Dear member, at our monthly meeting held on 30 March we considered a few interesting matters which are reported below./
Beste lid, tydens ons vergadering gehou op 30 Maart was daar ‘n paar interessante items op ons sakelys waaroor ons verder hieronder berig.
HUGE DONATION!
On 30 March the compilers of the book Fire Storm symbolically handed over the proceeds from the sale of this book. Members will recall that after the devastating fire of 11 January 2019 a few volunteers under the guidance of Troula Goosen and Lisel Krige and with the assistance of Gerard Scholtz from Rooiels captured the vivid stories of numerous fire victims and combined it with dramatic photographs. The book was an immediate success and, as the publications costs were at a bare minimum, a surplus of R101 000 was generated. This amount is now held in trust by the BBRA for the sole purpose of acquiring fire-fighting equipment.
It is envisaged that in future we will have our own sub-station that will house our own fire-fighting vehicles. As a first step the Municipality is in the process of making a portion of municipal owned land close to the Harold Porter Botanic Garden available for this purpose. Once this has been finalised further fund raising initiatives will be launched.
We live in such a beautiful environment but our constant companion is the fire risk. Home owners are again urgently requested to improve their own properties by reducing the fire load, creating defendable spaces and taking various other precautionary measures such as the cleaning of gutters and removing flammable objects and by developing their own evacuation plans.
Phone 028 312 2400 for fires and emergencies.
MUNICIPAL BUDGET AND IDP
The municipal Integrated Development Plan (IDP) is currently being reviewed and its 2021/22 draft budget is now open for comments. Both documents will be presented at 18h00 on Tuesday 20 April in the Kleinmond Town hall and interested ratepayers can also join the virtual meeting by sending a request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
It appears to be an austerity budget with virtually all rates and tariff increases capped at 4%. The exception of course is electricity which is directly supplied by Eskom to Betty’s Bay consumers and its tariff increased by more than 15% as from 1 April.
The BBRA will be giving its own inputs on both documents.
BEACH MATTERS
Residents were recently rightly surprised and concerned when vehicle tyre tracks were found on Silver Sands beach. These tracks were however created in an effort to rescue a stranded Hawksbill sea turtle weighing a hefty 40kg. The turtle was then loaded by conservation officials onto the rescue vehicle and taken to the Two Oceans aquarium in Cape Town where it later unfortunately succumbed to unknown circumstances. This event was thus a justifiable exception to the ban of vehicles on our beautiful beaches.
Nurdle pollution continues to threaten our beaches but the good news is that a specialist service provider, Spill Tech, is conducting beach clean-ups including Silversands. Contact details can be found on our Facebook page
TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIME
The latest statistics are as follows:
Total cases: 249
Fines issued: R148 600
Vehicle check points: 19 and 550 vehicles inspected.
Crime showed a downward trend in March but access through windows not properly secured remained prevalent – please secure and maintain all windows.
On 29 and 30 March 14 suspected crayfish poachers were arrested in the Hangklip coastal area and 4 boats confiscated. Poaching can be reported to SAPS in Kleinmond on 028 271 8200 or CapeNature at 082 453 0835 or DEFF Fisheries on 028 313 2703.
An urgent request is again made that, in addition to erf numbers, street numbers be prominently displayed.
MUNICIPAL SERVICE COMPLAINTS RESOLVED
The recently implemented system of reporting minor complaints, such as the odd pothole, broken/overgrown street name signs, overgrown sidewalks and worn speed humps has yielded positive results and many of the reported matters have been resolved while others on the list are receiving on-going attention.
It is now clear that this system really works and is fully supported by the Municipality as we can act as their local eyes on the ground. Refer also to the attached document.
New similar complaints can brought to the attention of Rob Boyd at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Richard Starke at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Werner Zybrands at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. who will follow this up.
CONSERVANCY
The good news is that the logo, constitution and bank account have all been put in place and the Kogelberg branch of the Botanical Society will also assist with an awareness programme during April.
