Clean-ups, alien-plant clearing and checking development into sensitive ecosystems are some of the jobs Noordhoek civics got done last year, and now residents are being asked to have their say on what needs doing this year.
The Noordhoek Ratepayers’ Association (NRPA) says its highlights for last year include initiating and coordinating upgrades to Beach Road and Oak Avenue, creating a geographic information system (GIS) for Noordhoek homeowners, handling 31 planning applications (up from 19 in 2021), and pushing for better road signs at the Ou Kaapseweg/Silvermine intersections.
“As a community, we need to work and play together to uphold and deliver on the vision for Noordhoek that we all desire,” said NRPA chairman Brad Bing.
Meanwhile, Karoline Hanks and her team from Project Noordhoeked, a conservation group, extended the beach boardwalk, held several Ou Kaapseweg clean-ups, removed invasive alien plants in and around Noordhoek and painted the Brookwood Stream bridge among other things.
For 2023, depending on funding, the group planned to build two new eco-brick benches in the green belt, hold a trail run in the wetland to raise money to clear invasive alien plants, and rehabilitate paths and clear rooikrans on Chapman’s Peak, Ms Hanks said.
The Noordhoek Environmental Action Group (NEAG) attended far south community forums and ward committee meetings to stay abreast of conservation issues in Noordhoek and surrounds, according to Dr Andrea Marais, the group’s chairperson.
“We’ve also continued with our high court case to stop the construction of the Houmoed Road proposal in Noordhoek due to the devastating impact it will have on the northern wetlands and the indicator species, the endangered Western leopard toad,” Dr Marais said.
In collaboration with the NRPA, they held two workshops on climate change in the valley and ran a survey to determine what the most pressing climate-change issues are for Noordhoek residents.
Kathy Fish and her team at On the Verge maintained 30 verge gardens, planted eight new trees at the beach parking, pruned beach parking trees and planted up the tree beds with wild fig, built a pedestrian path along Beach Road all the way to the beach and erected a bus bench on Beach Road among other things.
Residents are invited to send suggestions for what the NRPA should focus on in 2023 to info@nrpa.org.za.
