Regular, accessible communication is essential to keeping residents fully up-to-date with issues and developments that impact on their lives. It also plays a big part in building a sense of community.
What we do
MDGA is managed by an executive committee (ExCom) that is made up of different portfolio holders. Read more below.
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Communications
Portfolio holder: Lise Carswell
Our Communications portfolio covers the following areas:
- Creating and managing timely, relevant content for MDGA’s website
- Creating and managing timely, relevant content for MDGA’s Facebook page
- Writing, editing and producing MDGA’s blog
- Writing, editing and publishing content for the MDGA’s weekly email newsletter
- Publishing ad hoc MDGA announcements through the appropriate channels
- Bringing a consistent, professional voice to MDGA’s communications with external organisations and partners
Current initiatives:
We have now completed a comprehensive upgrade of the MDGA’s communications function, including its website, blog, Facebook pages and email newsletter. Meanwhile, sustaining the flow of up-to-date, relevant information to residents remains a full-time job
Conservation & Engagement
Portfolio holder: vacant
Every Marina resident is invested in the state of our waterways, the Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve, and the wider estuary. It is important to keep residents up to date on the health of the vlei as well as keeping lines of communication open between the nature reserve team and Marina da Gama.
Our Environment portfolio takes into account the health of our natural surroundings as well as the physical and mental well-being of our residents and our neighbors.
Natural environment
- Alerting the correct officials of sewerage spills to speed up turnaround times
- Regularly communicating with stakeholders regarding water quality
- Putting out alerts when the waterbody is closed
- Arranging clean-ups and assisting with organised clean-ups
- Creating awareness of work in progress and alerting residents about how they can get involved
- Keeping residents informed on any changes, upgrades and planned work within our area
- Discussing ways to improve the litter situation with the Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve and other stakeholders
Human factor
- Arranging bird walks in the Zandvlei Reserve
- Providing interesting facts about the flora and fauna
- Connecting residents with the wonderful nature that surrounds us
Current priorities:
We are actively supporting the efforts by a growing number of individuals and groups in the wider Zandvlei area to find a sustainable way of tackling the vlei’s chronic litter problem.
Events
Portfolio holder: Valerie Benson
The events we organise throughout the year play a very important part in helping to create the sense of community that makes the Marina such a special place to live.
The Marina is an amazing place to live, play, and meet our neighbours. It’s important to make the most of the wonderful open spaces we have and connect with the many great people who live here. With these aims in mind, our Events portfolio covers the following areas:
- Primarily, bringing our community together and encouraging us all to meet our neighbours
- Welcoming new residents to our area
- Creating and strengthening relationships between residents in the different parts of the Marina
- Providing opportunities for people to get involved in our neighbouring communities through initiatives such as Marina Cooks
- Celebrating and enjoying our beautiful environment through initiatives such as Marina Open Gardens
- Highlighting the needs of our natural environment through initiatives such as the Park Island and Wildwood Island litter clean up
- Raising funds to support the Marina’s environment through organisations such as Friends of Park Island
- Celebrating important community events such as the Children’s Christmas party and Christmas carols
- Very importantly, having fun with our neighbours and friends
Current initiatives:
- Quiz nights
- Children’s Christmas Party and Christmas Carols
- Easter egg hunts
- Open air movies
- Park Island clean-ups
- Birding walks
- Marina Open Gardens day
Infrastructure Portfolio
Portfolio holder: Ulf Martz
We cannot preserve the Marina without support and buy-in from a mix of external organisations and decision-makers. Our infrastructure portfolio plays a big part in cultivating robust working relationships with these partners.
Keeping the Marina at its best involves collaborating with various partners on a list of long-term projects and initiatives. To sustain and maintain our unique environment, we work closely with a wide range of organisations such as the City of Cape Town, Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve, Vrygrond’s community leaders, SAPS and many other organisations.
Our Long-Term Projects portfolio covers the following areas:
- Helped motivate for funds for our brand new Cape Shoveler weed harvester; or for dredging silt from the waterways
- Alerting the City of Cape Town to areas of concern in the Marina, including the state of our roads and noise pollution
- Working with the City of Cape Town and its contractors as well as local residents to ensure litter nets in our canals are cleared and maintained
Significant initiatives:
- Refurbishment of the Eastlake Island bridge
- Fixing potholes
- Getting approval and funding for dredging works
- Addressing the proposed new road to the Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve offices
Parks & Gardens
Portfolio holder: Valerie Benson
One of the perks of living in Marina da Gama is our many parks and green spaces. We work hard to ensure all residents can take advantage of our beautiful surroundings and feel proud of our neighbourhood.
Our Parks & Open Spaces portfolio covers the following areas:
- Working with the City of Cape Town to ensure lawns are mowed timeously
- Keeping our well points and watering systems in good working order
- Managing the Marina gardeners and making sure they care for all areas of the Marina
- Continuously maintaining our communal gardens and hotspot areas
- Chipping, trimming and removing of overgrown public areas
- Regularly communicating with stakeholders about the upkeep of play parks
- Liaising with botanical societies and nurseries for plant stock donations
- Sourcing and maintaining the Marina da Gama nursery
- Sourcing and maintaining signage for parks and open spaces
Current priorities:
We would love to see more resident participation in creating new gardens and improving our parks. This would include donating plants, compost, mulch, benches, lending your gardener for a day, helping with planting.
