Nature’s Valley News

P O Box 222

388 Lagoon Drive The Crags 6602

9 am – 12 noon Tel: 044 531 6699

Mon/Wed/Thurs Fax: 044 531 6668

No 21 Editor: Jeanne Biesenbach Photos: Beefy Mance

November 2007 Compiler: Maaike Murphy Frans Wagener

Chairman: Ina Brand-van Rooyen

The NVRA committee consists of a number of diverse personalities each with his own expertise. This enables us to tackle a variety of projects and to address different aspects of our community life. Where we focused on questions of town planning in our previous newsletter we will concentrate on matters of service provision in this the final newsletter of 2007. We received a number of enquiries about the sewage issue and about the provisional report by Ninham Shand which was presented to us in December 2006.

On the 21^st September we held a function which serves as an example of how diverging aims can be integrated. We invited the Mayor of Bitou, Councillor Lulama Mvimbi to Nature’s Valley to plant three trees on our own tree planting day. The trees which were provided by the Phyl Martin Nursery were planted in front of the Waste Transfer Station where the sidewalk had been cleared when the depot was fenced. This was the first opportunity for us to respond to the overwhelming ‘Yes’ to replanting of the sidewalks which came to the fore during last year’s Project Forest Care poll. It was also an opportunity to introduce our “Limit the CO₂-Footprint” project. In addition the ceremony not only fostered relations with the Municipality but also gave us the opportunity to illustrate our problems with service delivery. Councillor Mvimbi emphasised the unique character of Nature’s Valley in his speech and expressed his willingness to retain and protect it, a view which again offered us a contact point in our efforts to resist inappropriate developments and subdivisions in our village.

Please note that our Annual General Meeting will be held in the Nature’s Valley Church Hall at 18:00 on the 27^th December. We welcome you all.

Infrastructure: Doug Blaine, Deputy Chairman

Water Supply

Operation of the Water Treatment Plant has been successfully handled by the Bitou Municipality team since Gerhard Strydom’s departure albeit with some minor hiccoughs and the quality of water has been generally good. Some much needed repairs and component replacements have taken place over the past few months and we understand that plans are in place to spend money on the electrics and controls, which should improve the reliability of the plant.

Unfortunately there is still no official statement on long-term plans for the plant, which suffers from the lack of the necessary built-in back-up to ensure satisfactory performance in the event of equipment failure. The contract with AFROX for maintaining the existing plant only expires late in 2009 and we believe that significant upgrading or replacement is unlikely to occur until that time.

A potentially very disruptive situation occurred in late July, when the level in the lagoon rose to an abnormally high level due to spring tides coinciding with very high seas. It was necessary to open the lagoon mouth to avoid contamination of the fresh water supply. As a result of good management by the municipality, the water system was not badly affected but had to be shut down and flushed out over a period of 12 hours to achieve water of an acceptable quality. The management of this whole process will be re-assessed with SANParks to avoid a re-occurrence.

Sewerage

Progress by Ninham Shand with finalizing the EIA Report on the Nature’s Valley sewage handling system has been held up by decisions taken by Bitou Municipality arising from the Draft Land Audit, which was tabled late last year.

A full update on the current status and the background to the hold-up is contained in a special report which is enclosed with this newsletter.

Waste Management

Earlier this year the NVRA arranged for the clearing of all waste materials, old fridges and stoves, tyres, pipes, etc. from the Nature’s Valley dump. The intention is that such dumping will not recur and the dump will henceforth be known as a Waste Transfer Station (WTS). Bitou Municipality agreed to spend some money on the WTS and plans were drawn up by the NVRA for fencing, installing of suitable gates, some paving and re-instatement of the glass disposal container. These improvements (which have not yet been completed) together with suitable signage, will hopefully ensure that the facility is used correctly in future, which will result in an aesthetically more acceptable environment.

Plettenberg Bay and other towns in the Southern Cape are suffering from an overload of disposable refuse, with the existing dump in Plett likely to be closed down in the near future. In order to minimize the impact of this problem, Bitou Municipality have introduced recycling collection procedures in Plett. The process is not yet running smoothly, however when they get it right we will be pushing for the separate collection of recyclables in Nature’s Valley, which we are sure will be supported by the majority of home-owners.

In order to minimize the occurrence of refuse being redistributed around the streets by baboons, pigs and seagulls, the municipality was approached to supply “wheely-bins” to all home owners. Similarly discussions have been held with SANParks to provide “baboon-proof” bins at the lagoon and at the entrance to beach paths. Several bins have already been placed along Lagoon Drive.

