Estate 2 May Newsletter

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Estate 2
May Newsletter

Dear Estate 2 Residents

What's in This Newsletter:

Estate News

Budget presentation 2022/2023
Sales and Leasing Agents - updated list
Generators, Solar Panels & Water Tanks
Community Centre bookings
Parking on verges and parking at community centres

Land & Environment

Alien Weed of The Month
The LionHeart Team Meets the Wildlife of Estate 2

Please do stay in touch - email me at desiree@mountedgecombe.com.

Kind regards
Desiree Stone
CEO

Estate News

Budget Presentation
2022/2023

Notice is hereby given that the Budget Presentation meeting will be held at The Watershed on Tuesday 10th May 2022 at 18h00.

AGENDA
1. Welcome
2. Budget 2022/23 - Please click here to view
3. Capex
4. Levy increase for 2022/2023 financial year

Kind regards
Desiree Stone
CEO

Sales & Leasing Agents
Updated 25 April 2022

Generators, Solar Panels & Water Tanks

With the continuation of load shedding as well as the recent water problems, we would like to draw your attention to the rules governing the installation of generators, solar panels, and Jo Jo Tanks.

For more information please see the following links below to the documents with all the information you will need.

1. Installation of generators on Estate 2 - please click here.
2. Requirements for Solar and Photovoltaic panels - please click here.
3. An example of submission for Solar Panels - please click here.
4. Water tanks:
Please see the links below to the Meccema and eThekwini policy and procedure in terms of water storage tanks.”

However, kindly note that if you are required to also submit your application to the Municipality due to the size of the tank, the Board of Directors has made a decision to support Residents by streamlining the process in view of the current water crisis.

Meccema will allow for homeowners to submit their application only to Meccema in the interim, so that you may be able to undertake the installation without delay. However, this does not preclude you from having to follow all statutory regulations in terms of Council approval. Once the tank has been installed all homeowners requiring council approval will be required to make an application to council to legalise the installation.

The attached undertaking will need to be signed by the registered owner of the property and returned with your application to Meccema in order for us to grant this relaxation. We trust that you will be guided accordingly.

Application for Water Storage tanks - please click here
Water tanks policy - please click here

Community Centre Bookings

A friendly reminder to please use the attached document to book a community centre (click here), and return it to Shireen estateoneadmin@mountedgecombe.com at least 72 hours before the time.

Community Centre facilities are for the use of Residents and their invited guests. Private use of the facilities by non-residents is not permitted. No functions may be booked on Sundays or Public Holidays, and unfortunately, whole day bookings are not permitted

Exclusive use is only granted for the area under the roof (excluding the ablution facilities). The responsibility of cleaning up and removing rubbish, etc. lies with the Resident who booked the community centre.

NO music is permitted at the Community Centres, and we sincerely ask that due consideration be given to Residents residing near these Community Centres in terms of limiting noise as much as possible.

Children under the age of 12 are to be always accompanied by an adult.

A friendly reminder that whilst we love our animals, they are not permitted to join us at the community centre or in the swimming pools. Also, no quad bikes or golf carts are to be used within the Community Centre's paved and grassed areas, please.

PARKING ON VERGES AND AT COMMUNITY CENTRES
A reminder that parking overnight on verges and at Community Centres is strictly prohibited unless prior arrangements have been made with the Estate office.

Land & Environment

Alien Weed Of The Month

Common Name: Camphor tree; camphorwood (English); kanferboom (Afrikaans); ulosilina (isiZulu)
Scientific Name: Cinnamon camphora
Weed Category: NEMBA 1B. Must be controlled and wherever possible, removed and destroyed.
Place of Origin: East Asia

Description: An evergreen tree growing 10-26m high with a dense canopy. It has smooth bark which is green becoming rough, scaly and brownish-grey when older. Trunk becomes massive and spreading at its base. The leaves reddish when young turning glossy bright green above and blue-grey beneath, when crushed they have a distinctive camphor odour. Tiny yellowish or greenish-white flowers appear from September to November.

