GUTTERS
We have installed the gutters on the Guardhouse at the Park gate entrance and weeded the beds.
VOLUNTEERS
IQ Business offered came with 25 staff to spend a Saturday morning working in the Park. Thank you Mica Hardware in Parkmore who donated the special antirust enamel paint for the Dinosaur as well as the wood preservative mixture for the Jungle Gym. Both these got their annual paint over and the Dinosaur is bright and cheerful again.
They also did a river clean up with tongs, gloves and bags supplied by Parks with collection of 20 bags of rubbish on the Monday. Thank you Khaya Bodlani, Parks Depot 406.
All involved had a lot of fun being outside and doing something physical was so good for them. Thank you IQ Business. FOFS needs this kind of Corporate gesture to help with the maintenance of the Park.
FILMING
We had a film crew in the Park at the dead of night – 10pm – 3am. They came and went without any disturbance to surrounding residents. The Park is used on occasion for this.
FOREST FARM – PARK 6 HECT ON W. BANK
We have had our second meeting with Forest Farm re. the Development we have proposed for the Northern end of the W Bank over the river. They have put into the Dev. a triangle of their land to increase the value of the proposal. We discussed all aspects of the plan which includes increasing the Park over the river, including the servitude into the Park. They were happy to now take it to the whole Board for their approval. This will be in two weeks time.
JPC are aware of these negotiations. A public meeting will be held once the plan has been accepted by Forest Farm’s Board and JPC.
SQUATTERS
Due to the continued unkempt state of the river servitude they are a constant problem despite police raids. Over the last 6 months a criminal element has come into the scenario with the stables being robbed, and bikers along the river being ‘bikejacked’. Thanks to an alert victim and SAPS the perpetrator was caught. To my knowledge no more – in our area – have happened. Bikers beware!
There is still a ‘camp’ of them on Forest Farm land where they sort plastics. We have met with Forest Farm to discuss this.
CRIME
A plastic pipe was pulled off the wall at the toilets which are currently closed. Facility maintenance is coming to fix this. The toilets have not been targeted for some time.
The townhouses adjoining the Park have had 4 armed burglaries this month and one attempted. They say they are leaving via the Park but enter over the fence from INSIDE Sport & Rec. I met with their Security and it would seem that the open gate at the bottom of Peter Place on the river is their escape route OR along the servitude.
RIVER
Frustrated with unkempt servitudes residents are ‘doing it for themselves”. Bryanston East using Fundi – who employ the jobless – are cutting the servitudes and even discovering overgrown Parks along the way. Thank you to them for cutting the grass behind PnPay during the bikejacking saga.
There is an idea of Parkland all along the river which would be a city asset but the current ad hoc, everyone do their own thing is not in the interests of an overall plan and this needs to be managed and caution exercised with offers from developers who need to offload excess soil.
Visibility is one of the best forms of security and by raising the level of Parks along the river, river trail users of all sorts are going to be endangered by being out of sight.
At a recent meeting of 6 stakeholders the need for an overall controlling body was expressed. We all need to be on the same page and in communication with each other.
Rose Johnson.
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