Garden Refuse

The disposal of garden refuse remains a surprisingly contentious issue. As a result of misuse of nearby facilities at The Crags some years ago, all garden refuse must be carted to the dump in Plett. Nature’s Valley is no different from any other town in South Africa. The municipality does not collect garden refuse and owners must take responsibility for their own organic waste. Leaving such waste on the pavement or on an empty plot or public open space, is not taking responsibility. We must all accept the slight inconvenience of storing organic waste inside the boundaries of our properties prior to arranging for it to be disposed of. Such procedures will ensure that Nature’s Valley retains its unique appeal and will ensure that all owners derive maximum pleasure from their common environment.

There are plans to develop a composting facility at The Crags, run by Kurland residents. Nature’s Valley Trust together with Bitou Municipality are involved in this project which hopefully will come on stream during next year and provide a sustainable solution to the problem of organic waste disposal. In the short term, the NVRA are planning to set up a deal with a local contractor to provide a co-ordinated service to Nature’s Valley home owners. We intend this service to be available in December.

Roads and Drainage

There has been the usual deterioration of the roads in the Valley with the appearance of potholes as a result of rain, and pressure will be put on the municipality to repair these before December.

The deterioration of the Grootrivier Pass has not worsened as there have been no really heavy rains this year. The problem areas have been inspected by Provincial Roads but no repair work has been undertaken as yet.

Finances: Piet Oosthuizen

The financial statements are currently with the external auditors. The unaudited accounts for the period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 are summarised as follows:

Income Expenditure

Contributions R124 000 Bank charges R 1 627

Donations R 12 000 Computer Software R 405

Interest Received R 9 186 Contracts R 27 794

Other Income R 590 Donations R 3 000

Insurance R 985

Internet R 1 740

Legal fees R 4 475

Newsletter R 865

Accident Insurance R 390

Rent R 9 200

Current Expenses R 32 661

Special Projects R 5 335

Telephone R 6 946

Transport R 1 881

UIF R 150

Office Supplies R 6 006

Total Income R145 776 Total Expenditure R103 460

Surplus for 2006/2007 R 42 316

Funds from 2005/2006 R114 756

Funds for 2007/2008 R157 072

For 2007/2008 R90 000 was budgeted for contributions; contributions received to date for this financial year amount to R57 520 from 133 owners. We would like to thank those home owners who reacted so swiftly to the letter of appeal by our Chairman.

There are still doubts among some members as regards annual contributions. Our financial year starts on the 1^st July of each year and ends on the 30^th June the following year. For example, all monies paid during the period 1 July 2006 up to and including 30 June 2007 are shown as contributions for the 2006/2007 financial year while monies paid from the 1^st July 2007 to the 30^th June 2008 are recorded against the 2007/2008 financial year.

Bank details:

Account: Nature’s Valley Ratepayers’ Association

Account: 08 260 9217

Bank: Standard Bank

Branch: Plettenberg Bay

Branch code: 050714

Please ensure that your NAME and ERF NUMBER appear on the payment advice for reference purposes.

Built Environment: Jeanne Biesenbach, Deputy Chairman

Building Activities Report: Japie Mohr

Since our newsletter of May 2007 one plan has been approved for a new dwelling in Berg Lily Street, one for a substantial extension to an existing dwelling (290 Forest Drive) and five plans for smaller constructions such as a splash pool, garage, outbuilding and carport.

A set of guidelines for owners, architects and builders has been brought up-to-date and a summary of the National Building Regulations relating to swimming/splash pools has been made (plans must be submitted for these as for other construction work). We urge all owners to request copies of these guidelines from the NVRA office and to study them before building plans are drawn up.

Two instances of illegal building activities for which no plans were submitted, have been brought to the attention of Bitou Municipality, and we are awaiting developments. On the other hand we are heartened by the co-operation received from some owners, architects and builders.

Bitou Draft Land Audit

We have been informed that the final Bitou Land Audit document is nearing completion. When finalised it must again be advertised for public comment. Nature’s Valley owners and other Interested and Affected Parties (IAP’s) will have only one opportunity to lodge appeals to the Provincial Administration Western Cape as the matter is then a provincial issue.

If the final recommendations merit it, the NVRA will send out another special newsletter to all owners.

Erven 335, 336 and 337: Municipal service erven

At a meeting of the Bitou Ratepayers Alliance held in August 2007, the Head: Corporate Services of Bitou Municipality stated that no further action concerning erven 335 and 336 would be taken until the Land Audit has been finalized.

