LANGEBAAN RATEPAYERS REPORT: Be informed, Be prepared, Be involved.
Langebaan Ratepayers and Residents Association
Jaco Kotze, Chairperson
Cell: 0828890685
E-mail: info@langebaanratepayers.co.za
P.O. Box 120 Langebaan
7357
The following issues will be reported on in this May 2012 Ratepayers Report:
a) ”White Road “ Cape High Court Case Ruling
b) Shark Bay Development application
c) Langebaan Informal Trading Area (LITA)
d) Road maintenance
e) General
(a) WHITE ROAD: See the related pres release elsewhere in this edition .Find the full Cape High Court ruling by Judge Saba on our webpage”. www.langebaanratepayers.co.za
(b) THE SHARK BAY DEVELOPMENT: While the White Road issue is linked to the greater ” Shark Bay” development saga, the two are substantially distinct issues. It has come to our attention that misinformation is once again in circulation amongst the community regarding the “Shark Bay” matter and I would like to set the matter straight. The landowner (currently Dormell Properties) has no vested township development rights on the property other than the right to have its application heard as determined by Judge Selikowitz in the High Court in 2001. The consequent application by Dormell for the development of 109 erven was refused on its merits by Province on 7 April 2011 for a host of reasons, including amongst others the following and is currently under appeal:
Ecological sustainability and sense of place. Development of the site would compromise the integrity of the conservation areas generally to the South of Stompneus – Rots including the West Coast National Park as also found by Judge Rose-Innes on expert evidence in an earlier High Court case in 1994.
Planning and strategic environmental context : The development represents an expansion of the built environment in the wrong direction (southwards rather than northwards).
Need and desirability.
Socio-economic benefit.
In the meantime it appears that Dormell properties, by erecting two houses on the site following the refusal of their development application and which never formed part of that development proposal, have compromised the grounds of their own appeal. We as yet await the results of the appeal but here too remains confident of the arguments of those many, including SANParks who have consistently opposed the development of the property. SANParks have at various stages considered attempting to acquire the land for inclusion as a buffer into the West Coast National Park, but whilst the landowner insists on recovering developmental parity on the land which has no developmental rights, or even on recovering the original price he paid for the land, this appears not to be a feasible proposition.
(c ) LANGEBAAN INFORMAL TRADING AREA: The LRRA received enquiries with regards as to the budget/cost and management of the Langebaan Informal Trading Area. In terms of the Saldanha Bay Municipal Informal Trading By-laws Schedule A , Section 15 the area is called Langebaan Informal Trading Area (Langebaan Informele Handels area) and not “boulders”. Sometime during July 2011 the LRRA became aware that Council intended to spend the entire Langebaan Ward 6 committee budget of R350 000-00 on this temporary structure. Although the area needed urgent attention and management, the LRRA requested that no more than R100 000-00 be spent on the upgrade of the informal trading area bearing in mind that the informal traders are not Langebaan ratepayers (if ratepayers at all). We argued, that although the area needed an upgrade, far more urgent priorities existed in terms of other infrastructure. Council disregarded this request and the following figures obtained from the Saldanha Bay Municipality was spent to date :
i) Supply and installation R70 000-00
ii) Supply and installation R40 000-00 – R 110 000-00 ( Supply and construction of wood structures)
iii) Building of retaining wall R46 000-00
iv) Wall “Hawkers “ area R40 625-00
v) Wall “hawkers “ area R27 875-00
vi) Excavation and brickworks R 16730-00 – R 131 230-00 (Wall & cement wet works)
vii) Chromadeck sign 2450 x 600 R 2700-00
viii) Chromadeck sign 290 x 290 R 650-00 – R 3350-00 (Signage)
ix) Fit stainless steel grab rail R12912-00
x) Additional work R 4096-32
xi) Ferricrete Code G5 delivered R77 893-40 – R 77893-00 (Red top soil)
xii) “Hawkers “ area R 1000-00
xiii) Supply and deliver recycle R 37500-00
Total cost as per SBM R377, 981-72 ( R27981-72 overspent )
The above mentioned figures does not include the costs relating to architectural design nor any potential future costs to cover the red staining soil currently on site, nor any other further upgrade such as mobile toilets and water points. Advocate Anton Fick offered Code G5 Ferricrete free of charge from his quarry in Hopefield. Unfortunately this offer was disregarded as R77 893-40 was later spent on the red soil from Malmesbury , as currently seen on the premises. Langebaan Country Estate contributed to the garden design and development. On Councillors Krugers own account, to date (including December 2011), less than R1000-00 was collected from the informal traders since last year May 2011.Should the SBM continue with this record of income collection it could take the Saldanha Bay Municipality up to 400 years to recover its capital outlay. A Langebaan Ward 6 sub-committee, chaired by Miranda Matthews was established. This sub-committee already compiled a set of strict, but practical rules to administer, regulate and manage the facility. These rules do not allow any informal trader to trade outside the allocated structure on mats in the open area as previously reported. The various Tourism offices are also not the agreed and dedicated stall reservation facilities as reported by Mr Dave Osborn from the SBTO, as these offices are not duly authorised to receive or collect money on behalf of the SBM. The LRRA anxiously awaits the SBM to finally implement the administration, management and regulation of the Langebaan Informal Trading Area at a fair, but market related tariff to finally engage
in the recovery of hard earned ratepayers’ tax money.
(d) ROAD MAINTENANCE: The LRRA is pleased to see that since our request to urgently re-surface Sanderling, Vondeling, Tobie, Sandpiper Close and parts of Egret Street, re -surfacing of the latter two were already completed today. We hope that the remainder be completed by the time of print. The LRRA is aware of more such dilapidated roads and would soon add it to the current list for maintenance.
( e) GENERAL:
2012 PROPERTY EVALUATION : The LRRA recently met with M3, the duly appointed property evaluators as well as a few Langebaan Estate Agents to pre-empt the process. The purpose of this meeting was to try and eliminate the shortcomings of the previous process. Preparation for the next property evaluation process is already underway and the evaluation process will officially start on 1 July 2012.The new evaluation would come in effect on 1 July 2013. Please visit www.langebaanratepayers.co.za heading “Local Government Issues” for a brief explanation of the due evaluation process.
SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPAL BY-LAW REVIEW: We urge all ratepayers and residents to engage in the review of the Saldnaha Bay Municipal draft by-laws. Any comments or objections in respect of the draft by-laws must be submitted in writing to the Saldanha Bay Municipal Manager on or before 8 June 2012. It is of utmost importance to engage in this process to enable fair and practical by-laws.
THE WEST COAST DISTRICT MUNICIPAL 25,5 MEGA LITER SEA WATER DESALINATION PLANT: The West Coast District Municipality is proposing to construct and operate a long overdue sea water desalination plant in the Saldanha Bay Municipal area. The LRRA in principle supports such proposal for a regional RO-plant in the area, as an alternative source of fresh water. The LRRA is concerned and hugely opposed to the potential discharge of concentrated brine into the Saldanha Bay as one of the options. Further information is available on www.langebaanratepayers.co.za.
Best regards
Jaco Kotze
