DEAR Editor,-
The letter from John Irven in last week’s Herald needs to be addressed. Mr Irven has done some good work in the community. Unfortunately his ‘claim to fame’ is being badly devalued by his rather strange modus operandi regarding his relationship with me as the councillor. Unfounded, wild allegations of lack of commitment on my part, as reflected in his letter, have been made since he lost out as the candidate for the DA in 2010.
As chairman of various organisations, he arranged meetings with important ward 16 role players without involving or informing me as councillor. His insinuations of non-delivery by me have increased sharply since he failed to be re-elected as chairman of the Bendigo Ratepayers Association in 2014 . He is now acting as the ‘appointed’ chairman (we don’t know who selected him) of the so-called ‘Sea Park Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association’. I have asked him to invite me as the ward councillor to the ratepayers’ meetings. It seems no meetings have been held.
I have great empathy for Garth Garnham’s predicament regarding Lot 42/1 Sea Park. The real facts regarding my involvement are: I met Mr Garnham towards the end of 2010 to attend to a road problem and a dispute between him and his neighbour, both of which I managed to resolve. In 2012, he reported the issue with the dilapidated house next to his property where a shebeen was in operation. I organised a site visit with key role players: SAP, Protection Services, Department of Planning, Fire Department and Departments of Health and Welfare. A comprehensive raid was duly carried out in 2013.
The matter of Lot 42/1 was also discussed at the Southport CPF and feedback was given by me as the councillor. At that stage I organised the Community Services HOD and the manager of Cleansing to accompany me to inspect the accumulation of litter. A clean-up was done and we also managed to stop renovations due to the fact that no plans were submitted.
I asked appointed attorney Larry Seethal to visit the premises and an eviction order was duly prepared, but he could not get hold of the owners and was later informed that the property had been sold to a family member. Recently I visited Mr Seethal again to ascertain the cause of the eviction order delay and Mr Garnham was contacted in my presence to be given feedback. At that stage a second raid had been carried out about three months prior. We are waiting for Mr Seethal to explain the long delay with the eviction order.
Mr Irven’s concluding remark about my involvement in Lot 42/1 as mere ‘occasional mention by the ward councillor’ is an emphatic lie and he knows it. His remark about Sea Park as being neglected is unfounded. I can state categorically that all ward 16 townships including Umtentweni (north), Sea Park, Southport, Sunwich Port, Melville and Pumula are being serviced by me as the councillor on an equal basis.
The fact that HCM service delivery has deteriorated seriously is of great concern to the DA and me, as a councillor. The DA is not in power on the South Coast (yet) and we can’t force the law. However, through ongoing pressure, Mr Garnham’s ordeal, as well as other serious issues in Sea Park and other areas of ward 16 will hopefully be resolved. They have been reported, listed on the IDP, are regularly followed up and comprehensive feedback is duly given at official ratepayer meetings.
CLR TAP KRUGER
Ward 16