Safety & Security
Portfolio holder: Robin Carlisle
The MDGA ExCom takes your security extremely seriously. It is of utmost importance that we keep our beautiful suburb as safe as possible. Accordingly, we continuously keep up-to-date with new security technology and assess security methods used elsewhere.
Our Security portfolio covers the following areas:
- Identifying any areas of the Marina da Gama where security is weak and can be improved for the safety of residents
- Liaising with Deep Blue to ensure all CCTV and licence plate recognition (LPR) cameras are in good working order and monitored effectively
- Making sure that we are taking advantage of the latest security technology
- Assessing pricing and ensuring we are getting good value from our service providers
- Compiling monthly crime reports for the MDGA ExCom with the latest crime stats, trends and threats
- Holding weekly meetings with Deep Blue regarding the crime statistics in our suburb
- Meeting with the Muizenberg SAPS Station Commander and his deputy to raise any concerns residents may have
- Attending monthly meetings with the SAPS Community Police Forum
- Holding regular meetings on a rotational basis with the Marina’s precinct security reps. All security reps are on a separate MDGA security group with Deep Blue, where any serious threats are posted
- Engaging individual Marina residents to discuss their security concerns and/or hear their ideas for keeping our area as safe as possible
Current initiatives:
Our Security portfolio holder, Robin Carlisle, has recently spearheaded erecting the new security fence at Red Roman, following the collapse of the boundary wall.
Robin has been meeting with security stakeholders and is particularly eager to resurrect the Marina Guardians, in order to strengthen security in Marina da Gama.
Standards / Archcom
Portfolio holder/s: Gordon Hart (Excom member), Paul Higgins (resident member)
Our Archcom is the backbone of the MDGA’s efforts to maintain the Marina’s vintage Cape character by scrutinising and commenting on building plans for new constructions and alterations.”
MDGA’s Architectural Committee (Archcom)’s is responsible for scrutinising of house plans to ensure their aesthetics are in keeping with the Marina da Gama design manual. Its primary focus is on maintaining a uniformity of design and function across all buildings in the Marina. The ultimate aim is to maintain a practical, pleasing look and feel that is financially sustainable and takes into account new and improved building products. It is absolutely essential that the Archcom and Standards portfolios are congruent and consistent. After all, residents need to trust that the investment they have made in the Marina’s unique character will be protected. This means that we have to work hard to achieve higher levels of compliance with our design manual.
- Advising residents at pre-submission stage on their obligations in terms of the design manual
- Assisting the Standard Portfolio on deciding whether perceived infractions of the design manual are, in fact, transgressions
- Liaising with the Council Building Inspectorate on infringements and departures from City of Cape Town building bylaws
- Keeping fully au fait with the Marina Da Gama overlay and any changes to it
- Dealing with objections and referring to the MDGA ExCom for resolution
- Advising the ExCom of new product developments, design changes and environmental concerns that will require amendments to design manual
Advising residents:
Residents who wish to make any changes to their property are advised to first visit the MDGA office before committing money and resources to their project. Among other areas, the Archcom will be happy to advise you on answering the following questions:
- Does your project fit in with the Marina’s design regulations and standards
- Do you need to submit formal plans?
- What documentation will you need to submit with your plans?
- What detail has to be included on any plans you submit for approval?
- What costs are involved in submitting your plans?
Consulting Archcom could be very helpful when it comes to minimising any disruption to your neighbours and winning their approval for your plans.
Current initiatives:
On behalf of residents, Archcom is working towards producing a planning pack detailing all our processes and the look and feel they are designed to achieve. The fully illustrated pack will include updated information about walls, fences, garage doors, decks etc. along with guidelines on preferred products and colours.
Waterways
Portfolio holder: vacant
Healthy waterways supporting an abundance of birds and other wildlife are what we all dream of. With this in mind, we do our best to help keep the Marina’s waterways clean and safe.
Mission and objectives of the waterways portfolio:
- Liaising with all stakeholders who have an interest in the waterways
- Monitor the state of the waterways and communicate this to residents and stakeholders
- Exert pressure on stakeholders for the completion of projects, operational procedures and turnaround times of emergency and maintenance issues
Strategy and responsibilities:
- Regular liaison with Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve management on the state of the waterways
- Gather information and inform Reserve management of residents’ complaints and requests for operational expediency
- Exert pressure on all relevant stakeholders with regard to litter and sewerage entering Zandvlei
- Liaise with stakeholders such as the Sand River Catchment Forum, Friends of Park Island, Zandvlei Trust, City Improvement Districts, Zandvlei canoe and yacht clubs, angling groups and the City of Cape Town where necessary
- Attend Zandvlei Protected Areas Advisory Committee (ZPAAC) and the Marina da Gama Association (MDGA) meetings to present or report back on issues faced in the waterways
- Attend to residents requests on issues related to the state of the waterways, in particular, pondweed and algae accumulation
- Inform residents of the procedures of sewerage leaks, pollution practices, local government regulations and title deed requirements
- Support initiatives by stakeholders, such as litter clean-ups, algae and worm removal and the Peninsula Paddle
- Monitor the state of the waterways with respect to the weed harvester operation, net litter collection, cleaning of coral worm, water quality (salinity, e-coli and algal concentration) and status of the Zandvlei River mouth (open or closed)
- Communicate the state of the waterways and operational issues to residents in the MDGA newsletter, MDGA Facebook page and on the waterways WhatsApp group