News & Events

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Location: Meyersdal Eco Estate Club House
Date: 19th Aporil 2021
Time Weekday: 14:00 – 19:00

Registration

Residents/Tenants must register themselves and all family members/employees residing with them on the Estate. Anyone needing to use the turnstile/boom gate access must register on the Entry Pro Biometric Access System at reception area.

USE OF THE SOETDORING GATE

Residents must note that the use of this gate are mainly for permanent residents/tenants residing on the Estate and with a few exceptions i.e. employees like personal drivers and or au pairs or medical staff living with residents. In the case of the latter, formal permission must be obtained from the security committee before such person will be authorized to use this gate and then access will still only be allowed for a vehicle that was fitted with a NEPAD sticker.

Dear valued client

Every year during November and December there is a definite spike in crime with house break and theft, theft out of motor vehicle; theft from motor vehicle; follow homes and common robberies dominating across all regions.

Recently we have had a few pets getting out of properties and find themselves in the natural area, being chased by wildebeest who feel threatened by their presence in its territory. In this case we attempt to capture them, without adding to much stress to the already scared and lost animal, and return them to their loving owners.

• Admission rights reserved for all persons/vehicles & subject to HOA governance rules.
• 40 Km/hr. speed restriction apply & CCTV monitoring done.

The early bird gets the worm but the early risers get to see the bird with his worm.

Our maintenance team took on the task in preparing a temporary 2nd entrance at contractors gate to facilitate residents to still have access during the upgrading of maingate.

• Reinstall Contractors Waiting Area Fence
• Reinstall Contractors Fence
• Contractors Paving
• Data Manhole Covers

Our Maintenance team works through weekly checklists ensuring our Estate stays in tip top shape. This includes:

• Water Leaks
• Blocked Sewerage
• Pothole Repairs

Recently we have had a few pets getting out of properties and find themselves in the natural area, being chased by wildebeest who feel threatened by their presence in its territory. In this case we attempt to capture them, without adding to much stress to the already scared and lost animal, and return them to their loving owners.

Recycle, Recycle, it’s not hard to do, you can reduce the pollution and help the world too!

With the new upgrading of the clubhouse it was decided to move staff bathrooms & shower facilities to the workshop area. The maintenance team had to trench and join into the existing sewerage system around main gate area which was the closest point to connect to.

Our maintenance team assisted in the small tasks during the Clubhouse Upgrade Project to help cut down on unnecessary expenses.

Residents/tenants must please contact the security control room first when observing incidents, transgressions or when needing any other assistance i.e. snake found on property, observed fire close to or in the Estate, animals being injured or complaints regarding noise, speeding, youngsters using Polaris/golf cart type vehicles recklessly or without supervision of a licensed driver etc.

Fidelity also provided a display of force with the opening of the upgraded clubhouse facility with new mule type vehicles introduced to expand patrolling efficiency on the fences and nature areas, helicopter fly overs which are now a regular occurrence as part of crime prevention strategies for MEYERSDAL and their SWOT reaction team supporting team MEYERSDAL on the day to ensure activities were well managed and controlled.

The responsibility for the maintenance of our perimeter fences, our camera system and the control room was outsourced to C3 Shared Technologies as from May 2019. Technical advisors are busy with detailed investigations and will present a needs analysis during July 2019 to assist with a route map going forward i.e. the implementation of thermal cameras and applicable software to enhance our monitoring efficiency and proactive approach to prevent incidents and increase detection awareness.

We entered the fire risk season and Estate personnel is actively busy enlarging fire break areas around the Estate and homes.

An additional “bakkie sakkie” to combat fire was purchased and we appeal to residents/tenants to report any fire/s observed around the Estate, even if in neighbouring Estates or along the R59 and Michelle roads immediately to the control room.

The speed limit on the Estate is 40 km/hr. and monitoring is done with speed calibrated devices which are handheld or semi fixed cameras. As explained above HOA’s are legally entitled to lay down speed limits and enforce the safe use of roads through a system of rules/regulations and laid down penalties for transgressions of its rules/regulations.

A neighbouring Estate recently had an incident where a person entered legally as passenger in a vehicle but was dropped off at an unoccupied property where he proceed to entered and claimed the property to be his as the person dropping him off stated he can take it.

• Potholes
• Fence Repairs
• Water leaks
• Street Lights
• Data Manhole Covers
• Paving repairs
• We replaced a broken elliptical trainer with a spinning bike
• Multifunctional court net repairs

During rainy summer months, vegetation growth and erosion around our perimeter fences are one of our biggest challenges.

Weekly we have to service all sprinklers to make sure no water is wasted on leaks or onto the roads.

With the recent summer rains we had to recommission the rain sensors on the circles and trench & move it to more suitable areas to function more accurately, not to irrigate when raining to make sure not to waste water.

After installation of the gym equipment on the circles it was decided to install water fountains to accommodate our residents to stay hydrated during the intense exercises and dustbins to dispose of any unwanted litter.

