Page 6 — 4th July 2007 The Midlands Herald

A municipal recycle blunder

Ratepayers object to mis-
use of valuable commercial Right:
The municipal recycle centre at the
and tourist site, non par- end of Bell Street can be seen
behind the traffic lights at the left of
ticipation, and failure of the photograph. Built last year at a
cost of R60 000, it was done
municipality to observe its without following the due
processes and is now at the centre
of a dispute with adjacent property
own laws owner, Tony Willment.

Greetings for scrapbooking

Greetings in the Rycroft Building opposite Halfway Toyota in Main Road, Howick, stocks a complete range
of scrapbooking including paper, embellishments, glues and much more. We also hold scrapbooking courses
where, as can be seen in our photograph, a fun time is being had by the ladies. Greetings is also your first
stop for gifts and for toys. Come in and browse our wide range of goodies. Telephone 033-330 6981.

Ultra
Video
has it all
Right:
Trevor (at right) of
Ultra Video at the Spar
Centre in Howick
poses with his
assistant, Michael.
Ultra Video at
Spar Centre in
Howick has had new owners since Decem-
ber 2007. They stock a full range of the lat-
est DVD movies, while retaining a good se-
lection of videos. You can also hire these for
more than just one day at a reasonable addi-
tional cost, and find an economical section
of DVDs for R10 and R8.
Here you will meet Trevor, who is already
well liked for his friendly demeanour at
Greetings in the Rycroft Centre, and his
young part-time assistant Michael who has
a vast knowledge of the library.
The video section holds some real clas-
sics: Apart from the “special interest” sec-
tion such as The King and I and Gone with
the Wind, there are also the various beauti-
ful BBC mini-series.
Trevor is currently concentrating on buy-
ing in new kiddies’ stock, with a good range
of films and cartoons on both video and
DVD.
Then there are the Play station 1 and 2
games, with a wide range of 1 and a good
range of 2, and the hire of Play station 1
consoles.
Trevor says: “We have a monthly catalogue
on the latest releases, and encourage feed-
back on these.”
There is also a special on Tuesdays that
means half-price when returning DVDs be-
fore 12 noon, and a Monday-to-Thursday
special: Take two DVDs for R30.
A contract system is also available
whereby you pay R100 and receive R120 in
units in turn, or for R200 you receive R250
in units.
For your instant convenience, the store
has a database of all its DVDs, videos and
Playstation games.
Remember: It is open from 9 am to 7 pm
every day of the week except Christmas.
Telephone 033-330 3918.
I
t’s the same old “recycled rubbish” as
far as the municipality is concerned, in
the opinion of about 425 petitioners —
with the number climbing daily — who ob-
ject to the attempt to approve retroactively
the establishment of an existing recycle de-
pot off Main Road in the Howick CBD.
Asked why they were objecting to the
centre one elderly couple from nearby
Amberglen advised that whilst they found
recycling totally commendable they consid-
ered the municipality’s actions contrary to
legislation and the desirable locality affected.
“The way they went about it without con-
sulting the public was reprehensible,” they
said. “And they could surely have placed it
in a more suitable position away from a prime
business area and our magnificent gorge.”
Concerned Ratepayers/Residents Group
Chairperson Claude Edward advised that on
behalf of his 2 064 members, together with
about 50 personal petitioners, he had sub-
mitted an objection to the road closure and
rezoning of Bell Street and the rezoning of
adjacent Erf 39, in response to Municipal
Notices No. 32 and 33 of 2007 published in
Village Talk last Wednesday.
“uMngeni Municipality has built a recy-
cling depot with no regard to the same laws
and standards that they require developers
and builders to adhere to,” he advised.
“Whilst we are in favour of recycling,”
he stressed, “property owners and businesses
were not informed and public participation
was ignored as they were not given the op-
portunity to participate or object prior to
the erection of the building. uMngeni Mu-
nicipality proposes to use this depot as a
collection centre bringing in waste from one
end of the municipality to the other, from as
far as Fort Nottingham and World’s View,
which means a huge growing amount of un-
hygienic household, commercial and even
industrial waste next to a butcher and other
businesses in the CBD.
“The Municipality deliberately kept these
businesses and the general public in the dark
about this project until its opening. Further-
more, the gorge edge from the caravan park,
past the Howick Falls, to the Forgotten Falls
and further should be preserved in its en-
tirety for its beauty and public access, for
the enjoyment of the community and tour-
ists.
“A rubbish collection depot, as laudable
as it is in concept, should not be allowed
where it has been placed. Too reiterate, we
are strong supporters of recycling, but it must
be done legally, correctly and must not jeop-
ardise others. Four or five bins, for the main
types of recyclable waste, could be placed at
the edge of this parking lot to be taken to an
appropriate collection point.”
DA Councillor Tim Lindsay-White, in
whose ward the offending structure has been
established, pointed out in response to the
request for public comment of the notices
that “it is reprehensible that the muni-
cipality’s attempt to retroactively rezone the
area, sanction a previously built recycle cen-
tre and close off a portion of Bell Street has
only come about as the result of an applica-
tion to the High Court on 4th June by a lo-
cal business.
“This is regrettable and sets a poor prec-
edent for the public. The public is expected
to abide by the municipal by-laws that the
municipality itself chooses not to follow, and
time after time the public are not being con-
sulted, despite the municipality’s mission
statement declaring that “the uMngeni Mu-
nicipality will ensure community participa-
tion in all projects.”
Clr Lindsay-White further illustrated how
some members of the community had com-
pared the inappropriate establishment of a
recycle depot in a prime commercial and
tourism sector at the edge of the uMngeni
Valley Gorge to the equally inappropriate
establishment of the Curry’s Post municipal
landfill site on a prime residential site at the
top of a hill with panoramic views of Howick
and Midmar Dam.
“The public need not lose a portion of
their public parking space, nor the beauty
of the area, nor a portion of Bell Street and
access to the gorge edge, and business own-
ers and their customers need not lose the
road access to their businesses.
There is a solution to preserve the inte-
grity of the area and continue the recycling
initiative by simply moving the collection,
separation, compacting, bagging and sell-
ing operation to an appropriate site and es-
tablishing a satellite pick-up point instead.
“The convenience for the public to recy-
cle can continue without any interruption,”
reported the applicant in the High Court
Case, local resident and adjacent property
owner Tony Willment.
Members of the community are invited
to communicate their views to the munici-
pal manager, uMngeni Municipality, Dicks
Street, Howick, in terms of notices 32 and
33 of 2007, although this ends today before
noon, 4th July 2007.
For more information you can contact the
Concerned Ratepayers/Residents Group on
033-330 6678.