A Southbroom Ratepayers, Conservancy & Community Policing initiative.

This newsletter is intended for ratepayers & residents of Southbroom.

If you do not wish to receive it, please click here to unsubscribe.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS - 16 DECEMBER 2006 - 09h00

.

Please consider making yourself available to serve any or all of the committees.

Click here to advise your intent via e-mail.

Should you wish to discuss any matter prior to the meeting, please contact the respective Chairman telephonically:  Joy Crutchfield on 083-292-7788; Len Harvey on 083-700-8806; and David Hallé on 039-312-2448.

GUIDED WALK OF THE BUSHBUCK TRAIL - SUNDAY 17th DECEMBER - 08h30

Meet at the Southbroom Tennis Club in Eyles Park, off Captain Smith's Road, Southbroom and enjoy the early morning treat of the Bushbuck Trail.

David Wigley will guide you through the abundant bird life and indigenous plant species and you can help him identify those species that have yet to be named.

Allow at least an hour and wear good walking shoes. Please also remember to bring along your binoculars and water bottle.

Dogs are welcome provided they are well-behaved and on leads.

TREE LABELLING ON BUSHBUCK TRAIL - CALLING ALL ARTISTS

Thanks to the help of Tony Abbott  with the identification of trees on the Bush Buck Trail and adjoining parkland near the Tennis Courts, 60 tree labels have been hung up which  give the tree number and the botanical, English and Zulu names.  The labels feature 38 varieties of tree and shrub and further labelling will take place next year.

Very many thanks to June Prior of Munster for her patient and successful work in writing the labels. She is incidentally one of the local artists whose work is featured in an exhibition which opened at the Riverbend Art and Wine Centre on Wednesday 8th November.

We would like to hear from any Southbroom residents who could help with the next batch of labels.  Click here to e-mail David Wigley.

APPEAL HEARING - LOTS 735 & 736 SOUTHBROOM

Applicant's appeal against Council's decision to refuse the rezoning of Lots 735 & 736 from Special Residential 2 to Intermediate Residential was heard by the Provincial Planning & Development Commission on Wednesday, 15 November 2006.

Attorney Michael Hands of Shepstone & Wylie represented Southbroom Ratepayers Association, Southbroom Conservancy and certain affected neighbours not in support of the applicant being granted triple the current permissible density of housing.

The independent Commission advised that its decision would be handed down shortly.

PLEASE OBSERVE THE SPEED LIMIT (and the occasional stop sign!)

It is becoming increasingly dangerous to walk, jog or cycle in the village and head-on collisions are bound to happen if motorists continue to disrespect the 40 km/h speed limit on Southbroom's narrow roads.

Hibiscus Coast Municipal Director: Protection Services, Victor Chetty, has been asked to schedule his Traffic Department off the main coastal road and into Southbroom on the odd occasion.  Short of installing numerous traffic calmers (speed humps) at great cost to ratepayers, this seems to be the only way to go if we are to remind reckless and inconsiderate drivers of the law.

It has been suggested that Victor could cover the entire Municipal bonus scheme by simply setting up shop at the intersection of Southbroom Avenue and College Road.  After all, the sign does say S-T-O-P "Stop" and not P-A-W-S "pause" (sincere apologies to van der Merwe!).

Jokes aside, please respect the 40 Km/h speed limit and please STOP at the stop streets.

CONSTRUCTION OF CBD ABLUTION BLOCK COMMENCES

Construction of an ablution block in the CBD has commenced.  It is situated on the corner of Southbroom Avenue and North Ridge Road, behind the bowling green and the glass re-cycling igloo.  The building will be screened and comprises of one gents and one ladies/disabled cubicle.

IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS

'Cut and Paste' this handy list into 'Word' and keep it focal - especially if yours is a holiday cottage.

WOOLLY-NECKED STORK - REPORT YOUR SIGHTINGS

The request last month for sightings information has elicited some interesting responses.

Along the main road at San Lameer, the felling of  invasive pine trees due to their old and brittle condition appears to have robbed some of the storks of their roosting sites. This appears to have dispersed the storks into a wider area.

Southbroom resident Judy Potts reports a regular feast of  Woolly-necked storks who she is able to observe at close quarters and very importantly recognise distinct distinguishing features prompting special names - 'squank beak' a male with skewed tip to the beak; 'white feather' unlike the others a white feather shows on both wings; 'scruffy' neck feathers appear undernourished and unpreened and, finally but sadly, 'goiter' a female with a large goiter on the neck. 

Information about habitat, pairing /grouping, unusual behaviour or habits which can be linked to specific birds is clearly very valuable. Please therefore continue to let us have information particularly relating to groups of four or more birds, birds with distinctive features, unusual or noteworthy behaviour and anything on breeding activity/success rate. E-mail dwigley@iafrica.com

We look forward to further reports which will help to discover why the KZN-South Coast Woolly-necked Stork population appears to be growing and whether the additional birds are breeding residents or intra Africa non breeding migrants. Such research leads to some amazing discoveries about birds - swallows that  can fly from here to the United Kingdom in 3 weeks and albatrosses whose first flight can last for over 2 years before they land again on terra firma.

PLANTS FOR PAM

Pam Quarmby urgently needs dietes (wild iris), agapanthus, plectranthus (ground covers), barleria, arums, clivia, whatever .... to beautify the town gardens and traffic islands.  Pam also looks after the gardens on the golf course and those at the Southbroom Community Centre and is sure to find a home for all donations.

Isn't it time you split your dietes or trimmed those plectranthus?  Click here to contact Pam.

WHY BUGS DO NOT BITE THE LUCKY FEW

Are you left unscathed while those around you get covered in mosquito bites?  Its probably because you produce natural mosquito repellents.

The good news for the rest of us is that sprays and lotions containing these natural chemicals could soon be available.  Already 11 key compounds have been identified.  Whole body odours from individuals have been collected and the most potent repellents isolated.  (New Scientist, Jan 2005)