor the situation and shall assist the metro security officers as well as the neighborhood watch by arresting unruly vagrants;
- My office together with the neighborhood watch shall embark on a public awareness campaign so as to educate business owners as well as the broader public on the effects that their financial assistance to the vagrants and illegal car guards have on businesses in our area;
- Business Against Crime shall assist my office by distributing posters to be put up in shop windows that would discourage the public to financially support the vagrants.
We call upon the public not to give any financial assistance to the vagrants as this merely encourages them to remain on the streets. This said, I know many of us see it as our Christian duty to look after those that cannot look after themselves. However, I would rather urge that if you want to assist, rather endeavour to make financial contributions to the various shelters in the metro.
Please also remember that the only “legal” car guards are those that work on private property. Almost all of the car guards in our area are illegal and should not be supported financially.
LIQUOR ACT FAILS PUBLIC
Given the high level of liquor consumption in the Eastern Cape and the ensuing effects thereof, the Eastern Cape Liquor Act is in drastic need of reform. This piece of legislation is an indictment on our Provincial law makers and is a clear example of how ‘bad legislation’ can have a detrimental effect on the lives of so many innocent individuals.
It is unfortunate that the Eastern Cape Liquor Board has of late been reduced to a bureaucratic, rubber stamping institution that pays scant lip service to public participation whilst dishing out Liquor Licenses as if they were some sort of candy. Whilst I am in no way suggesting that we curb entrepreneurial creativity when it comes to newly established liquor outlets, we simply cannot condone the continued granting of countless Liquor Licenses particularly where surrounding communities are strongly opposed to the granting of such licenses.
In the normal course of events a Liquor License applicant forwards his application to the relevant ward Councillor. Upon receipt thereof the councillor shall acknowledge receipt of the application by signing the applicable form. Thereafter, the ward Councillor or ward committee chairperson will have 30 days in which to facilitate a public participation process. Should the municipality have no ward committees in place (as is currently the case in the metro), the matter becomes rather complicated as ward Councillors are then expected to facilitate the public participation process on their own accord which may include arranging public meetings or the distribution of consent letters.
Quite disturbing is the fact that in terms of the act, the Liquor Board is not obliged to take part in these public participation processes. The objections received from close by residents and affected community members are merely forwarded to the board together with a letter of recommendation from the ward councilor in respect of the desirability of the application. Unfortunately the board these days very seldom take due cognizance of the objections received and would generally merely instruct the ward Councillor to set up a mediatory meeting between the objectors and the applicant.
To add insult to injury there is generally zero communication between the Liquor Board and Local Authorities in order to establish whether the premises for potential liquor outlets are zoned correctly and as to whether special consent has in fact been received from Council to open the liquor outlet. This approach frequently results in costly and lengthy litigation between the local authority and the liquor license holder and could have easily been avoided had the board insisted that the premises be zoned correctly before issuing a liquor license.
A newly established liquor outlet in Charlo is a prime example of the aforementioned. Despite this institution being situated within 30 metres from the closest residential properties and the board having received more than forty objections to the proposed granting of the license, the board still insists that it is unable to stop the granting of the license.
The complaints in the case at hand relate to noise pollution emanating from the facility and, according to the board, is in itself not a reason to refuse an application. According to the board it is up to the local authority to enforce its own bylaws to insure that noise pollution does not constitute a nuisance to the neighbouring properties.
In terms of the act and whilst this may be technically correct, it does very little to console owners’ whose use and enjoyment of their properties have been affected by close by noisy liquor outlets.
The Eastern Cape Liquor Act definitely has significant shortcomings and one could only hope that in the not too distant future we will see substantial changes to this flawed piece of legislation. Furthermore, the liquor board has an undeniable duty to issue licenses in a responsible manner. In my opinion the board thus needs substantially more powers delegated to it in terms of the Act in order to fulfill this very important mandate.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- The Newton Park Sector Police Forum’s monthly meeting takes place at 18:30 on the 4th of July 2012 at Elizabeth Place in Pickering Street.
A contractor is currently on site and is installing bollards at the top and bottom of the 3rd Avenue Dip in order to prevent callous drivers from “sidelining” the barricades when the dip has been closed due to flooding.
Just another reminder that it is an offence to put refuse bags out prior to the day of collection. Residents are urged to place their black bags out on the same morning of the pick-up if possible. This will help to reduce littering and to keep unwanted elements out of our ward.
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Be great to get a report from ward 5…