With the new upgrading of the clubhouse it was decided to move staff bathrooms & shower facilities to the workshop area. The maintenance team had to trench and join into the existing sewerage system around main gate area which was the closest point to connect to.

During recent rains and constant pressure of turning vehicles at Eagles Nest the paving and rock retainers have failed & shifted. Our maintenance team decided to cast a concrete retaining wall with a water runoff to guide water away from the road for a more permanent solution.

Please don’t forget to join us for our monthly Bird walks which take place on one Saturday morning every month. All walks are guided by Kevin Lavery which does birding at various places to assist with various projects which include the bird atlas project2, Environmental impact assessments for various developments and also does guided walks at Various nature reserves.

Recently we have had a few pets getting out of properties and find themselves in the natural area, being chased by wildebeest who feel threatened by their presence in its territory. In this case we attempt to capture them, without adding to much stress to the already scared and lost animal, and return them to their loving owners.

Cirsium vulgare is mostly regarded as a weed or undesirable plant. However, the plants are very attractive and offer lots of rewards for butterflies and other insects, and despite the very sharp thorns on the leaves, it also has some uses for humans.

The attractive flowers, held on erect slender stems about 1 m in length, are large (about 100 mm across) and are white with yellow nectar guides on the outer tepals and violet central segments.

This lovely tree gets its English common name, wild pear, from the masses of white blooms which appear before the leaves in early spring. It bears a resemblance to a true pear (Pyrus communis) in full flower. However, it is no relation of the pear tree, which is in the Rose family (Roseaceae) like the peach and apricot.

The Estate forms part of the Kliprivier conservation area hence are controlled by SACCA regulations that prohibits flying a remotely piloted aircraft or toy aircraft 50 meters or closer from:

We are busy preparing a compost preparation and worm farm area at the back of the crusher site and when ready residents will be informed what type of domestic waste and plant matter will be picked up at the stands. The drive will be to utilize all compost produced in this way in the Estate gardens.

Recycle, Recycle, it’s not hard to do, you can reduce the pollution and help the world too!

To help make recycling easier, recycling bags with different recycling will be collected on Thursday from your house between 8:00 and 10:00.

The intention in the greater landscape conservation, rehabilitation, design and construction of the nature reserve itself, is to preserve and protect the unique qualities of the Klipriviersberg landscape that is characterised by its openness, rolling landforms and indigenous vegetation.

The Vehicle Access Routes Map shows where all the General Access Routes (for all types of vehicles) as well as the 4×4 Access Routes (for sticly offroad vehicles).

Multipurpose trails were laid out and marked with signages at the end of 2018/ beginning 2019 that can be used by cyclists and hikers alike. All trails are clearly marked with arrows of different colours to ensure the correct trails are followed.

Every year a new summer season brings new babies. With new babies comes an increase in numbers and this increases the impact on the natural vegetation leaving us with no choice but to decrease the number of game as is calculated based on veld biomass and nutritional value for each game species. Recommendations from GDARD are also considered in the decision of numbers and species to be removed. Species to be removed this year include Black Wildebeest, Impala, Kudu, Springbuck, Zebra, Red Hartebeest, Blesbuck, Waterbuck and Giraffe. The giraffe removal is to meet with GDARD compliance notifications.

The total number of animals on the estate is 349 (Table 1). Between 1 March 2018 and 28 February 2019, there were 92 new babies born and we lost 37 animals (Table 1). These deaths were caused by suspected hit and runs, animals getting stuck in palisade at houses and/ or fish ponds, natural territorial fights between males, competition removal by new lead males in herds for own young and some natural deaths like age. There was some carcass found which we were unable to speculate the cause of death due to the extent of decomposition.

After a few good thunder storms and a few good spells of rain, the veld is full of lush green vegetation. Even with the lush green vegetation, the condition of the veld is still showing signs of deterioration and over grazing in some areas. Because of this, supplementary feeding continue to keep the badly affected areas from becoming worse.

The Board approved a 5 (five) percent rebate for residents that settle their levy accounts 12 months in advance, and it will run from March to February of each financial year, but it was also decided that owners that settle levies/penalties via cash deposits will bear the bank costs of such transactions.

Residents must note that the speed limitation is 40 km/hr. as a measure to protect our cyclists and children using the roads to walk about and to prevent our wild animals from being killed when they cross roads.

The control room and perimeter fence upgrade was completed, and we will start the next phase of introducing thermal cameras at key points to ensure we can link up with software installed that will assist in early detection of trespassers and increasing the efficiency of control room operators and the reaction task force.

Officer Andrew Ndebele was elected as officer of the month by his fellow colleagues as a dedicated, hard worker that always walks the extra mile.

Hijack Prevention Guidelines:

• Most hijackings occur in the driveways of residential area especially those with accessible escape routes.

Approaching & entering your driveway:

• Always check the driveway and street before you leave or enter your premises.