The revival of the Betty’s Bay conservancy is taking place under the guidance of Carol Clark. Contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. should you wish to assist her.
BABOON MATTERS
There was a public ward meeting on 16 March and the item that caused some heated debate was the growing threat of baboons forcibly gaining entry into houses and with an intimidating posture upsetting the occupants.
The broad consensus was that the Municipality and its service provider should now actively start managing the baboons by ensuring that are, in accordance with a balanced implementation plan, herded out of the residential area and contained within their natural mountain habitat.
As envisaged a male baboon has been collared and fitted with a GPS/Satellite radio and the troop’s movements can now be properly monitored.
MAINTENANCE OF GRAVEL ROADS
The BBRA is assisting the Municipality by conducting a very scientific survey of the condition of all gravel roads and the remedial measures required. An amount of R2 500 was also approved for capturing all the data collected by BBRA committee members, the Neighbourhood Watch and other volunteers. More information is available in the attached document.
MEMBERSHIP AND MAKING CONTACT
If required, you can also obtain further information from our website where more recent news will be placed. To supplement this newsletter and the website we have our own Facebook page. You can find it at:
https://www.facebook.com/BettysBayRatepayers
Please visit and like.
Please encourage your friends to join and strengthen our numbers and voice. Application forms can be found on our website www.bettysbay.info
Address any BBRA related enquiries to Adrian de Kock at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Attached Document
Roads and Stormwater portfolio
A spreadsheet of Betty’s Bay small technical problems is submitted to the Overstrand Municipality at the end of each month for their information and action. Typical items include potholes, the reinstatement of speed bumps after grading, low points with inadequate drainage which results in ponding after rain, road signage issues and stormwater channels which are overgrown and/or silted up.
It would be greatly appreciated if emails listing these items could be sent to Rob Boyd at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so that a more comprehensive list can be submitted. It is important to clearly define the problem and its location by using the street name together with the erf or street number.
A software programme is being developed to objectively survey the condition of all the gravel roads in Betty’s Bay. The survey makes use of determinants developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). These include the gravel quantity, road cross sectional profile, road drainage, drainage along the road, ride quality as influenced by corrugations, loose material, stoniness, potholes, ruts, erosion and dust. Each determinant is given a numeric value from 1 – 5, with 1 being the best and 5 the worst. All results are summed for a particular portion of road. These are then automatically ranked from worst to best for all the roads surveyed.
The survey will be completed by members of the Neighbourhood Watch using a cell phone App. The data from the cell phone will automatically be input into a spreadsheet which contains all the street names and street numbers which have been partitioned into the seven neighbourhood watch sectors. This information will be submitted to the Overstrand Municipality to be used as a tool for budgeting and prioritising work schedules.
Our sincere thanks to Bertie Vorster and his daughter who developed and successfully implemented this system in Pringle Bay for their patience and assistance in adapting this programme for our use.
REUSE SKENKING!
Die opstellers van die boek Vlammehel het op 30 Maart ‘n simboliese fondsoorhandiging van die opbrengs van die boekverkope gedoen. Lede sal seker onthou dat na die vernietigende brand van 11 Januarie 2019 ‘n paar vrywilligers onder leiding van Troula Goosen en Lisel Krige en bygestaan deur Gerard Scholtz van Rooiels, die aandoenlike verhale van die slagoffers opgeteken het en dramatiese foto’s ter illustrasie gebruik het. Die boek was ‘n treffer en as gevolg van geringe publikasiekostes kon die netto opbrengs van R101 000 aan die BBBV oorhandig word. Die bedrag word nou in trust gehou vir die uitsluitlike doel om brandbestrydingstoerusting aan te koop. Die mikpunt is om uiteindelik ‘n eie sub-brandweerstasie in Bettysbaai met ons eie brandweervoertuie te vestig. As ‘n eerste stap ondersoek die Munisipaliteit die moontlikheid om ‘n munisipale eiendom naby die Harold Porter Botaniese tuin vir hierdie doel beskikbaar te stel. Sodra dit gefinaliseer is, sal verdere fondsinsamelings gedoen word.
