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039-316-6760
IMPORTANT MEETING:
Domestic Worker's Forum
Please encourage your
staff to attend. Their interaction and co-operation with our Sector Police is
critical to fighting crime in Southbroom.
Southbroom Community
Centre at 13h00 on Friday 17 September 2010
UPDATE:
UIP Voting
Process
Southbroom has returned a majority vote
in favour of the continuation of the 'Special Rating Area'.
Of the 1069 Southbroom properties,
660 (61.7%) votes were received:
> 603 (56.4%) in favour;
> 57 (5.3%) against.
We thank the Southbroom community for
their continued support of this initiative.
The matter will be on the HCM Council
Agenda on 31 August 2010.
NEW PREMISES:
Southbroom
Sector Police Station
Our Community Police Station will be
relocated from Imbezane Road to the Southbroom Community Centre in the near
future.
This decision was taken in response to
constructive criticism received during the UIP voting process.
The new location will improve
visibility and place our Sector Policing operation in the heart of the village.
Furthermore, SAPS Reservists appointed
to man the telephones will receive additional training to ensure good telephone
technique, improved diction, and sound knowledge of the Southbroom street names
and network.
The ex-Police Station premises will
serve as the Community Centre.
PLEASE HELP: Criminals need
to be convicted
Our police risk their lives to arrest crime suspects but they keep on having to
let them go free!
Why?
Because we, the complainants, are often not prepared to give witness in court
and, without our testimony, suspects walk free.
This might be because our permanent residence is not in Southbroom and, having
received the insurance replacement, its both cost and inconvenience to return
down south? We possibly also dread wasting our time in court and fear that,
having made the effort, the case might be postponed?
The police have assured us that, when an out of town witness is present, the
case will proceed even if only to receive their testimony.
The police need all the assistance we can give them to rid our streets of
criminals. Please make every effort to help them - see your case through.
SAPS has advised that, in an effort to 'encourage' witnesses to appear, in future stolen
goods will only be returned to the rightful owner after the court case.
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
Our work cannot continue without your support
The annual subscriptions of
Southbroom Ratepayers Association and Southbroom Conservancy
are R200 each. Please support these community efforts and
make payment as follows:
• Southbroom
Ratepayers Association: Standard Bank Margate 057528,
Account Number 053386744
• Southbroom
Conservancy: Nedbank Port Shepstone 139828, Account Number
1398104930
Please
E-mail proof of payment, your details and stand number to
southbroom@icon.co.za
Sincere thanks to those Ratepayers and
Residents who have paid their subscriptions.
CONTACT NUMBERS
Ratepayers Chair:
Bruce
Mackenzie
Mobile: 083-702-1311
Email:
bruce.mackenzie@telkomsa.net
Conservancy Chair:
David Halle
Mobile: 082-300-4283
Email:
marfurn@telkomsa.net
Policing Forum Chair:
Kingsley du
Plessis
Mobile: 083-441-6986
Email:
lynne@mcdup.co.za
Concerned Residents Against Pollution Chair:
James (Jim) Davey
Land line: 039-316-6595
Email:
jmacray@vodamail.co.za
Library Chair:
Annette Brink
Mobile: 082-448-4115
Landline: 039-316-6243
Library:
039-316-6999
Email:
mwgvolck@iafrica.com
Ward
Councillor:
Dave
Watson
Mobile:
082-374-4114
Landline:
039-311-2653
Email:
dave@kzncoast.co.za
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DISCOUNT:
Assessment Rates - Early Settlement
Incentive
The Hibiscus Coast Municipality
is offering ratepayers a 4% concession on the current 2010/2011 rates levied
amount (not on arrears or other services) if the amount is settled in full annually on or before
30 September 2010.
You can download an Application
Form from their website
http://www.hcm.gov.za/default.aspx?pid=51 (it was still reflecting last
year's form as of this morning but may be updated by now?) or
direct your enquiries to the Customer Service Centre in Margate on
039-312-8312/14/24.
The
closing date for applications is 31 August 2010.
You may also wish to arrange to
receive your rates statement via e-mail. Your request needs to be submitted in
writing to the Customer Service Centre and you would need to update all contact
details.
ALOE PROJECT:
Why the thraskii's on the
beach have bags and cages over them
A pollination ecology research team
headed up by Prof Steve Johnson at the School of Biological & Conservation
Sciences, UKZN in Pietermaritzburg, is assisting Ms Kirsten Patrick with her MSc
project on the Aloe thraskii. She is being helped in the field at the
moment by Dr Karl Duffy, a post doc from Ireland.
