Letter of the week: Revitalised residents’ body

A group of concerned residents on our beautiful Dolphin Coast have resolved to revive and rejuvenate the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association (DOCRRA).

DOCRRA is the constituted and officially recognised representative body of all householders resident in Ward 6, Ward 21, Ward 22 and Ward 28. However, DOCRRA as a representative and active organisation has been somewhat invisible and inactive over the past year or so.

We are keen to become far more active within our Dolphin Coast community and assist wherever possible our elected ward councillors – and of course our municipality.

The recently formed committee – which is entirely voluntary – intends to be proactive with local and provincial authorities, rather than reactive.

We fully appreciate and realise that times are hard for everyone, including our municipality, but unless regular and continual maintenance is carried out on our long-established and new facilities to keep them in good and safe order, we will continue to go backwards as far as service delivery is concerned.

Therefore, we would like to encourage communication and the exchange of ideas between all concerned residents and DOCRRA – which we hope to do through The Courier as well as through social media.

DOCRRA is keen to set up – and monitor – a realistic and achievable “wish list”. Priorities will also need to be set but from our initial discussions and contacts, we believe that the following are of great concern to our citizens: –

• Establishment of a full police station within the Ballito CBD area to cater for the increasing number of residents between the Tongaathi and Umvoti Rivers;
• Investigate ways and means of assisting our municipality in completing the municipal office renovations in Ballito that have now been incomplete and unoccupied for well over two years;
• Investigate ways and means of assisting the municipality and the provincial roads department in the proper and regular maintenance of our provincial and municipal roads – including the M4, the R102, Shakas Rock road and Salt Rock road, which are all provincial responsibilities;
• Investigate ways and means of assisting our municipality with the dangerous pedestrian situation on Ballito Drive between our two large shopping centres. We know that the UIP is active in establishing controls along the centre of Ballito Drive but we believe more important would be the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Ballito Drive linking the shopping centres and creating a much more effective commercial centre.

There are many more concerns, not the least being our congested traffic system and the need for more efficient north/south communications. We have too many bottlenecks.

However, we would like residents and ratepayers to write to us directly – or through The Courier – to raise concerns and offer positive ideas that DOCRRA can and should be concerned about and help to sort out with the respective authorities or organisations.

DOCRRA intends to be positive in its approach to community problems and concerns — and definitely not negative.

KEN LEVER

Chairman DOCRRA