Ons woon in so ‘n pragtige omgewing, maar die brandrisiko is alyd met ons. Inwoners kan hul eiendomme beveilig deur die brandlading te verminder, bestrydingsruimtes te skep, geute skoon te maak, brandbare materiaal te verwyder en ander voorkomende maatreëls te tref en om hul eie ontruimingsplanne op te stel.
Skakel 028 312 2400 vir brande, vloede of mediese nood
DIE MUNISIPALE BEGROTING EN DIE GOP
Die munisipale Geïntegreerde Ontwikkelingsplan (GOP) word tans hersien en die 2021/22 konsepbegroting vir kommentaar geadverteer. Beide dokumente sal om 18h00 op Dinsdag 20 April in die Kleinmond Stadsaal behandel word. Belangstellendes kan ook vir die virtuele aanbieding by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. registreer.
Dit lyk na ‘n besuinigingsbegroting met tariefverhogings van gemiddeld 4%. Die uitsondering is natuurlik Eskomtariewe wat direk deur daardie kragverskaffer aan Bettysbaai-inwoners gelewer word en waar die tariefverhoging van meer as 15% reeds op 1 April in werking getree het.
Die BBBV self sal ook insette op beide dokumente lewer.
STRANDSAKE
Inwoners was seker met reg ontsteld toe daar onlangs voertuigspore op Silver Sands se strand was. Dit is egter te wyte aan ‘n poging om ‘n gestrande seeskilpad met ‘n stewige massa van 40kg te probeer red. Die skilpad is op die reddingsvoertuig deur natuurbewaarders gelaai en daarna na die Twee Oseane akwarium in Kaapstad vervoer. Dit het later van onbekende oorsaak beswyk. Hierdie was dus ‘n geregverdigde uitsondering op die verbod van voertuie op ons mooi strande.
Plastiekborrels bedreig steeds ons strande, maar die goeie nuus is dat ‘n spesialis diensverskaffer, Spill Tech, besig is om ons strande, met inbegrip van Silver Sands, skoon te maak. Kontak besonderhede verskyn op ons Facebookblad.
VERKEERSWETSTOEPASSING EN MISDAAD
Die jongste statistiek is soos volg:
Sake in totaal: 249
Boetes uitgereik: R148 600
Voorstaandienste: 19 en 550 voertuie geïnspekteer.
Daar was ‘n effense afname in misdaad, maar toegang deur vensters wat nie na behore beveilig is nie blyk algemeen te wees – doen asseblief die nodige beveiliging.
Op 29 en 30 Maart is 14 vermoedelike kreefstropers in die Hangklip kusgebied gearresteer en 4 bote gekonfiskeer. Stropery kan aan die SAPD in Kleinmond by 028 271 8200 of by Natuurbewaring by 082 453 0835 of by Seevisserye by 028 313 2703 gerapporteer word.
‘n Dringende versoek aan inwoners om, benewens die erfnommer, ook ‘n sigbare straatnommer prominent op die erf of selfs die woonhuis aan te bring.
KLAGTES OOR MUNISIPALE DIENSTE OPGELOS
Die stelsel om mindere klagtes soos ‘n enkele slaggat, stukkende of oorgroeide straatnaamtekens, oorgroeide sypaadjies en verweerde spoedhobbels op ‘n geordende wyse onder die Munisipaliteit se aandag te bring, het reeds vrugte afgewerp deurdat verskeie klagtes opgelos is terwyl ander aandag geniet.
Dis is nou duidelik dat die stelsel na behore werk en ten volle deur die Munisipaliteit ondersteun word aangesien ons oplettende oë ook hulle help. Bykomstige inligting verskyn in die bylae (in Engels).
