Dear Birdhaven residents
We trust this find you safe and well during the lock down. It is wonderful to see so many people in the suburb exercising and the lock down has certainly resulted in an increase of pedestrians to the area to enjoy our wonderful suburb. Please exercise caution when entering or exiting the suburb in light of this increased foot and vehicle traffic.
We wish to re-iterate the imperative to exercise the appropriate social distancing and mask etiquette for both your own and others’ health and comply with the other lock-down regulations in your use of the open and public spaces in the suburb.
We wanted to update you on some Birdhaven news.
Fencing Project- James and Ethel Gray Park
As you will have seen, led by the James and Ethel Gray Park Foundation (JEGPF) but with our support and the Melrose North Residents and Ratepayers Association (MNRRA), the JEGPF procured the installation of Clear-Vu fencing around most of the northern section of James and Ethel Gray Park (Park) and are raising funds through the JEGPF to complete the process. The JEGPF is a registered Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) thus enabling donations to be tax deductible through section 18A deductions. Please go to the website www.jamesandethelgrayparkfoundation.org for more information about the JEGPF and all it is doing for the Park.
We would greatly appreciate any donations to the JEGPF to assist us to complete the Clear-Vu fencing project around the Park. We acknowledge the difficult fundraising environment at present in light of Covid-19 and we are working with the JEGPF and MNRRA on various initiatives to raise the balance required of approximately R1.5m.
The installation of the fencing is the first phase in a process to restore the Park to its flagship status and ensure that the biodiversity and ecology is preserved and that the open spaces are safe and accessible to all. Further phases will involve upgrades to infrastructure to enhance the experience of those using the Park.
We are very grateful for the excellent work of the JEGPF, particularly its chairman, Sunil Geness, a resident of Melrose North and member of the MNRRA, who was instrumental in concluding the transaction with Clear-Vu. This project and initiative has been and will continue to be a priority area for the BRA, given the importance of this shared public space on the overall beauty and safety of the suburb of which we are so proud. The current lock down has increased our energy in this regard, particularly because it has highlighted the importance of safe open spaces for all to enjoy.
Street Lights
We are aware of a certain street lights not working intermittently. Please assist us in logging faults on any lights by taking down the street light number on the pole itself and notifying City Power either via calling Joburg Connect on 0860 562 874 or via the CoJ website (click here). If there is no number or it is not clearly visible, please give accurate directions of the lights involved. The more people that notify, the easier it is to ensure the lights are repaired or restored.
Roads
We are aware of the pothole on Greenacres Drive at the corner of Wrenrose Avenue- just before the four-way stop. We have engaged with JRA in this regard are hoping this will be done very soon, having regard to the backlog as a result of the lock down. We are dealing with this at senior levels given the danger involved.
We are also aware of other road markings in the suburb which need painting and certain speed bumps which require filling in certain areas and are engaging with JRA in this regard.
We are hoping to procure the repair the tarring on the pavement going up St Andrews Street from corner Wrenrose Avenue to Corner Wingfield Avenue in due course.
Illegal Dumping of Waste
Illegal dumping of waste (including garbage bags, bottles, plastic cartons and other waste materials) and building rubble continues to be a problem, particularly on Tyrwhitt Avenue, Edgewood Avenue and Melrose Street as well as in the Park and other open areas such as Henderson Park, Greenacres Circle and the road reserve alongside the shopping precinct. Our maintenance team continues to face this challenge and if you see any illegal dumping of litter or rubble, please let us know. We thank the many residents who take it upon themselves to clean up areas when they see waste materials and leave the sealed black bags for us to collect or Pikit-Up to collect along the road. If you do assist, please ensure you do so in a safe manner having regard to the current risks associated with Covid-19.
Maintenance
General
Our maintenance team regularly cuts grass around the suburb and trims curb edges, and we encourage you to keep your verges around your property in good order and if possible, assist us to make the streets neat. The team also assists regularly in fixing the low gum pole fencing in the area. If you wish to contribute to our initiative to paint the gum poles during the upcoming annual painting programme, please get in contact with us.
Parks
We want to thank MBCAP for deploying the Cap Green Team in the Park last week and the excellent work they do and continually do in the Park, and in particular recently, on the pathways. We saw the team working on Friday and making good progress on the pathways going down from the main parking area towards Edgewood Avenue. A new volunteer group to bolster the work of City Parks has been set up on Whatsapp and the group is commencing this week This is also to augment our existing work and the work done by the MNRRA under the stewardship of the JEGPF. If you wish to joint this initiative and add value to our work, please join the group for more details: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CYlTHbB6al9HGeHjsD5rIb
In addition, we have the amazing support of James Delaney and Thulani Nkomo, who came on their own initiative to help maintain the Park. James and Thulani were instrumental in restoring The Wilds to its current position and given that The Wilds has been closed, they came to support us. They have done excellent work in recent weeks in the Park and this has encouraged many others to assist with pruning and gardening.
The new volunteer group has commenced this week- please engage with Sunil as it would be great if you could join us and we can take some photos and capture some text of the excellent work your team is doing and put it on the appropriate social media platforms (subject to confirmation by you). Thulani/James will be involved in this group as well.
In summary, as we hope you can see, there is a high energy and co-ordinated approach to restoring the Park to its flagship status and we thank you for your support. We are pleased that there continues to be a close working relationship between the BRA, the MNRRA and the JEGPF, and this has enabled successes in various initiatives, which for many years the individual suburbs could not achieve at the levels they wished.
Dog owners are urged to clean up after their dogs.
Birdhaven Shopping Precinct
There is a significant increase in pedestrian traffic in the shopping precinct and please exercise caution when entering or exiting this area in vehicles. It is wonderful to see so many people on the roads and buying coffee, and, again, we urge you to comply with the lock down regulations when moving through the suburb.
Please support our local shops and vendors as much as you can during this period- they have all worked very hard to keep operating and serving the suburb.
The positive upgrades to the BP Service Station have made a difference to the area and we hope to see further enhancements to the star shop in due course.
2020 Subscriptions
As you may be aware, joining the website of the Birdhaven Rate Payers is free and you can do this by logging on to www.birdhavenrpa.co.za and you will receive updates.
However, we encourage you to contribute the relevant amount referred to below. If you have moved into the suburb in the last 12 months, please send us your contact information so that we can update our database. The subscription period for the 2020 year runs from January 2020 to December 2020.
The subscription for houses or clusters is R675 per house per annum. The subscription for flats and apartments is R68 per flat or apartment per annum.
We are sensitive to the tough economic environment brought about by Covid-19, but we would be grateful for your support. If you have not already paid and would like to do so, please find our banking details below. Your support enables us to maintain our beautiful suburb. Banking Details for payment are:
Bank: Standard Bank of South Africa Limited
Branch Name: Jan Smuts Avenue Branch
Branch Code: 00-42-05
Account Number: 0001948245
Please insert your name & street address as reference & email the payment confirmation to birdhavenrpa@gmail.com.
If you require an invoice, please let us know and we will attend to same subsequent to receipt and clearance of payment.
Remember, if you see something, say something! Please be in touch with us on our website or on birdhavenrpa@gmail.com .
Please remember, if you see something, say something.
Kind regards
Birdhaven Rate Payers Association