Riverside ReportRiverside Report - BoltCMSriverhorsevalley.boltcms.com/clientdata/10014/uploads...Queen Nandi Drive and Corobrik Road as well as the possibility of traffic calming

• RHVBEMA welcomes the following new residents to the Business Estate:

Heron Office Park Tenants:

Captivity Headwear, Mitras Amenities, Skillcraft Durban, Omni-Cableit Electrical, The Smart Food Co,

Petropulp Stainless Steel, Igus, United Power Purchasing, CBI Electrical Industrial Controls

Cedarpoint Industrial Park:

RAM Couriers, Natal Stainless Steel, Toshiba, Dynamic Cut & Bend

The Gottlieb Group The Laser Group Standard Bank Kevro Midas

• The Management Association has been successful in organizing a mobile optometric clinic as well as facili-

tated access to basic health services at the OCSA Clinic in nearby Briardene. Management has been un-

successful in obtaining a mobile ATM facility but a facility is available at the eThekwini Hospital.

• Two Engen petrol filling stations are planned for the Business Estate. EIA’s are currently underway on each

site and though Engen are unable to tell us exactly what date they will commence with development, they

have assured the Management Association that development on the first site shall begin early next year.

We shall keep you updated on the progress of these developments.

• A trash boom has been installed across the Umhlangane River just behind Mr Price. Below are before and

after pictures showing how effective the boom is in trapping both riverborne trash and water hyacinth, allow-

ing easy and safe collection and disposal from the river bank, importantly preventing this waste from flowing

into the Umgeni River and ultimately the Indian Ocean by way of the Umgeni river mouth. It also limits the

spread of invasive plants such as water hyacinth and its negative effect caused to the riverine environment.

• Estate Management has begun discussion with Metrorail in terms of facilities management and safeguarding

issues. A new pedestrian bridge is planned to improve safety and allow better access to the Effingham sta-

tion. The number of trains passing through Effingham station has increased with the growth of business in

the area which in turn has increased the number of pedestrians during morning and afternoon rush hours.

These are some of the issues that are being addressed with Metrorail.

• Numerous meetings have been held with the eThekwini Transport Authority regarding the formalisation of

internal and external routes to assist workers with access to and from work. These plans will be accompa-

nied by suitable lay-byes for the safe collection and drop off of passengers throughout the Business Estate.

BLACK HEADED DWARF CHAMELEON

The black-headed dwarf chameleon is a small, grey-brown lizard that is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal, where it

lives mainly along river valleys, although its distribution is patchy. Numbers of this chameleon have declined

significantly over the past 30 years and it has become a threatened species. The threats to its survival

include the loss of its bushy grassland habitat due to urban and agricultural expansion, increased mortality

caused by introduced predators (e.g. cats, dogs, Myna birds), motor vehicles, grass cutting, pollution and

human superstition.

The black-headed dwarf chameleon requires tall grasses, reeds, bushes, shrubs and trees for foraging and

roosting, unpolluted drinking water in the form of dew, mist or rain droplets in areas with adequate sources

of insect prey. The Umhlangane riverine environment and wetland area are perfect environments for this

threatened species and the Management Association is working closely with wildlife experts in an effort to

find a breeding pair. For those who work along the river bank we would ask that you keep an eye open for

this special creature and inform the estate management should you have sight of this chameleon.

Riverside ReportRiverside ReportRiverside ReportRiverside Report A u g u s t 2 0 0 9

Latest Developments / News M a n a g e m e n t

A s s o c i a t i o n

DIARISE! October 2009

publication of

Ridge magazine

which shall in-

clude an article

on the associa-

tion as well as a

full colour

glossy supple-

ment focusing

on business

within the area.

The Umhlangane

Trash Boom

Before and after pic-

tures showing the

effectiveness of this

waste catchment

system

P a g e 2

R i v e r s i d e R e p o r t

Safeguarding • G4S and Enforce Electronics continue to provide crime prevention and control services throughout

the estate as well as maintenance to the CCTV cameras and control room monitoring equipment

• Despite measurements in place dumping and attempts to dump continue to be problematic on the

Business Estate. Sources of illegally dumped rubble have been identified from building sites both within the estate and neighbouring areas. Signage has been erected on the Business Estate warning transgressors of prosecution.

