MISTY CLIFFS VILLAGE ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER - August 2009
Editor: Tim Anderson

FIRST, THE GOOD NEWS

AND this is REALLY good! We’re fairly sure that you’ll never again see Miss Misty Cliffs looking so relaxed and complacent as she does in our pin-up portrait. Why not? Because at long last we believe (but are holding our breath) that there’s an effective and determined strategy now just about in place to keep Miss Misty and her admirers out of our village. The work is contracted through to the end of January next year, for the moment entirely funded by the City of Cape Town, bless them all.

The involvement, mentioned in the previous newsletter, of Helen Zille, our provincial premier, has given us good reason to hope that before 31 January an amicable arrangement will come about by which Cape Nature and Table Mountain National Park will have accepted the independent legal opinion that they, together with the City, have a collective obligation to keep baboons under control in all the affected areas, not only ours. Therefore from early next year there seems a good prospect of permanent regular funding from the three official bodies.

What’s come about (and our Doug Tunbridge has been deeply involved in all this) is that the existing Baboon Management Team (BMT) has outsourced, by tender, the baboon monitoring task to a private company, Nature Conservation Corporation (NCC, and not to be confused with Cape Nature), which will manage 54 trained and equipped monitors, 28 of whom worked under the previous unsatisfactory service provider. Seven monitors have been assigned to Scarborough and their task is to keep the animals on the Nature Reserve side of the village. Monitor management falls under Mr Linden Rhoda of NCC and there will be two field managers alternating. Funding is being routed through the BMT. No contributions from residents are required.

Inevitably, baboons will continually evade the monitors and therefore phone, SMS, and email hot lines have been set up for residents to contact the field managers who will then radio to the monitor(s) nearest to the problem. Experience has shown that there are nearly always male ringleader animals, including what are termed “dispersing males” and any which are identified as particularly troublesome will be colour-tagged for special monitoring and possible further action which may eventually result in relocation or even euthanasia. The necessary darting and capturing will always be attended by a veterinarian. A formal protocol to underpin this strategy has been developed in consultation with appropriate experts and we expect it will in due course take care of the relatively few animals known to be aggressive or destructive of property.

The “action” is not all one-sided and will also be directed at people who mismanage their household trash or deliberately feed the baboons (although it’s illegal some residents are defiant about this). People who verbally and otherwise abuse the monitors - an embarrassingly frequent occurrence which has proved a significant disincentive to the men who carry out this difficult work, often under unpleasant weather conditions, will also be dealt with. Those found guilty of these offences will be publicly named, and after appropriate warnings may if necessary be summonsed under by-laws. It will be in order for members of the public to report feeders and abusers to the field managers via the hot lines, preferably 021-957-5900, or email: baboons@capenature.co.za

The system will take a while to shake down, especially as there are other areas, notably Tokai, where the baboon problem is a whole lot worse than ours. We may need to show some patience, and of course any constructive suggestions will be welcome. The monitors are not accustomed to working under a more disciplined kind of supervision and it will take time for them to appreciate the beneficial trade-off in having a permanent job and being sure of getting paid - previously a number of really good monitors gave up because they could never be sure of there being money to pay them.

We benefit from Scarborough being something of a buffer zone to protect us, and already baboons have been conspicuously absent from Misty Cliffs for several weeks. However, no system is foolproof and baboons are pretty smart. As the days get longer there will be individuals which try to sneak into our forbidden territory before the monitors arrive and after they’ve gone off for the day. However, they will also realise that monitoring which really means business is now in place and, especially if particular rogue animals are dealt with, we believe baboons will quickly learn to be more law-abiding.

Please remember that however well the system works, precautions against invasions will be no less necessary and no one should think it will be safe to leave unattended doors and windows open or bunches of bananas on the deck.

Here are the hot lines:
021-957-5900 (management)
071-588-6540 (field managers)
076-222-6661 (field managers)
076-baboon1 (SMS) - or SMS the Misty system for fire, crime, etc: 082-948-9488.
Email baboons@natureconservation.co.za

NOW, THE BAD NEWS - FOR SOME

It came to light recently that another house on the beach had been comprehensively burgled, with its entire contents taken, including nearly all movable fittings and fixtures (including the burglar alarm!). Such a raid is a horrible experience for anyone anywhere. Apart from the physical and financial losses there is a nasty sense of invasion as well as anger and helplessness.

In this particular instance there was no way of telling when the event had occurred because no one had visited the house for many weeks. It’s thought likely that the break-in might have occurred about the same time as the major robbery in a neighbouring house which we mentioned in the previous newsletter.

Dear friends, we are utterly sympathetic to the victims, but we have to say that a house which is infrequently occupied or visited and has either no functioning alarm and/or no radio contact with a quick-response security service would be a sitting duck for ne’re-do-wells in any country anywhere in today’s world. Criminals have their scouts out all the time and it’s very obvious if a place is only rarely checked. Also, it’s easy for the scouts to test if there’s a rapid response service - all they need do is force a window or door then wait safely to see if anyone comes tearing up to investigate. Houses along our beach front are especially at risk because most of their access drives are out of view. If you do have an alarm system make sure that there’s an LED tell-tale light clearly visible so that prospective redistributors know there’s an alarm of some sort installed.

