Newsletter – October 2023

Newsletter – October 2023

As they say, “time stops for no one” and this could not be more true for us at PARRA. We have been extremely busy dealing with many of the issues facing our residents’ & ratepayers’ and have fallen behind on updating our residents via our Newsletter. We do reiterate that we use our Facebook Page and Website extensively for updates but would like to ensure at least a monthly newsletter to our residents who aren’t as tech savvy or enthusiastic about online media. So please accept our apologies on that.

GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING: Over the last month, we have updated our website (www.parra.org.za) to ensure it is up to date. We are actively working on creating community awareness about our Association and what we do. It is apparent that we need our community to understand the time we dedicate, the role we play and who we represent. Residents will see our informative posters around town and we are pleased that so many Estate Agents have come on board and will be putting our flyers in their buyer folders and also in their newsletters.

We are also working on a prospectus of our role, goals and so forth. Please feel free to contact us if you would like a copy or can recommend anyone to pass it onto, who may be interested.

COMMUNITY PROTECTION SERVICES DEPARTMENT MEETING: We meet every 4 to 6 weeks with the CPS Department. We need to commend Director Booysen-Willie & Deputy Director Fouché on their openness and willingness to work with PARRA. At these meetings we raise a variety of issues including but not limited to: derelict buildings, neglected fencing of key properties, community clean up projects, bylaw enforcement, areas of concern, storm damage, the traffic department and so forth. These meetings are were we get proposed projects approved for our residents and also see other ways we can help resolve some of the long standing issues around town. These meetings are very productive and many exciting things will be coming from them in due course.

INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT MEETING: We unfortunately struggled to secure as many regular meetings with this Department. Infrastructure includes water, pipelines, sewage and roads – which are obviously all a major concern to our residents’ & ratepayers’. On 24 October 2023 PARRA met with Dr Vithi to discuss a number of issues and we are pleased to update our members as follows:

• Amatola Brak Water RO Plant:

This plant has been handed over to Ndlambe LM by Amatola Water as they appear incapable of completing the plant. Ndlambe LM will call for expressions of interest on how to best utilise this plant to provide more eater to Port Alfred. The plant has been vandalised and the original purpose of just making the drinking water to Port Alfred will not be pursued.

• Port Alfred Sewerage Infrastructure Master Plan

This plan has not been finalised yet. It will be presented to Council for approval once finalised and then presented to the residents and ratepayers of Port Alfred.

• The New Thornhill Reservoir

The contractor went into liquidation and a new tender for completion is being processed. Water to feed this reservoir will be sourced from the various current sources within the Ndlambe LM.

• Reservoir and pipeline plans

Bill will be sent the latest plans of the water infrastructure in Port Alfred (reservoirs, pipelines and pump stations by the new Water and Sewage Services Manager

• Closure

It was agreed by all that communication is key and there has not been enough feedback from the Infrastructure Department. The new communication officer will meet with relevant parties every Friday and then issue a weekly report on what has been achieved in terms of pothole repairs, dam and reservoir levels, water leaks, sewage leaks and the progress with the Port Alfred Sewerage Infrastructure upgrade. 

WARD 10 COMMITTEE MEETING: Our Vice-Chairman Dawie van Wyk already serves on the Ward 10 Committee, and our Chairperson, Lindsay Luppnow Burrow was co-oped onto the Committee recently. We are pleased to have this strong representation on this Committee and wish we were included in the other Wards as well – we need to work on building stronger relationships with the Councillors in the other areas we represent. Thank you to Cllr Nadine Haynes for acknowledging the importance of our presence and also the contribution we can make to it. The last meeting sat on 17 October 2023 and we look forward to sharing the Minutes of the Meeting as soon as we have them available. Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings but unfortunately cannot participate.

SUNSHINE COAST TOURISM: Dawie van Wyk & Lindsay Luppnow Burrow have both been re-elected to serve on the Sunshine Coast Tourism Exco for 2023/24. We trust that the year ahead will be a wonderful one and that we see more visitors to our beautiful town, who may even choose to invest. We encourage our business and hospitality industry to support SCT and become members to actively support and grow this very important source of revenue for Port Alfred.

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER: Communication has been a bone of contention for many residents’ & ratepayers’ and PARRA has not tiptoed around the fact that there has been a serious shortfall from Ndlambe Municipality. The state of the website is not acceptable (whole departments missing) and information unavailable, out of date and simply not user friendly. Ndlambe took this on board and undertook to provide a new website for the Municipality. In the last Open Council Meeting on 29 August 2023, which our Chairperson, Lindsay attended, the Municipal Manager undertook that a new website would go live by no later than the end of September 2023. Unfortunately to date this has not occurred. PARRA accordingly has addressed correspondence to ask when this will be done, we await feedback. We have had the opportunity to meet with the new Communication Officer who was appointed earlier this year. He has undertaken to provide us with feedback as it is available, especially regarding pressing issues, such as water, sewage and electricity.

SETTLERS PARK RETIREMENT VILLAGE: Settlers is one of our esteemed Corporate Members (a type of membership we are hoping to grow further). We were invited to their AGM on 18 October 2023 to address their residents on what we do in town. Thank you to Settlers Park for their backing.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY PROJECTS:

• Hospital Fields Clearing of the bush on the Hospital fields where an informal squatter group have been creating many issues for the surrounding neighbours. We would like to remind our community that this is not municipal land but it has been identified as a huge issue to our community and Ndlambe Municipality will be assisting us with this clearing. This project is going to cost R3 000.00 for cleaning and removal.

• Library & Civic Centre Lawns – we have previously done work in this area, however have more work to do in this area. We have received permission to remove further alien plants from this area, cut back and replace with indigenous plants and make the area more sustainable to maintain. This project is going to cost around R4 000.00

• Information awareness campaign & membership drive – printing of flyers, posters and promotional material to inform our community of what we do and grow our membership base and support. This is costing us around R3 000.00

• Remember that none of this can happen without members support!