An incident occurred on our Estate where 3 young males, one the child of a resident residing on the Estate trespassing by entering another residents house uninvited and not knowing the family that resides there. It is unknown what their intentions were, but they immediately left when the elderly mother saw them and called for help.

Remember to join our bird walk this month on Saturday the 12th of January 2019 at 06:00.

We have opened our new mountain bike trails where our environmental and maintenance team worked together in building our new tracks and installing new signs laying out the direction for future cyclers.

With the demand of fibre within the estate service providers were frequently pulling cables through our data manholes.

This resulted in cracked and broken covers of the consistent lifting and dropping of it.

Groundwater

As many know there is quite allot of groundwater around the crusher site area.

This results in residents needing to constantly pump water on to the road which causes allot of potholes & maintenance.

1. Team had to fix all sewerage covers into place to make sure no stormwater, rocks or debris can fall into the system. 2. Potholes were repaired right through estate 3. Road markings were done at Main Gate Entrance

1. Tennis Court net had to be repaired 2. Multifunctional court net had to be repaired

Because of the constant damaging of the netball poles and rings due to removing and planting of poles as being utilized, our maintenance team decided to manufacture new netball rings which wouldn’t need a pole but would rather extend from the existing court frame. This means that the netball rings will be permanently fixed and immediately available to enjoy.

1. Because of the current state of 1 of the decks, being a safety concern, it was decided to replace the deck. (Refer to managers report)
2. Our maintenance team also built walkways to the decks making sure there is safe & easy passage for everyone to enjoy.

Residents are urged to start making use of the Thursdays re cycling pick up service as it will become compulsory for households to split domestic waste before putting it out for collection i.e. paper, plastics and glass to be split from kitchen type waste. Johannesburg will introduce it fully during the next months and Ekurhuleni will follow suit thereafter.

After the recent fence breach incident our security layers were improved, and we are testing motion detection capabilities on key perimeter fence areas, the control room equipment and controls were upgraded to improve operator efficiency and Fidelity’s surprise site visits by managers from other sites in the area during night time was beefed up and ADT assists with random checks along Michelle Avenue as well as drive through’s in the Estate.

Residents must note that the speed limitation is 40 km/hr. as a measure to protect our cyclists and children using the roads to walk about and to prevent our wild animals from being killed when they cross roads. A total of 7 animals was killed or had to be euthanized due to this during the past months.

The Board approved a 5 (five) percent rebate for residents that settle their levy accounts 12 months in advance, but it was also decided that owners that settle levies/penalties via cash deposits will bear the bank costs of such transactions from the end of November 2018. The CSOS levy do not form part of this as it is a government fund obligation and currently amounts to R 40 per property per month.

The natural areas have turned green after the rain we had. The rain is less than we would like but the little we have received has changed the dry winter veld into luscious green vegetation. But how ever little it is, the animals and the vegetation of the veld needed and appreciated it.

With a bit of rain, a few babies have arrived…

Plenty of birds are building nests to have some chicks. The first of the baby birds have been heard and some have been seen. There are also those that have been blown out of their nest and need some help from us. If you find a baby bird, please first check if you can place it back in its nest or if you see the parents around teaching it to fly.

With the rain having fallen and temperatures becoming warmer, our hibernating species are out and about. These species include the South African Hedgehog, Tortoises, Scorpions, Snakes and Spiders. Please be careful when driving as tortoises are often seen crossing the roads during the day and hedgehogs are often seen crossing the roads at night.

Please don’t forget to join us for our monthly Bird walks which take place on one Saturday morning every month. All walks are guided by Kevin Lavery which does birding at various places to assist with various projects which include the bird atlas project2, Environmental impact assessments for various developments and also does guided walks at Various nature reserves.

The total number of animals on the estate is 302 (Table 1). Between 1 March and 4 December 2018, the estate has had 45 new babies born and lost 37 animals (Table 1). These deaths were caused by suspected hit and runs, animals getting stuck in palisade by houses and/ or fish ponds, natural territorial fights between males, competition removal by new lead male in herds for own young and some natural deaths like age.

After a few good thunder storms in November and little bit of rain, the veld is starting to show more green vegetation. With numerous days having heatwave warnings, and the rainfall still being below average, the pregnant females have finally started having their babies.

With Summer having arrived, all mammals are having their babies. We do however ask that before trees are cut down, that they be checked for nests with baby birds in or for small spotted genet babies. We recently had a tree cut down without being checked, resulting in three baby small spotted genets being thrown from the tree. Two of the three has survived the fall and are now being hand raised.

Scientific name:

Cuscuta campestris (Family: Convolvulaceae)

Common Name:

Common Dodder

Recycle, Recycle, it’s not hard to do, you can reduce the pollution and help the world too!

Recently we have had a few pets getting out of properties and find themselves in the natural area, being chased by wildebeest who feel threatened by their presence in its territory. In this case we attempt to capture them, without adding to much stress to the already scared and lost animal, and return them to their loving owners.