We are not punting for Scarborough Security Services but as we’ve reported previously we checked them out against other services and found their response time way faster, simply because they’re close by. A five-minute response time is typical, and there’s not a great deal that intruders can take within that period.

An alarm system that merely sets off a siren is pretty useless unless there are conscientious neighbours who will go and see what’s happening. Down at the beach the sound of an alarm may be drowned by the noise of surf. A telephone connection is not much better as burglars routinely cut the lines before they enter. So a radio alarm is a necessity, and its presence will in most cases minimise insurance premiums. However, it needs routine checking, especially as corrosive seaside atmospheres are really bad news for even the finest electrical equipment.

Most systems can be set to make a routine daily or weekly test call to the service provider who can investigate if a failure or gap in the routine is detected. In addition, the back-up battery needs checking and regular replacement, especially as Misty is subject to fairly frequent power failures. Most batteries will run the system for six or more hours, but if there’s another outage next day the battery won’t have had time to fully recharge.

It’s also important for absentee owners to have someone visit their houses at unpredictable times, but certainly every few days. Burglars love their targets to have regular routines and are discouraged by the possibility of someone pitching up unexpectedly. Whoever it is should take a look around for signs of scouting activity, attempts at forcing windows, etc. This is also a sensible routine for picking up storm damage or baboon mischief.

There are not enough full-time residents in Misty for a proper neighbourhood watch system, but whoever does happen to be here, including perhaps regular visitors, should keep an eye open for suspicious characters hanging around, perhaps casing a neighbour’s place. Don’t hesitate to call that neighbour and or Scarborough Security, and or our SMS service (Jacqui on 082-948-9488) - and provide a description of the suspect.

Lastly, we discovered that several burglaries have occurred and the victims have not informed the SAPS, thinking it’s pointless. That’s wrong. We are fortunately within the precinct of the Simon’s Town police and have found them interested and attentive. Even if a robbery appears to have taken place a long time before its discovery, a police inspection will often pick up a clue which may throw new light on other incidents and help lead to an arrest and even the recovery of goods.

HERE COMES THE FIRE SEASON

Masses of rain so masses of dense new growth to feed the fire devil. But we will be ready: Good progress has been made lately towards developing a successful fire strategy. The maintenance of firebreaks now seems to be on a more reliable footing, and funding has been secured from Table Mountain National Park (TBNP) and the City at least until after the 09/10 fire season. We anticipate that Nature Conservation Corporation will win the contract with TBNP to supervise the work which will then be subcontracted by tender to a local business of proven competence.

As we’ve written previously, firebreaks are rarely useful to stop fires but they are important for enabling fire-fighters to get at fires, and sometimes to help divert the course of a fire. Misty fires are always wind-driven and the greatest danger is what the pro’s call “spotting”, whereby burning material is blown ahead of the main fire to start new fires. In Misty the most vulnerable areas are private plots, especially vacant ones. Vegetation on these areas will have to be kept trimmed really low, including indigenous species, and the co-operation of owners will be requested; the requirement is legally enforceable but we are hoping it will not be necessary for the City to resort to coercion. We will arrange for the work to be done at best possible price by an effective provider; owners will hear from us in due course about how they will be charged for this service.

To combat spotting we will be buying two “pods”, as recommended by Volunteer Wildfire Service (VWS); these are small portable pump sets that can take water from private swimming pools, and in less strategic places also from a couple of 5 000 litre tanks which we will purchase out of the existing budgeted fire protection fund. The associated hoses and fittings will be included and the gear will be stored nearby and accessible also to VWS personnel, but deployment will be managed on any fire day by Ivan Harris of the Brakkloof Reserve and/or our committee member Cal Bruns. The purpose is mainly to damp down ahead of fire and to extinguish spot fires.

Because there are not enough full-time Misty residents to provide a VWS-trained hit squad the MCVA will join the Scarborough chapter of VWS for an annual fee of R2 500, funded for the present fire season by the MCVA although we will make a donation appeal. For subsequent seasons we will recover the cost from Misty property owners through something like a “fire levy”.

Two aspects are still under discussion: One is to agree and test clear strategies for dealing with both a fire alert (fire approaching) and a fire arrival. The other aspect concerns provision from Water Services (City) of a practical protocol for switching the water reticulation system to provide maximum supply to where it is needed for a fire emergency. This protocol would include routine checking/testing of booster pumps and hydrants. We are presently meeting with the key people to have this set up.

