Blue Gill Newsletter August 2023

FROM ThE ESTATE MANAGERS DESK GUARD OF T h E MONT h

PLAYTIME GETS GREENER FROM WASTE TO WINNING

Blue Gill Homeowners Association, neither the Directors nor employees accredits, approves or endorsed any service provider being advertised in the newsletter. Any advertisements are done on a pay-buy placement basis. We do however recommend that before any advertised service provider is used you personally accredit them through references.

Disclaimer: This digimag is produced especially for residents of Blue Gill Estate to provide updates and useful information. It is produced by GLOVent Media & Fab Creative, on behalf of the Blue Gill Estate. Although every effort is taken to ensure accuracy of content, Blue Gill Estate HOA and/or the Publisher, cannot be held liable for any inaccurate information, and may not agree with all opinions expressed in this publication.

Winter is upon us, and 10 July marked the chilliest day of the year, highlighted by a fleeting snowfall that dusted our Clubhouse roof. The sight of white snowflakes dissolving on the green grass of our main garden area was utterly captivating!

a brief pause for Ekurhuleni’s maintenance. In other Estate news, the budget for 2023/2024 has been finalised. We are currently busy with the solar project for the Estate. Once finalised, we will communicate further information to you.

Together with the cold, we also, regrettably, welcomed more load shedding. It has returned following

Water Woes

We experienced a significant number of days without water due to the upgrade of a

600mm main pipeline in the Edenvale area. Hopefully, the gaping hole on Cormorant Drive will also be repaired soon, after the fifth repair to the water pipe at the corners of Francolin Drive and Cormorant Drive. The ground needs to stabilise and dry out after being saturated due to the two-week water leak, which was not repaired when reported.

Eco Endeavour and Our Award-Winning Initiative

We’re thrilled to share that our Estate’s recycling project was nominated for a Shared Prosperity Award. As a recognition of our hard work, FNB and ARC presented us with a trophy and a generous, much-needed R25 000 prize. Find more details on page 13.

Financial Matters

Our new financial year commenced on 1 July 2023, which saw a subsequent 5% levy increase implemented for the 2023/2024 financial year.

We have already started with the muchneeded maintenance to the shadeports and postboxes at the Clubhouse. The recycle bin has also been upgraded and will last the Estate for another 15 years.

In our continued commitment to sustainability, we’ve upgraded an old playpen with a durable, recycled plastic model, providing our youngest residents with endless fun. This lowmaintenance playpen ensures generations of little Blue Gillers a safe play space. Additionally, we found a new home for our old playpen, donating it to a preschool in Tembisa. Learn more about this initiative on page 16.

Our Environmental Committee liaised with the Environmental Department of Ekurhuleni to investigate the red hue of the Blue Gill dams, suspecting the presence of red fern. Regrettably, we have seen further bird loss since our last newsletter. To protect our feathered friends, we’re procuring “DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS” signs for the dam area, reminding everyone that the dam provides ample natural food for the birds in their habitat. In celebration of Madiba Day on 18 July 2023, we handed soup to the domestic workers and gardeners of the Estate. All were very grateful for the small but kind gesture.

Please note that refuse collection is on Mondays, public holidays included (except for Christmas Day). We kindly request that residents remove their bins from the street view, behind the walls of their property, once collection has occurred.

We look forward to celebrating National Women’s Day on 9 August 2023, centred around this year’s powerful theme: “Gender Equality and Inclusive Society”. We extend our heartfelt wishes to all the women in our Estate.

There were no serious security breaches in the Estate for the last two months. It was the school holidays, and the teenagers, as is often the case when bored, pranked unsuspected residents. We request that residents please speak clearly and respectfully to the National Call Centre operators when using the BSS panic system. It is essential to give the operator complete information regarding

a situation to contact the service provider required for a specific situation. Please contact Elda Weideman directly with security emergencies to act promptly for action to be taken. Residents, please ask your children and their visitors not to prank unsuspected residents causing them to panic and believe that they are being attacked in their own homes. This is not acceptable behaviour and may lead to tragic circumstances. Two teenage boys were seen vandalising dam

lights and a cement bench at the dam. It is disappointing to think that a Blue Gill resident, no matter how young, can participate in this criminal behaviour. It is clear that these boys do not have respect for themselves or value the services that the Estate offers to everybody living in the Estate. Residents are requested to immediately report activity at the dam during the nightly hours to Elda Weideman to ensure that the culprits pay for the damages they caused or that a malicious damage to property case is opened against the culprits. This type of behaviour is totally unacceptable.

Sp acious; M o dern K link er R2 550 000

OPEN Living Areas *3 Beds *2.5 Baths *PATIO

*Double AUTO. Garages *Inverter *12 SOLAR Panels

*PET FRIENDLY garden

PrivatePropertyRef:T4232244

Su n-drenched F a mily Ho me R4 750 000

SKY LIGHTS *4 Large BEDS *4 Baths *FIREPLACE

*Granny Flat *LANDSCAPED Garden *Inverter

*SOLAR

PrivatePropertyRef:T2347210

St ylish & E legant; Ex q uisite V i ews R7 500 000

MASTERLY Designed *4 BEDS *4 BATHS *Fireplace

*WINE Cellar *Manicured Garden *3 GARAGES

*Granny FLAT *Inverter

PrivatePropertyREF:T2586256

From all the negative to the positive, we have upgraded the earth wire protection of the electrical fences so that the lawnmowers and weed eaters do not damage the infrastructure when the grass is cut on the outside of the perimeter wall.

