PRA hosts AGM: On maintenance projects and trees
PARKTOWN – The PRA made it clear they were putting funds and donations from residents to good use as seen by the many projects achieved and those still ongoing.
An evening set aside to talk about community issues and updates saw residents in and around Parkview make their way to Parktown High School for Girls for the Parkview Residents Association’s (PRA) AGM.
The association’s executive committee member responsible for marketing and communications, Theresa Gibbon said a number of maintenance projects had been tackled over the years. These included:
- Stormwater drain project – the clearing of all blocked drains of accumulated rubbish and debris which had resulted in the flooding of streets. This combined project with Johannesburg Roads Agency has seen about 60 drains being cleared so far and should be finished by the end of the year.
- Upgrade of Donegal/Derry intersection and Rasta Park – In the park, the pedestrian walkway has been paved. Waterwise plants and low maintenance succulents have been planted and a bench installed.
- Emmarentia Avenue – This is an ongoing clean-up project with partners which includes either clearing, mowing or removing pine needles.
- Electricity boxes – Ken McArthur did an electricity box audit of Parkview and together with a painter has painted and restored more than 35 electricity boxes.
- Streetlights audit – Three streetlights audits have been conducted by the association and SafeParkview. Twenty-one streets were audited by 15 volunteers and 171 streetlights were found to be problematic. City Power technicians have fixed many lights and are addressing the ‘repeat offenders’. The audit will be repeated every four to six months.
A brand-new initiative of the association is the Save our Trees project which was started by the street trees sub-committee who began to survey the trees in the area with an aim to determine a plan of action for their maintenance. Association exco member, Najia Rizwan said many trees were found diseased with shothole borer and sooty mould among other things, and needed immediate treatment while some needed to be pruned as they were a hazard and in other areas, new trees need to be planted.
Street trees sub-committee chairperson, Victoria Shelly said, “The sub-committee in context with its awareness programme has organised tree talks with certified arborists and also introduced discounted consultancy packages for individual residents to identify and curtail the spread of infestations. The infected trees shall be marked and City Parks will be notified for further action.”
Details:
Parkview Residents’ Association www.parkview.org.za
City Power 086 056 2874 or email: estimations@citypower.co.za
City Parks www.jhbcityparks.com
