A Southbroom Ratepayers, Conservancy & Community Policing initiative.

This newsletter is intended for ratepayers & residents of Southbroom.

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RATES INCREASE - THE GOOD NEWS

The Hibiscus Coast Municipality has completed the public participation process and finalised the 2006/7 municipal budget with a rates increase of 7.5%.

Good news for Mpenjati/Southbroom ratepayers is that the "Road & Drain" service charge will be reduced by R 1,000.  This reduction has come about as Council has accepted your Association's motivation that ratepayers have settled their indebtedness in respect of the road works undertaken in 1999/2000. The reduced service charge of R497.48 is in respect of ongoing verge maintenance contracts.

RATES REBATES

General Rates (in Mpenjati/Southbroom) are subject to the following rebates provided that rates and service charges are paid on or before 30 November 2006:

• 8% on the rates assessment (service charges excluded) on all developed properties

• 10% on the rates assessment of land zoned for Special Residential purposes and on which a single dwelling house has been erected, only if the registered owner therof or his/her spouse has occupied the dwelling exclusively for residential purposes for at least 9 months of the year ending 31 December 2006.  This rebate also applies when the property is registered in the name of a company or close corporation, provided that the occupier wholly owns the shares or member's interest.

• 10% on agricultural land.

In order to qualify for any rebate, the registered owner needs to furnish proof by way of filing an affidavit with Council.  Ratepayers should contact the Rates Department on 039-312-8320 to obtain an official affidavit form and to confirm the rebate calculation.  Furthermore, a

• 2.5% settlement discount is offered provided rates and service charges are paid on or before 29 September 2006.

BEACH WALK - 24 SEPTEMBER 2006

By popular demand, Southbroom & Mpenjati members of Hibiscus Coast Tourism Association are organising another beach walk from Mpenjati Nature Reserve to Southbroom Main Beach.  So, if you missed out on the pleasure of the last meander, grab your water bottle, hat, sun block & slops, and get yourself, your family and your dog, to Riptide at 7.30 for 8.00am on September 24th. 

The usual treasure hunt will be included and the most successful gatherers of "treasure" will win lucky draw prizes. The walk is approximately 9km so allow 2 - 3 hours.  Children should easily manage and usually delight in the treasure hunt.

The cost is R10 per person.

GARDEN REFUSE ON ROAD VERGES

Please note that, in terms of Council policy, garden refuse must remain within the boundaries of your property until ready for collection.

Ratepayers and residents (and their garden service contractors if applicable) are urged not leave garden clippings, leaves, branches, etc. on the road verge for numerous days.  Failure to adhere to this policy will result in the garden refuse being removed by Council and the registered owner of the property being billed at a cost of R500 per load or part thereof.

If you require any additional information, please contact Tony Davis of Hibiscus Coast Municipality, Directorate: Cleansing & Maintenance, on 039-688-2138.

IMBEZANE RIVER RESERVE VANDALISED

Sadly, vandals struck again this holiday season.  This time, they took to the Imbezane River Reserve trail with off-road motorcycles and damaged 8 of the steps so lovingly constructed by ratepayer Libby Cochrane and her team.

If you do happen to see vandals at work, or vehicles on the beach for that matter, please call the Southbroom Sector Police Station immediately (039-316-6700) and report the incident.  Please also remember that you are at liberty to approach the culprits yourself and that "citizen's arrests" still form part of the police code.

Everybody needs to take responsibility to preserve Southbroom.  Please report all criminal activity.  Call:

• 039-316-6760 - Southbroom Sector Policing

UIP & SOUTHBROOM SECTOR POLICING

The public meeting held on Thursday 24 August was attended by 40 ratepayers and residents.

Len Harvey, Chairman of the Southbroom Community Policing Forum and Southbroom Urban Improvement Precinct, gave an overview of the progress to date and complimented all concerned on the steady improvement that the Sector Policing Service had achieved in its 9 months of operation.

Len stressed the need for active public participation in:

• reporting all instances of criminal activity, and

• bringing all operational concerns to the attention of Sector Manager, Inspector Gideon Basson.

Gideon can be contacted direct on 082-330-7424.

CORRECTING PERCEPTIONS

The grey Toyota Venture currently patrolling Southbroom is an "un-marked" sector policing vehicle.  It will soon be painted in the official SAPS colours and be clearly marked "Southbroom".

BUSHBUCK TRAIL

If you walk the Bushbuck Trail this month, you will see and smell the beautiful white trumpet flowers of September Bells (Rothmannia globosa) and also the yellow cluster flowers of Black Bird-berry (Psychotria capensis).  Two years ago, you would have seen neither - both were smothered and struggling to survive under a green desert of Triffid and Lantana.  The beautiful and fragrant Cape Coffee (Tricalysia capensis) is also now in full bloom along the paths adjoining the stream.  In full sunlight, they are covered with butterflies.  Lepidopterists, please could you identify them for us?

THANK YOU

Ted Rudzinsky and Shaun Dufton - We thank the 2 owners of the "Upper" Bushbuck Trail  for clearing the dense regrowth of triffid, lantana, bugweed and inkberry; and for extending the trail to give better access to the beautiful wooded area at the Tiverton Road entrance.  The Upper Bushbuck Trail, across from the Eyles Road entrance of the main Bushbuck Trail, makes an ideal extension and the bird life, including Chorister Robin-Chats, Brown Scrub-Robins, Greyheaded Bushshrikes, Grey Waxbills, African Paradise Flycatchers , African Green Pigeons and Tambourine Doves, is different from, and often more  visible than that in the more wooded main trail.

Kate Clarence - Thank you for donating a Singer sewing machine to the Sewing School.  It works a charm and is highly valued by all.  The Sewing School now has 16 students and the use of 7 sewing machines. 

Pam Quarmby - Thank you for adding the Southbroom Community Centre garden to your long list of "public service" areas.  Your tireless efforts and expert knowledge of gardening, never ceases to amaze.

TWO STEPS FORWARD, TEN STEPS BACK

September is Arbor month and the tree of the year, NLT688 Burchellia Bubalina (Wild Pomegranate) has been planted on the 14th hole of Southbroom Golf Club and at the Southbroom Community Centre. However, over the past few months, the village has seen several indigenous trees bite the dust unnecessarily in the name of progress.

If we wish to preserve the natural heritage of Southbroom, we need to preserve (and plant) indigenous trees.  Please contact Dave Hallé, Chairman of Southbroom Conservancy on 039-312-2448 if you need your trees identified.  Please also know that our Municipal Bylaws require that permission be obtained from Council before an indigenous tree may be felled or trimmed.  Please contact Welcome Nogobela on 073-400-5702.  Permission will not be unreasonably withheld.

BURCHELLIA BUBALINA (WILD POMEGRANATE)

This plant is named after explorer and naturalist W J Burchell.  It is a shrub or small tree that grows between 3m and 12m in height.  Flowers are orange to red and can occur throughout the year although it mainly blooms from September to December.  The fruit is reddish green and remains on the tree for months attracting bulbuls, starlings, barbets and mousebirds, amongst others.  Bubalina will grow in shade but prefers full sun and is medium to fast growing from slip or seed.   The bark and roots are used traditionally for the preparation of a love potion!

Join the Arbor month movement.  Plant Burchellia Bubalina in your garden this September.