Without community volunteers and sponsors, projects like these wouldn’t be possible.
Just over a year ago, The Crest magazine published the story titled A Hillcrest Community Project, where local estates Plantations and Greenvale Village had joined forces with other local Hillcrest and Waterberry Close residents to clean up, uplift and improve the safety of Intersection 31 off the M13 to Shongweni Road.
Over the past year, this project has continued with weekly attendance by the volunteer teams, and the area is looking completely different.
The hard work and coordination by the “Bevanator” – a nickname given to the lady who has driven this initiative but would like to remain anonymous – has ensured the painting of road markings, litter picking, bush clearing and cutting, alien vegetation removal, new planting and even the filling of potholes.
There have been investigations into illegal dumping of hospital and step-down facilities’ high-risk waste, as well as dumping by a lot of other companies that have been identified. The weekly dumping sadly continues – bags upon bags of soiled nappies, general waste, moving company waste, empty bottles and take-away restaurant packaging.
Despite numerous efforts to engage with the responsible departments from the municipality, as well as local ward councillors, the area still receives no attention, except for some quick minor clean-ups. And so it’s down to this team of wonderful volunteers to keep it going.
This list gives an indication of weekly litter and waste-picking over six consecutive weeks:
- 14 black bags of waste, two eThekwini beige bags left on PMB on-ramp, and two bags of glass bottles (56 units).
- Eight bags of litter and two bags of bottles (47 units). Hazardous medical waste (intravenous bag) found on the PMB on-ramp, as well as a 20-litre plastic can of used oil.
- Eight bags of litter and three bags of 25 bottles each.
- 14 bags of litter.
- Six bags of litter and 55 bottles.
- 20 bags of litter and 19 bags of 20 bottles each (382 units).
The project, which began in June 2021, tackles and highlights these areas:
LITTERING
Fast food packaging, plastic bottles, alcohol glass bottles and baby diapers.
DUMPING
- General kitchen/household waste.
- Hazardous medical waste: used diapers and sanitary towels, used intravenous drips, coveralls etc.
- Builders rubble: roof, wall and floor tiles, unused cement, paint tins, demolished brickwork etc.
- Unwanted old furniture and appliances.
- Alien garden waste.
- Dead animals.
- Garage waste: car parts, used car engine oil etc.
ALIEN VEGETATION
Cutting, ring barking and removal, burning.
STORMWATER DRAINS & GUTTERS
Unblocking, clearing and securing with grating to prevent litter getting into the system.
ROAD MARKING
Marking and painting.
ROAD SIGNS
- Clearing vegetation that obscures essential road signs.
- Repairing, washing and repainting.
- Requesting road authorities for missing or absent road signs.
STREET LIGHTS
An application for street lights was submitted as a matter of road safety and personal safety; preventing vagrants,beggars, thieves and opportunists, and discouraging temporary storage of stolen goods, prostitution and hi-jacking.
The Plantations Home Owners Association wants to reach out and say a big thank you to those who have donated the funds to allow for the purchase of materials and provision of staff, and to the volunteers who give of their time and energy to uplift Hillcrest. Every bit helps, and the transformation of this area speaks for itself.
FOR MORE INFO:
- estatemanager@plantationsestate.co.za
- 031 765 8968
Thank You To Our Sponsors
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