Councillors’ Corner: Welcome to Councillors Corner

Ward 73 is served by two local papers.

The North Eastern Tribune covers that part of the ward which has become an eclectic mix of cultures with the inclusion of Orange Grove in the last elections, and Norwood with its interesting and quirky Grant Avenue strip.

In this column, I will be concentrating on the Rosebank Killarney area which includes Killarney and Riviera, Upper and Lower Houghton and Oaklands – beautiful areas with substantial heritage value.

Upper Houghton’s declaration as a Heritage Site is soon to be gazetted and Killarney will be highlighting its heritage credentials on Heritage Day, with fanfare in the local park.

The extended Gautrain bus route, requested by Killarney residents has received many objections due to the short-cut through the suburb.

This must be taken into account in the review coming up soon. Recently, there was surprising but welcome news that some streets in Oaklands will be resurfaced.

According to the Visible Conditions Index these are some of the worst in the whole region. The process will start this week and includes Victoria, Currie, Meyer, Park, Trilby and African streets. Wherever new slurry is laid, new road markings will be painted.

It is clear that the Joburg electricity grid is under strain.

Five years ago a major upgrade of the Cydna station began (the one on Atholl-Oaklands Road) but this is taking longer than anticipated. In the new budget R50m is allocated for phase 2, which is supposed to relieve some of the strain and assist with the early-warning of potential problems.

Although Joburg administrators have boasted the biggest budget yet for the next financial year, we must not forget that this budget is based on projected income based on a 95 percent collection rate.

The present collection rate is about 86 percent. The plans for the next 12 months as laid out by our mayor are excellent. In this column we will keep you informed of actual progress.