Erven 135 and 131: proposed redevelopment of shop and restaurant

We have been informed that the owner of these erven has requested a Certificate of Zoning for the properties. This entails the following:

· Bitou will issue a certificate stating what the zoning status of erven 135 and 131 is and consequently what rights the owner has in terms of these respective zonings.

· Before the Certificate of Zoning is finalised, Bitou will notify the NVRA and owners adjacent to 135 and 131 what the proposed certificate comprises.

· We then have the right to object and ultimately to appeal should there be grounds for doing so. As the proposed redevelopment of these properties is an issue that affects all of Nature’s Valley owners, as IAP’s they also have the right to object and lodge appeals.

Erven 152 and 171: proposed subdivision

The outcome of the appeals lodged against these applications is still pending.

The NVRA are monitoring these issues and will keep ratepayers informed of any developments that necessitate action.

Safety and Security: Beefy Mance

On Thursday 9th August a family of Dutch tourists was mugged by a gang of 5 men armed with knives and robbed of R3000 plus valuables at Pebble Beach on the Salt River walk. Fortunately, no one was hurt but they were badly shaken by the incident. One proposed response to the incident was to offer a substantial reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators but on further discussion with the police they said it was pointless as the family involved had not laid any charges and therefore there was no case number and reason for the police to follow up on the incident. Understandably, the tourists concerned were on a tight schedule and did not want to lay charges for fear of becoming embroiled in lengthy legal procedures and delays. Advice from the SAPD is to report such incidents and to lay charges so that the matter can be pursued. The matter will also be taken up with SANParks at the next contractual meeting.

There have been no further incidents and criminal activity in the Valley has been substantially reduced since regular patrols were started by the security guards. Breaking, entering and theft are still happening particularly at properties which do not have alarm systems.

Environment: Michael Perlman, Marina Niven

Artificial Opening of the Estuary

Towards the end of July very stormy seas, which coincided with the spring tides, were experienced. Over a period of two or three days the estuary, which was closed at the mouth, was topped up by the unusually high tides and the lagoon area was flooded to a level where the water supply intake point above the bridge was exposed to salt water. The municipality reacted quickly and very little contamination of the water supply occurred.

The front-end loader which was dispatched to excavate the channel could not gain access via the normal route as the water in the lagoon car park was too deep. A decision was taken for the vehicle to access the beach via beach path No 2 (at the end of Watsonia Street) which is the shortest, straightest and flattest path. In order to get through it was necessary to remove the poles along this path, which certainly couldn’t have been done without the front-end loader. In the end the poles were plucked from the ground, foundations and all and the front-end loader proceeded to the lagoon mouth and did its job.

Emergency Access to the Beach

This emergency highlighted the fact that a second beach access route other than the lagoon parking area is important. This area is often overcrowded in the holiday season and if a medical or other emergency occurs on the beach which requires attendance by a vehicle, another option could be crucial. Therefore, in agreement with SANParks and Bitou Municipality it has been decided that path No 2 will be modified slightly to allow emergency vehicle access if necessary. The changes will be dealt with in such a way as to minimize the environmental and aesthetic impact.

Beach Control

Bitou Beach Control have informed us that the holiday arrangements will be the same as for the 2006/7 season. Four lifesavers, accommodated in the Phyl Martin Park will be in attendance from 15 December to 15 January. They will be equipped as usual.

Overcrowding at the Lagoon

At a Contractual Areas meeting in September SANParks agreed that arrangements over the holiday period would be considerably improved on last year. They have undertaken to control crowds and, more importantly, control the access of limitless numbers of cars that previously proved problematic. Additional animal proof refuse bins have also been provided.

Baboons: Japie Mohr

Threat or Thrill? Sensible solutions to handling wild life in rural or urban areas.

This is the topic of a very interesting presentation that we are planning in co-operation with the NVTrust for Thursday 20 December at 6 p.m. in the Church Hall. The talk will take about an hour, and the speaker will be Mr. Barend le Roux of CapeNature who has years of practical experience of these issues. Although he will stress co-existence with baboons, he will also cover animals such as bush pigs, vervet monkeys and sea gulls, which can be a nuisance from time to time.

All of us who live or holiday in Nature’s Valley are blessed in being surrounded by a national park with abundant wild life. But, as we all know, conflict can occasionally arise between man and animals which must co-exist in a given environment, as unfortunately happened earlier this year when two transient male baboons had to be shot inside houses.