Finally, there are useful new lessons from the horrendous wildfires that raged through Australia and the western USA a while back. Conventional wisdom had been to evacuate homeowners well ahead of the fire. According to SANParks’ Philip Prins, chairman of the Fire Protection Association, new evidence supports homeowners staying to protect their own property in a co-ordinated effort with professionals - in Misty’s case the VWS. For Misty Cliffs, that means closing all windows and doors, and making sure cars (petrol bombs in disguise!) are well clear of the road to allow fire-fighting vehicles to get up Old Camp Road (this has been a big problem in the past), and wetting roofs/decks/lawns and other low vegetation as much as possible to discourage spotting. In the event of a fire its progress will be monitored and communicated as necessary to signatories of Misty’s SMS alert service.

BUILDING GUIDELINES

We have put a lot of work into revising the Building Development Guidelines and associated documents. These will be published early in September and will be available on our website. The existing version of the Guidelines includes a good deal of information relating only to Scarborough, which we have deleted. We have added reference to a number of issues and aspects peculiar to Misty Cliffs, and several other points which have come to light from experience, such as baboon-proofing. We have included a lengthy section of advice on landscaping and gardening which is likely to be valuable to owners and architects whenever a new house is being planned.

WHALES AND RACERS

The whale season has arrived although to date not many animals have appeared off Misty shores. We are concerned as always about helicopters buzzing whales to titillate photographers. A recent case involved buzzing a mother whale giving birth to her calf - completely unacceptable behaviour. We have pointed out in a previous newsletter that while there are regulations controlling air space over land there is no control at all over water. Therefore dangerous or reckless flying that harasses whales is solely at the “discretion” of individual chopper pilots.

We have had cordial discussions with the operating companies and they have undertaken to censure, as best they can, any bad behaviour by their flyers. This means that they are dependent on reports from the public. Unfortunately, unlike fixed-wing aircraft, chopper registration insignia are much too small to read at a distance, therefore it is important that witnesses make a careful note of the colour scheme of any offending aircraft. This information, together with the time and place of the incident, should be sufficient for identification. In such instances please report to committee member Leon Morris (phone 021-780-1256 or 082-415-3343) who has a personal channel for routing information to the operating companies.

Grand Prix practice sessions are not infrequent along the M65 and it surely won’t be long before there’s a tragedy. Unfortunately, this is a “Provincial Road”, which entitles it to allow speeds of 90 km/hr. We have no sidewalks and there is nowhere but the gutter for pedestrians to stand while waiting for traffic to pass. Our Leon will continue pressing the implacable authorities to provide “pedestrian refuges” at the main crossing points, but he has met an insurmountable wall in trying to get proper pedestrian crossings or a lower speed limit authorised through the built-up section of the M65.

At Leon’s insistence some intermittent speed-trapping was carried out but most drivers know that it’s infrequent and take a chance on not being caught. We have now applied for a permanent speed-camera box to be erected as it is known that such things are a better deterrent than trapping. For the longer term we will lobby for a small revision in the regulations so that it becomes possible in certain circumstances, such as in Misty Cliffs, for waivers to be approved so that lower speed limits may be set.

DOGS, MUSSELS AND DEADLY WATER

We’re approaching the summer and can expect lots of occasional and unfamiliar people to be enjoying our beaches. Some will be giving their dogs a run and residents may get very distressed if our precious otters and oyster-catchers are harassed - not to mention the joys of sunbathing on a pile of doggie poo. It’s a good idea to bone up on the regulations relating to dog control and behaviour in a national park (some visitors may not realize that our beaches are part of the TBNP), and if residents are familiar with the main regulations (look them up on our website) it makes matters a lot easier should there be a need to approach someone about their misbehaving dog (or the someone).

Mussel gathering regulations are quite generous, and we find that most people do in fact have permits. These are obtainable from any post office and are good for a year.

Keep a lookout for Red Tide now that winter’s passing (we hope)!!! It can be devastating for any kind of filter-feeding sea life, and also deadly for humans who eat affected mussels, oysters, crayfish etc. However, if the water looks reddish it’s not necessarily from Red Tide, and if it does not look reddish there can still be a Red Tide present. Isn’t that just so helpful? It’s best to inquire locally from fishermen or the police or surfers, and to keep an eye on local news media. If you come across a whole lot of crayfish semi-alive on the shore, or a lot of “whole” mussels beached even though there hasn’t been a stormy sea, then be very suspicious and report it - you might be the first to raise an alarm.

YEAR-END THRASH

Make very sure you diarise this fabulous event! Sunday December 20. This year we are very grateful to Dennis and Anita Williams who have offered the use of their house on the beach, Erf 43. ALL welcome - including children up to the age of 90. More details in the next newsletter.

YOUR COMMITTEE

These are the devoted folk who slave for your benefit:

Jacqui Parsonson, chairman; security. 082-948-9488
Jeane Maritz, baboon matters. 082-215-0764
Tony Turner, treasurer. 086-672-1380
Leon Morris, local control matters. 082-415-3343
Cal Bruns, fire matters. 082-829-3705
Robin Frew, building matters; website. 082-650-2888
Doug Tunbridge, liaison with FSCF and GCTCA. 083-250-3452
Tim Anderson, scribe. 072-128-2319