Environmental Impact: Indigenous birds may neglect the dispersal of indigenous plant species as a consequence of their preference for the fruits of this alien species. Competes with and replaces indigenous plants.

Toxicity: Contains significant amounts of various chemicals known or suspected of being toxic and/or carcinogenic. The fruit, leaves, and roots are toxic to humans if ingested in sufficient doses.

Management: Fell and stump poison or physically remove (pull or dig out) small plants.

Plant me instead (indigenous):
Apodytes dimidiata : White pear
Cryptocarya latifolia : Broad-leaved Quince

Contact us: As there is specific law around the control of invasive weeds we urge all to be on board with this commitment to keeping them out of our environment. If you are not sure whether you have these weeds present in your property please do not hesitate to contact Warren Horsley of the Landscape & Environment (L&E) department at landenviroman@mountedgecombe.com, so as to arrange for an inspection to be carried out whereby he will guide you on the process and offer possible solutions to the problem.

The LionHeart Team Meets
The Wildlife on Estate 2

It was our first day in Estate 2 and some Residents had asked Warren Horsley for assistance with some genets that had moved into their roof.

Large-spotted genets (Genetta tigrine) have adapted well to urban living, as long as there is sufficient natural habitat around they can live quietly alongside us and are most often completely undetected due to their strict nocturnal behaviour and elusiveness.

In order to deter genets from a roof there really is only one ethical method of doing so. Relocation of the animals in the immediate surrounding environment usually results in the same intelligent individual finding its way straight back to its beloved roof, unless you remove them a great distance which effectively is removing them from their local population, thereby causing a negative impact on this species.

Exclusions (blocking off entry and exit points) is almost impossible as this species has an amazing way of getting into small spaces and this is a very difficult job to try to do. What has been found effective however, is a very interesting method: genets communicate largely through scent and leave middens (piles of their droppings) as a sign of their home range/territory, as well as many other messages given through them. If you remove these middens, scrub with sanitiser and do this repeatedly, over time, the genets eventually get over their world being destroyed and move away.

Dr C. Widdows, who has done 8 years of research on genets in Durban and from whom I have learned a great deal, had over 11 success cases using this method. We entered the ceiling in two separate sections, found a large midden in each one and have now tried this exact same method. The two middens were removed and the area was sprayed and sanitised thoroughly… let me just say that being in a hot ceiling, scraping up an impressive pile of “you know what” and then profusely spraying an alcoholic sanitiser, is a rather unique and intense experience to say the least! We left a container with the strong sanitiser in the place where the midden was and installed a camera trap to monitor any genet movement thereafter. We returned a week later to investigate. There were no further signs of any genet activity: no fresh scat (droppings), no tracks and the camera trap also did not capture anything. These signs are good but we will need to continue to monitor the situation. We moved the camera to another section of the roof and will check it in a week or two. What an interesting start!

We also got to survey the entire Estate Two site with Warren and were encouraged at what has already been done on the environmental side and also see great potential for the way forward!

On the 13^th of April, just after the first bout of chaotic rain, we conducted an evening survey so that we could assess the frogs before the cold of winter sets in, as our next chance would only be Sept/Oct. We also assessed other nocturnal species. We were blown away by the biodiversity we found! We recorded 11 species of frogs, excluding two common species that we expect will also be there. We look forward to summer to see how many species there may actually be on the Estate! We saw some fantastic birds including little bittern, spotted eagle owl, black-crowned night heron, a goliath heron, water thick-knee and the highlight, without doubt, was a European nightjar in the bunker on the 3^rd hole.

We were treated to a good sighting of a relaxed white-tailed mongoose and then a very skittish water mongoose. We also found two flap-necked chameleons and a pair of blue duikers. On top of all of these we found some very interesting dragonflies and spiders. It was an awesome introduction and our species lists are already starting to look decent! We are excited about what else we will find on this journey!