RESIDENTS claim a lame landscaping effort of a few rocks and a scattered arrangement of wilted, dying plants at the entrance to Southport has cost ratepayers between R30 000 and R55 000.
A passing motorist actually thought the garden had been planted by some ‘kind granny’. He phoned the Herald to ask us to thank whoever it was.
It turned out to be the Hibiscus Coast Municipality, apparently at an exorbitant cost. However, the amount paid could not be confirmed as there was no official comment at the time of going to print.
Last month, a petition was signed and sent to the municipality by residents of Sea Park requesting the urgent cutting, clearing and cleaning of Acacia Road.
No official response was received.
Some work was done along Acacia Road, adjacent to the R102, about a month ago by the Expanded Works Programme (EWP) team.
But the road was left in a shocking state said June Myers, chairman of the Bendigo Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association.
“Trees and bushes had been cut with no regard to the different species of indigenous plants. No alien plants were removed,” she said.
The cuttings were just left lying all over the roadside and encouraged illegal dumping.
John Irven, chairman of the Sea Park Residents’, Ratepayers’ and Business Association, was also concerned, especially about how a business could be allowed to operate on Lot 43 Ocean View Drive – in the middle of a residential area.
Mr Irven said large trucks were damaging the road and blocking entrances to driveways and roads. He added it was well known that there was a shebeen at the end of the road and drug dealers also operated in the area.
“We cannot allow the standard of our suburbs to deteriorate so that crime, illegal business practices and urban decay take place,” said Mr Irven.
He pointed out that the potholes were extremely bad on most of the roads and that, generally, Sea Park was looking very scruffy, unkempt and forgotten.
Residents also wanted to know if it was true that farm land, at the back of Southport, had been sold for a proposed affordable housing scheme.