• The erection of unauthorised signage continues in contravention of the rules of the Business Estate,

but is being controlled by security through the patrol vehicle and CCTV cameras

• Traffic congestion along Queen Nandi Drive and at the corner of Effingham and Corobrik Road has

intensified with the increase in tenants in the area, as well as vehicles using these roads as a thor-oughfare. This has resulted in a large increase in accidents, both pedestrian and vehicular in these areas. The Management Association has been in contact with the eThekwini Transport Authority and Traffic Lights department to negotiate road widening and traffic turning signals on the corner of Queen Nandi Drive and Corobrik Road as well as the possibility of traffic calming on the corner of Corobrik and Effingham Roads.

• Veolia Environmental Services provide a waste management service to the Business Estate which

includes litter picking (public areas) and disposal, as well as a sorting facility which feeds into a recy-

cling programme. Included in this service is the management and monitoring of illegal dumping, as

well as ensuring compliance by informal traders.

• The Management Association with the assistance of the Effingham Development JV are in the proc-

ess of finalizing public litter bins and benches which shall be placed throughout the estate to ensure

ongoing littering is curbed.

• Tenants shall be contacted shortly with regards a current recycling initiative underway for the imple-

mentation of a common drop off area for recyclable goods.

Waste Management

RHVBEMA

Waste Management Team

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Jan09 Feb09 Mar09 Apr09 May09

Kg

Wa

ste

Co

lle

cte

dWaste Collection Statistics

Examples of Illegal Dumping

on the Business Estate

P a g e 3 R i v e r s i d e R e p o r t

The Riverhorse Valley Business Estate Management Association (RHVBEMA provides a management service to its levy

payers through the services of a Management Association Board appointed Estate Manager.

The RHVBEMA has essentially three core functions:

• Working closely with various municipal departments to improve exiting service levels by strengthening relationship, negotiat-

ing service levels and assisting with monitoring and reporting.

• Provision of “top-up” services (in conjunction with municipal services) which include environmental management and safe-

guarding within the public open spaces throughout the estate.

• Serves as the communication interface between the community and municipality with regards issues related to public open

space. Furthermore, provides a responsive community communication network for raising issues pertinent to public open

space, reporting on service delivery, integrating community and stakeholder group initiatives.

Estate Management

Environmental Management • Real Landscapes continue to provide landscaping and horticultural services to the

Business Estate. Autoflow Irrigation continues to maintain the two pump stations which use water from the Umhlangane River to irrigate landscaped areas on the Business Estate.

• The appointed landscaping consultant, as well as the environmental management offi-

cer work closely with the Management Association to ensure all properties conform to landscaping requirements and that construction sites conform to the operational envi-ronmental management plan as contained within the Development Code.

• Trenching by bulk service providers (electricity, water and telecommunications) contin-

ues to be a challenge and a proactive reinstatement programme is in place.

• Discussions are ongoing with eThekwini Parks Department regards a Public Private

Partnership including the supply of indigenous plants and additional maintenance ser-vices. This partnership is will include the proposed adoption of the Umhlangane Sports Field with a view to providing surrounding communities and resident companies with a sports facility. More news on this at a later stage as we progress into an operational plan.

• Management has also been involved in the Durban Green Corridor Programme which

aims to ensure ongoing and effective communication and co-ordination between sur-rounding conservancies and relevant council departments in terms of management and maintenance of the riverine environment.

• An operational plan is underway with regards the portion of the Umhlangane River that

runs through the Business Estate including the visits by school children from surround-ing communities for educational and awareness purposes.

• In terms of invasive plant control, a maintenance programme is in place along the river-

ine environment. This has had a wonderful impact on the ecology of this environment as can be seen from the photo of the 50 year old euphorbia which can now breathe easier since the removal of invasive vegetation.

Estate Manager, Toni Prendergast assisted by Trevor Pierce-Jones (SID Urban Management) continues to provide on-site opera-tional and administrative support, overseeing the daily operations of all service providers as well as providing the important func-tion of maintaining communications between parties that financially contribute to the management association ensuring that all complaints / concerns are addressed professional and efficiently. They report to the elected board of directors on all matters aris-ing out of the management function.

Your board of directors currently comprises the following members:

Niresh Bechan (Chairman) eThekwini Heart Hospital

Barry Gould (Environmental Committee) CAPCO

Hilton Fortmann (Safeguarding Committee) Zest Electric Motors

Rob Thomson (Finance Committee) Zenprop

Cyril Gwala (Design Review Committee) Tongaat Hulett Dev.

Simphiwe Maphumulo Garlicke & Bousfield

Werner Pelser (Co-opted Member) Mr Price Group

Above: Invasive Plant Control Pro-

gramme - managing and maintain-

ing levels of invasive water hyacinth

Below: 50 year old Euphorbia