The idea then arose to call in the experts, and a meeting was held between CapeNature, SANParks, Bitou Municipality, NVRA and NVTrust on 3 April. The responsibility of the authorities with regard to the storage and removal of domestic garbage was spelled out, and attention is being given to this. We as inhabitants and visitors, however, also have a vital and ongoing (and not very difficult) role to play.

You are therefore cordially invited to attend Mr. le Roux’s talk on 20^th December, and please bring your children! You won’t be disappointed.

Contractual Areas: Michael Perlman, Marina Niven

The Contractual Areas Agreement

We would like to refresh ratepayers’ memories of an agreement that was reached in 1994 with the National Parks Board (now SANParks), the Local Council of Nature’s Valley (now Bitou Municipality) and the NVRA, for the management of certain environmentally sensitive areas in Nature’s Valley by SANParks. This agreement is receiving particular attention from the NVRA as changes in key personnel at SANParks have caused concern about continuity and commitment to the Agreement.

In terms of this agreement, certain erven in the Valley were to be made available to SANParks for a period of 30 years as a Contractual Area within the Tsitsikamma National Park and would be managed by SANParks. The purpose of the agreement is “to grant the highest conservation status to these properties and to place SANParks in a position, in the spirit of the ACT, and with the co-operation and approval of Bitou Municipality and the NVRA, to lay down a strategy for the orderly management and control of the properties as a unit of the National Park.”

The properties covered by this agreement are known as the Contractual Area and comprise the following:

· Erf 444. The dune area from the western boundary of Nature’s Valley to the public parking area at the lagoon and around to the lawn in front of the houses of the Syndicate. This is a very large, important and sensitive area.

· Erf 434. The lawn area in front of the Syndicate on the lagoon side of the road. (It is believed by some that the lagoon edge in front of the Syndicate is private property but this is a public space and forms part of the Contractual Area.)

· Erf 382. The remainder of the lagoon frontage from the lagoon edge up to Lagoon Drive, from the northern border of erf 434 up to the entrance of the Valley off the R102. This comprises a large section of the sensitive Groot River flood plain.

In terms of this agreement SANParks has undertaken to:-

· Maintain cleanliness, rubbish removal, clean and maintain toilet facilities on the properties.

· Provide and maintain the access pathways across the dunes.

· Maintain and control the public parking area at the mouth of the lagoon. With the approval of all three Parties they will control, particularly over the holiday season, the number of people and the number of vehicles at the lagoon mouth.

· Ensure the rights of property owners in the Valley, such as access to the lagoon and beach, and boating and fishing.

· Monitor and supervise the opening of the mouth of the lagoon when it becomes necessary.

· Forbid the erection of any buildings or the establishment of any trading sites on these properties without the consent of all three Parties.

Administration and Membership: Ina Brand-van Rooyen

Despite a disrupted second half of the year when the chairman, deputy chairman, treasurer and senior members of the committee were unavoidably absent, the office personnel continued their work unperturbed and deserve our thanks.

We are privileged to have exceptional support. Over the past two years roughly 65% of Nature’s Valley home owners have made contributions to our association. The reaction to our recent appeal was exceptionally good and we have already received 133 contributions for the 2007/2008 financial year. Here too the office personnel must be thanked for their hard work. There are still a large number of unclaimed green plaques in the office. If you have contributed and have not received a plaque yet please collect one when you next have the opportunity or send us instructions to mount a plaque on your gate or fence.

We wish to make our office a friendly and cheerful gathering place and as of last year began to collect a gallery of old photos for the walls. Do you have any old, interesting documentation about Nature’s Valley? We are looking for photos, pamphlets and newspaper articles. If you have, please send us copies and visit us to see your contributions on display!

Appeal to owners

The end of the year is fast approaching and we are preparing for the coming holiday season. Unfortunately we experienced problems with maintaining good order in the Valley during the 2006 season which with your support we hope to minimise this year. In some houses with an infrastructure capacity for 12 people, groups of 20-30 were staying on one property, especially in the pre-holiday season when students and matrics traditionally celebrate the end of the academic year. This resulted in serious problems with toilet facilities and sewerage. During the course of the year we held discussions with Nature’s Valley estate agents about this type of overcrowding and they promised their wholehearted support, but the majority of houses in the Valley are privately let.

· Please make certain that tenants do not exceed the capacity of your house. At the same time request drivers (especially youthful motorists) not to speed in the residential area and create unnecessary noise in the streets. There were two car accidents in our peaceful little village last year!