One of the aspects of Kirsten's project
is to identify the main pollinators of Aloe thraskii. There are three ideas as
to who can be contributing to pollination: 1) bees, 2) sunbirds, and 3) other
birds that only occasionally drink nectar, but don't specialise on it as
sunbirds do (e.g. white-eyes, weavers, bulbuls, etc.).
We suspect it is group 3, especially
weavers, that are the main pollinators of this species. It is a red data book
species, and with current development levels down the coast it is useful to
study it's basic breeding biology in order to help assess it's conservation
status and threats.
Most Aloes are unable to self pollinate
(set viable seed without a pollinator), yet it has been suggested that Aloe
thraskii can - Kirsten will also be examining this too. The cages on the plants
are used to exclude birds but not insects, which allows us to determine the role
of each of these groups in pollination, and the bags exclude all pollinators to
see if the plant can self pollinate.
I would appreciate any observations of
birds feeding on these plants, and will get Kirsten to get in touch with you
later this week too. Any help you or other conservancy members could give here
in terms of identifying birds when she is in the field would be most
appreciated. I would be happy to come down later in the year to give a talk to
the conservancy on bird pollination work if you would like.
Mark Brown
brownma@ukzn.ac.za
SOUTHBROOM LIBRARY:
Growing from strength to strength
In order to protect the books from the severe
humidity of our coastal conditions, a Dehumidifier / Air Conditioner has been
installed. Not only will the books be protected, but the cooler atmosphere will
make for more pleasant conditions in the hot summer months – for librarians and
visitors alike.
With the increase in books via new purchases and
book donations, the existing shelving has proved inadequate. New shelving has
been acquired and our grateful thanks is extended to Russell Mackenzie who made
the shelves at no cost after we supplied the timber.
The cost of these improvements has been financed
by the Southbroom Ratepayers Association together with a much appreciated
“grant-in-aid” of R3809 from the Hibiscus Coast Municipality.
Since taking over the operation of the
Library, approximately 95 new books have been purchased out of funds generated
from donations by members and annual fund-raising efforts. The Library Committee
is determined to maintain a high standard of modern reading material and to this
extent future fund-raising is planned for December 2010.
Although the finances of the Library are in
good shape with some R6500 in the bank, donation income remains necessary as the
cost of new books continues to escalate.
Sincere thanks go to all members and friends of
the Library.
FIREWORKS:
Keeping them out of Southbroom
With the Festive Season fast approaching, we need
to encourage residents and visitors to consider our wildlife, pets and
life-style and to refrain from celebrating with fireworks.
To increase awareness, it is intended to place banners at
both entrances - "Please. No Fireworks."
If you have any other suggestions to still the Big
Bangs, please
e-mail southbroom@icon.co.za
Thank you.
SINCERE THANKS:
Southbroom Conservancy Fund-Raising Golf Day
Southbroom Conservancy raised a whopping
R46,521 from its golf day and sincere thanks go to all the sponsors and players
who made this possible.
The funds will be put to good use in
improving our natural heritage and walking trails.
Congratulations go to Dawne Murray and her
team of willing helpers. The day was exceptionally well organised - so much so
that even the weather toed the line!
HOUSEHOLD REFUSE:
Monkey proof your solid waste
If you are a permanent resident, please
consider purchasing a 'wheelie-bin' to contain your black bags on refuse day. If
you are not, and need to put your refuse bags out on any day other than Monday,
please consider placing a secure metal basket on your pavement.
Wheelie bins and various sizes and designs of
metal baskets are available from Lood van Eden at Professional Security in Eagle
Road, Southbroom. Why not buy local - delivered to your door and
fully installed.
Call Lood on 082-558-1075.
SPRING DAY:
Time to take a good look at the street where you live
If you walk Southbroom,
you will be amazed at the amount of litter in the coastal vegetation just off
your road. Who knows why some people choose to throw their black bags into the
bush, but they do. Monkeys and dogs also add to the problem when ripping
black refuse bags open in search of treats.
Here's the challenge:
On Spring Day (1
September), lets all get out onto the street where we live and help to tidy
our town. A black bag, a pair of garden gloves and a Spring flower in your hair
(?) is all that you need before
taking your stroll.
If you would like a
swivel-based office chair, head for the upper reaches of Mendip Road. Where it
becomes Avon, you could also acquire a roll of garden fencing!
Southbroom
Community Initiatives employ Christopher on a full-time basis to trundle the
streets with his litter cart. Let's all give him a hand on Spring Day and clean
up.
"A
little Madness in the spring Is wholesome even for the King." Emily Dickinson
Sincere thanks to Hazel
Voice for donating the litter cart that Christopher is now using. His old
cart was very tired .... ripe to be thrown into a vacant plot? |