T i meless Elegance R6 500 000

Spectacular MODERN Masterpiece, Exclusive Finishes

*GOURMET Kitchen *4 MAGNIFICENT Beds

*3 Baths *Inverter *12 SOLAR Panels

PrivatePropertyREF:T3092832

or rie Snyman

Principal – MPRE 082 415 3371

corriesnyman@telkomsa.net

in Blue Gill since 1995

In recognition of their unwavering dedication to the Blue Gill community, we were honoured to present two of our staff members with Long Service Certificates and a monetary award.

Sibusiso Yende and Tendani Bereda, two of our guards, have been employees since 2018 and were presented with five-year service certificates.

We thank you for your loyal service. Your contributions are highly valued and greatly appreciated. Keep up the excellent work!

G uard of the Month

Congratulations to Hlakane Mathabathe, a valued member of the Blue Gill team since February 2019, for being named Guard of the Month for June 2023. This marks Hlakane’s second time receiving this honour within the year. With his baby boy just turning three months, Hlakane is determined to set a stellar example for his son through his actions. Hlakane, thank you for your unwavering service and dedication. You are truly appreciated.

Recycling Success for a Better Tomorrow

From Waste to Winning: Blue Gill’s

We’re excited to share some fantastic news regarding our community’s dedication to environmental sustainability!

In recognition of our environmental efforts, Elda Weideman nominated the Blue Gill Estate recycling project for the ARC and FNB Shared Prosperity Award for 2022.

We’re proud to announce that Blue Gill emerged as the winner in the Economic Development category. The accolade was presented at the ARC conference in Paarl, Western Cape, on 18 June 2023. Elda did not attend the conference to preserve Estate funds for our solar project. Elda

compiled a document regarding the project, which started in 2008, with the help of Kobus Otto, who was then a Director. He assisted the Estate to get the project up and running. Kobus always said that rubbish was his business, and he knew all the right people to make our project a sustainable and lasting success, not only to help the environment but also create work for less fortunate people. Under the leadership of Kobus, the Estate received a recycling container donated to the Estate by Interwaste and Buyisa-eBags, then sponsored the paving for the now eco-park at the back of the Estate.

We had various partners who collected our recycling during the years until we partnered with MES, who have collected our recycling since 2016.

FNB visited the Estate in June 2023 and presented the award and R25 000 to the Estate for the initiative. It was decided to utilise some of the funds for much-needed maintenance to our recycling bin to ensure that the container can last another 15 years to support MES.

Contact us for water backup systems!

We specialise in the supply and installation of water pumps, tanks, and filtration systems.

Residents were requested to supply recycling slogans for our bin, and Anton Oosthuizen, a resident and owner of Printing 4 You, assisted with the design of our new recycle bin.

You can also donate funds to MES should you wish to do so.

Visit our shop for:

Tanks, pipes, and fittings

Pressure Tanks

Borehole pump kits

Control Switches

Filters, sterilisers

MES Kempton Park Recycling Project forms part of the GROW (God Restores Our World) job and life skills rehabilitation programme, enabling the organisation to create sustainable income for its programmes. Their shelter clients participate in the recycling project, for which they are paid a stipend to help them cover their shelter fees and help them back on their feet.

Banking details:

ABSA Bank

MES Kempton Park Account number: 9228657779.

Certified freshwater refills

Or phone us on 087 265 4813

Waterworx @ Goodies for Gardens

4 Vlei Street, Glen Marais, Kempton Park

info@waterworx.africa

If you are not recycling, please do and be part of a better tomorrow for all, including Mother Earth.

Playtime gets greener: A Joyful Upgrade at

Blue Gill

It was time - out with the old and in with the new! We replaced one of our wooden playpens with a recycled playpen for the little residents of our Estate. The playpen will last for generations of Blue Gill children and give them many hours of joyful playtime. The playpen will need no maintenance and will be indestructible.

The previous wooden structure found a good home at the Rethabile Pre-school and Creche at Moriting Section, Tembisa.

The school was established in 1997 and has 17 children between the ages of one month and two years, 16 children between the ages of three and four, and 15 children between the ages of four

and five. The school’s principal, Teresa Manzini, thanked the Estate for their generosity and will utilise community volunteers to assemble the structure to give the little ones hours of safe playtime while at school.

If you give with an open hand, you will also be able to receive with an open hand. Some of our shared prosperity winnings were utilised to purchase the recycled playpen. Enjoy, little Blue Gill residents!

We have noticed various dogs roaming the Estate and request residents to keep their animals secure on their premises. Please remember your animal is your responsibility, dogs and cats alike!

We thank you in advance for your co-operation in this matter.

• Adhere to the speed limit, a maximum of 40 kilometres per hour.

• STOP at stop streets. We are watching and taking random videos.

• Secure your animals on your property.

• Walk your dog on a leash. Pick up excrement as per Estate rules. Nobody wants to step in or have to clean up your animal’s parcels, which is solely your responsibility.

• Please attend to your dog’s constant barking and ensure they have a nametag.

• The use of lawnmowers and machinery on a Sunday is between 9:00 and 13:00, as well as between 16:00 and 18:00. No exceptions!

• Trailers must be locked away in garages or parked out of sight inside owners’ premises. They should not be parked outside premises under any circumstances. This is not a new rule and must be adhered to at all times.