· Other problems that we experience every season - irresponsible garbage disposal, light and noise pollution - can also be controlled by you. Please ensure that you and your tenants only put out garbage on collection days. On other days garbage bags must be deposited at the waste transfer station inside the waste disposal building.

· Please alert everyone staying in your home to the fact that Nature’s Valley is surrounded by a national park and we are proud that wild animals as well as small children can move about the Valley freely and in complete safety. The speed limit in the Valley is 40 km/h.

· We draw your attention to the new section in our newsletter from the Community Liaison Officer where further guidelines are set out for owners and holidaymakers.

External Liaison and Ward Committee: Gordon Paterson

The Bitou Ratepayers Alliance (BRA) continues to liaise with the mayor on a quarterly basis. The meetings are less effective as the year has progressed and the mayor comes under more pressure from corruption charges against his senior management team. He is also under increasing pressure on service delivery problems in the townships. The BRA has accordingly spent time dealing directly with senior management and has concentrated on and made progress with the Ward Committee system. As a result of this input municipal management has engaged with Ward Representatives and the focus has at last swung away from “rubber stamping building plans” to “bread and butter issues” in the various communities.

This has implications for our Ward Committee Representative (WCR) Paul Zietsman who is a permanent resident. Paul chairs a new sub-committee that groups the communities of Kurland, Covie and Nature’s Valley. They meet mid-month and discuss service delivery issues. These are then debated with our councillor and included in the agenda for the formal ward committee meeting. What has emerged is that the best way to gain effective access to our councillor is through the WCR. The administrative part of this new system is handled by our CLO, Mornay du Plessis. The system has been temporarily compromised by our councillor’s unavailability. The system’s effectiveness still has to be proven. However, the NVRA continues to use its long standing lines of communication with middle and senior municipal management.

A Word from our Community Liaison Officer (CLO): Mornay du Plessis

Dear dog owners, property owners and friends in and of Nature’s Valley.

It is sometimes felt by dog owners that everyone is out to make their lives difficult and that there are only dog haters and no dog lovers in a community. This is an incorrect assumption, but the fact of the matter is that any municipality has to control happenings under their jurisdiction and wherever possible look after the interests of all parties.

Dogs in public places have always been a contentious issue and please allow me to explain some of the by-laws regarding dogs and their handling in the greater Bitou area.

To stop over-breeding and cruelty to dogs the by-laws state that no person except a registered breeder may keep more than two dogs on his property.
When outside the owner’s property, a dog must be controlled by means of a leash. This includes any street or public area.

3. To protect us all and make walking and use of beaches and other public areas a pleasant experience, the by-laws state that the responsible persons/owners shall be in possession of “equipment” for the collection and removal of dog faeces wherever these are deposited.

Dogs are only permitted on beaches designated by Council for that purpose. The beach at Nature’s Valley is not a designated beach but a concession was made to allow dogs on the beach before 09h00 and after 16h00, with the same conditions as 2 and 3 above. Dogs are not allowed on the beach on the eastern side of the lagoon at any time.

Very important in Nature’s Valley, which is surrounded by a National Park, is the requirement that when not on a leash, dogs must be contained within a fenced-off yard area. With the wild animals that share our space, this is very important to both the dog’s safety and the well being of wild animals.

For the sake of us all, our dogs as our friends and nature as our living space let us adhere to these requirements and we shall live together peacefully.

(Free dog hygiene bags are provided at the NVRA and NVT offices, the shop and the CLO office.

People and Events: Michael Perlman

In Memoriam

Monica Hepburn a long time home owner of Nature’s Valley. Our sympathy goes to her family.

Francois de Villers, grandson of Frank and Olive le Roex, founder members of the Nature’s Valley Syndicate and of the earliest regular visitors to the Valley. He farmed on the family farm in the Bethulie district and grew up with Nature’s Valley as a second home. He is survived by his wife, Ina and children, Lucille and Eugene to whom we extend condolences.

Chris Smit, the well known building contractor, died tragically in a motor accident on 2 November 2007.

Rainfall Report: Yvonne Bath

	2004	2005	2006	2007
January	70	61	89	54
February	86	49	20	41
March	82	109	62	97
April	61	47	101	30
May	21	46	100	102
June	42	23	46	41
July	34	13	91	40
August	38	8	232	55
September	142	34	16	18
October	74	14	57	86
November	20	93	61
December	203	46	60
Total mm	873	543	935	564