HPP Newsletter - August 2023
Supplementing Municipal Services for a Safe, Clean and Healthy HSRA
Dear Hermanus Special Rating Area (HSRA) Property Owner,
During August,
- The HPP Control Centre and CCTV network provided a valuable service to the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the Overstrand Municipality’s Law Enforcement (OMLE) teams during the taxi protest action which took place in the first week of August.
- The HPP Control Centre and CCTV network again provided this service during the planned march which took place on the 7th of August.
- An audit was conducted by an independent external party of the safety services provided by Fidelity-ADT to HPP (the results of the audit are not yet available at the time of writing this newsletter).
- Planning commenced for the continuation of the HSRA beyond June 2025.
Planning for the continuation of the HSRA
In my previous newsletter, I stated that one of HPP’s strategic priorities is to plan for the continuation of the HSRA beyond June 2025. (The current term of the HSRA ceases at the end of that month.) The HPP Board plans to propose a bold vision, backed by a clear plan, for the consideration of the HSRA property owners.
In preparation for the new term, HPP is doing research into SRAs internationally and locally, as well as engaging with SRA experts in Cape Town, Johannesburg and eThikwini. Some of the emerging findings that are influencing our thinking for the new term are:
- The first Special Rating Area (SRA) in the world was established nearly 50 years ago, in Toronto, Canada. It was called a Business Improvement District (BID) and since then, thousands of such institutions have been created worldwide – including around 75 in South Africa, with 50 in Cape Town.
- SRA’s initially tackled crime, grime and social issues (similar to HPP) in order to ensure that investment in properties is attracted.
- Working from the basic levels of “crime and grime” SRAs tend to lift their focus to address issues, based on need, in a hierarchy. This is illustrated in the pyramid below from National Treasury’s document entitled ‘The Art of Precinct Management’1.
- SRA’s have however maintained their Safety and Cleansing functions whilst evolving into a new generic function called ‘Precinct Management.’ This is happening, inter alia, to address socio-economic challenges.
- In the National Treasury’s document entitled ‘The Art of Precinct Management’2, the term is defined as follows;
“The management of a walking scale urban area, focused on service provision and the public spaces which knit the area together. Generally focused on issues of safety and cleanliness, but can include a range of measures to improve the user’s experience of being in the precinct.’ And ‘The day-to-day operational management of a small, specific portion of the urban environment. It is focussed on areas which are small enough to be defined in terms of walking distance, and around areas which have been identified as significant hubs of urban activity, characterised by mixed land-use, and modal interchanges.”
It is also important to note that Precinct Management is enabled through partnerships, activities, and a variety of functions of all role players. The SRA’s do not act on their own.
There are several other insights which are being gained by the HPP Board in our planning process. These will be shared at a later stage. I extend my thanks to the people who have generously shared their experience and knowledge in helping the HPP Board develop its thinking.
The key point I wish to emphasise is that the precinct management concept and model should inform our thinking as we plan for the continuation of the HSRA beyond June 2025. We should use this opportunity to consider addressing pressing issues such as parking management and social development needs, by offering supplementary services to those of the Overstrand Municipality.
Your comments on this subject are most welcome.
HPP’s Annual General Meeting
HPP’s AGM is scheduled to take place on Thursday 28 September at 18:00 in the Municipal Auditorium. Please book your diaries.
That is all for now and I thank you for your continued support.
Jerry van Niekerk
HPP Chair
E-Mail: chairperson@hpp.org.za
Website: https://hpp.org.za
1 The Art of Precinct Management: A Municipal Guide, National Treasury, 2014.
2 ibid