SFPO Association and NPC Newsletter July 2021

NPC Projects and Services.

  • CCTV Cameras Update

The SFPO NPC and Atlas have been in negotiations to revise the existing CCTV contract. This will add additional cameras to our network, install Analytics software on a greater number of cameras, provide local access to the video footage, and change some camera poles’ locations to be more effective. It will also ensure we have dedicated, 24/7 monitoring of our cameras. We have included additional cameras requested by and to be paid for by

1) Ralph Road property owners to increase security along Ralph Road, Ralph Lane, Saxe Road, Kenneth Place and Liege Road, and

2) the Riparians for added surveillance at the Canal harbour and

3) Mahe Beat cul de sac residents.

The SFPO NPC Board approved the proposed contract with Atlas in early July. The existing contract has been in operation for 30 months. The revised contract will be in force for the next 60 months. This contract is effective from August 1, 2021, with the additional cameras expected to be operational by this date. Many thanks to the Ralph Road and Mahe Beat groups for supporting the CCTV camera network and improving your security.

 

  • Roads Re-surfacing

There has been significant progress regarding the re-surfacing of our roads in St Francis. We can thank the Kouga Local Municipality (KLM) for their hard work in this respect. As a result, St Francis Drive has now been re-surfaced from Sunset/Sea Glades Drive, all the way to Harbour Road and 500 metres beyond.

Tarragona has also been re-surfaced, as well as 2 roads inside Sea Vista.

Lyme Road North and South have also been re-surfaced, as well as the entrance to the village.

 

  • Wheelie Bins Roll-Out

We would like to remind all that wheelie bins are available from the Municipality free of charge. The SFPO Association can assist if you are not in town but need to claim yours. We would also like to warn all who already have their wheelie bins to paint their ERF numbers or even their addresses in their bins to discourage thieves and bring them in at night, as wheelie bins are being stolen.

If you need any assistance, please reach out to Lyn Aitken on:

  1. info@sfpo.co.za
  2. 042 294 0594

 

SFPO Association Projects 

  • Water Crisis

The water situation in the Kouga region still remains dire. The combined dams on July 26 sit in the region of 10% of total possible dam volumes. Moreover, there are no significant rainfalls forecast for the next 10 days.

The daily water usage is 50L per person. Therefore, the use of Jojo tanks and other rainwater tanks and rainwater collection equipment is highly recommended.

There are also flow filters available for all domestic taps to reduce the flow of faucets in your household. Proven to be very effective, for more on this contact Mike Williams 082-804-2996.

 

  • Bush Clearing Update and Overview, by Nic Munday/SFPO Association

The situation regarding bush clearing on private residential erven in St Francis Bay.

  1. A property owner is solely responsible for the maintenance of their erf.
  2. The erf must comply with published bylaws available on the KLM website.
  3. There are two key triggers for issuing a notice to ‘clear’ an erf: i) a complaint lodged with the Municipality, or ii) an uninitiated inspection of an erf by the Municipality.
  4. Only the Municipality is mandated to issue a notice to clear an erf.
  5. How the erf is cleared, and by whom, cannot be dictated to the owner by private individuals or interested parties, however well-intentioned. The Municipality does not prescribe a clearing method.
  6. The decision to appoint a contractor is usually made by the owner based on economics. For example, automated clearing is generally less expensive (around R12.00 per sq meter) than manual clearing (ranging from around R16.00 to R25.00 per sq meter).
  7. Not all erven can be cleared by automated means, depending on the topography.
  8. Protected species of vegetation may not be destroyed in the clearing process, without explicit permission from the Municipality.
  9. No individuals or interested parties are entitled to ‘inspect’ an erf without the owner’s permission; doing so constitutes trespassing.
  10. While it seems true that ‘comprehensive clearing’ by automated means may result in alien species recovering faster than indigenous species, this is the owner’s issue. The owner is then simply required to comply with relevant legislation regarding removing alien species through routine maintenance.
  11. Residential erven are, by definition, designated for building homes, not as nature reserves. Therefore, the proclamation of a residential area, again by definition, entails the clearing of erven.
  12. The only legislation relating to the aesthetics of erf maintenance is that of not destroying protected species.
  13. Different individuals and interested parties have differing views on how an erf should ideally be maintained. These are necessarily based on opinion rather than legislative or regulatory facts.
  14. The SFPO Association does not actively endorse or promote individual bush-clearing contractors or project managers. The selection of a contractor is entirely at the property owner’s discretion, and contractors may be sourced from wherever the property owner sees fit.