Nuwe soortgelyke klagtes kan onder die aandag van een van die volgende komiteelede gebring word: Rob Boyd by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. of Richard Starke by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. of Werner Zybrands by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
BEWARINGSGEBIED
Die goeie nuus is dat die logo, grondwet en bankrekening nou alles in plek is en dat die Kogelbergtak van die Botaniese Vereniging in April met bewusmaking sal help.
Die herinstelling van Bettysbaai as bewaringsgebied word tans onder leiding van Carol Clark geloods. Belangstellendes kan haar by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. kontak.
BOBBEJAANSAKE
Tydens ‘n oop wykskomiteevergadering gehou op 16 Maart was daar ‘n warm bespreking oor die groterwordende bedreiging van bobbejane wat op gewelddadige wyse by huise inbreek en ‘n dreigende houding teenoor bewoners openbaar.
Die algemene gevoel was dat die Munisipaliteit en sy diensverskaffer nou aktief die bobbejane moet bestuur en om te verseker dat, deur ‘n gebalanseerde uitvoeringsplan, die bobbejane uit die bewoonde gebied na hul natuurlike berghabitat beweeg word.
Soos beplan, is ‘n mannetjiesbobbejaan van ‘n halsband met ‘n GPS/Satellietradio voorsien en sal die trop se bewegings behoorlik gevolg kan word.
INSTANDHOUDING VAN GRUISPAAIE
Die BBBV help tans die Munisipaliteit met ‘n wetenskaplike opname van die toestand van alle gruispaaie en ook die herstelwerk wat benodig word.’n Bedrag van R2 500 is deur die BBBV bewillig om te help betaal vir die vaslegging van al die data wat deur BBBV komiteelede, die Buurtwag en ander vrywilligers ingesamel word. Kyk gerus weer na die bylae vir meer inligting.
LIDMAATSKAP EN KONTAKMAAK
Waar nodig, sal daar op ons webtuiste meer volledige en onlangse nuusgebeure gevind kan word.Ter aanvulling van ons nuusbrief en webtuiste het ons ook ons eie Facebookblad. Die besonderhede is:
www.facebook.co./BettysBayRatepayers
Besoek dit gerus.
Moedig asseblief ander inwoners aan om by ons aan te sluit – aansoekvorms is op ons webtuiste www.bettysbay.info beskikbaar.
Rig enige navrae aan Adrian de Kock by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bylae
Roads and Stormwater portfolio
A spreadsheet of Betty’s Bay small technical problems is submitted to the Overstrand Municipality at the end of each month for their information and action. Typical items include potholes, the reinstatement of speed bumps after grading, low points with inadequate drainage which results in ponding after rain, road signage issues and stormwater channels which are overgrown and/or silted up.
It would be greatly appreciated if emails listing these items could be sent to Rob Boyd at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so that a more comprehensive list can be submitted. It is important to clearly define the problem and its location by using the street name together with the erf or street number.
A software programme is being developed to objectively survey the condition of all the gravel roads in Betty’s Bay. The survey makes use of determinants developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). These include the gravel quantity, road cross sectional profile, road drainage, drainage along the road, ride quality as influenced by corrugations, loose material, stoniness, potholes, ruts, erosion and dust. Each determinant is given a numeric value from 1 – 5, with 1 being the best and 5 the worst. All results are summed for a particular portion of road. These are then automatically ranked from worst to best for all the roads surveyed.
The survey will be completed by members of the Neighbourhood Watch using a cell phone App. The data from the cell phone will automatically be input into a spreadsheet which contains all the street names and street numbers which have been partitioned into the seven neighbourhood watch sectors. This information will be submitted to the Overstrand Municipality to be used as a tool for budgeting and prioritising work schedules.
Our sincere thanks to Bertie Vorster and his daughter who developed and successfully implemented this system in Pringle Bay for their patience and assistance in adapting this programme for our use.
