DIE Wellingtonse Sakekamer hou op 16 Oktober om 19:00 'n openbare vergadering by Provence, Wellington, om 'n voorlopige ondersoek te loods na die verbeteringsdistrik-konsep wat onlangs deur die Drakenstein Munisipaliteit aanvaar is. 'n Soortgelyke projek word tans ondersoek vir die Paarlse middedorp.

Die doel van die byeenkoms is om 'n loodskomitee uit belangstellende verteenwoordigers saam te stel met die oog daarop om 'n breë konsensus te bou en verkieslik vroeg in die nuwe jaar met 'n amptelike proses te begin om die Wellingtonse Sentrale Sakegebied Verbeteringsdistrik daar te stel, sê Sakekamer voorsitter Max van der Wath.

"Hierdie inisiatief word genoodsaak deur die pynlike besef dat Wellington stagneer en so sal bly as ons ons met die agteruitgang van die dorp versoen.

"Wellingtoners het soos in die verlede die inisiatief aan die dag gelê om tydige stappe te doen tot voordeel van die breër gemeenskap."

Uit 'n vergadering vroeër vanjaar met die munisipale bestuurder, Jacques Carstens, en sy senior bestuur het dit geblyk dat plaaslike regering dit uiters moeilik vind om voldoende kapitaalinvestering in gevestigde sakegebiede te doen, wat sal dien as stimulus vir uitbreiding en ontwikkeling.

"Die nuwe mandate van plaaslike regering en die geweldige historiese agterstande en sosiaal maatskaplike probleme maak dit bykans onmoontlik, daarom moet ons self optree."

Skakel Van der Wath by 873-2343 of 083-236-5406 vir navrae.

DIE eerste aftree-oord op Wellington, wat op die perseel van die huidige woonwapark opgerig gaan word, word amptelik op 12 Oktober bekend gestel. Na verwagting sal die 45 eenhede gou uitverkoop.

Die oord is uniek omdat die tuine en bome reeds gevestig is en die eenhede daarom ontwikkel word. Twee van die grense word natuurlik gevorm deur die samevloeiing van die Spruit- en Kromrivier. 

Altesame 45 eenhede bestaande uit een- en tweeslaapkamerwoonstelle elk met 'n enkelmotorhuis asook 'n versorgingseenheid in die middel van die kompleks word beplan. Alle eenhede word onder enkeltitel verkoop. 

Hierdie eenhede word ook ingerig met die oog op senior burgers se behoeftes. Die stort het onder andere 'n sitbankie in en daar is ekstra handvatsels langs die toilet en bad. Elke eenheid is ook met 'n noodknop verbind aan die versorgingseenheid. 

'n Sekuriteitsomheining en wag sal die veiligheid van die inwoners verseker. 'n Restaurant sal deel uitmaak van die versorgingseenheid en eienaars kan hier goedkoop etes bekom. 

'n Kafee sal basiese benodigdhede aanhou. Die sorgeenheid bestaan uit tien kamers vir hoësorgpasiënte, en indien bestaande eienaars later van hierdie diens gebruik wil maak, sal hulle voorkeurtoelating en tien persent afslag op standaard tariewe kry. 

Twee van hierdie kamers sal beskikbaar gestel word vir na-operatiewe sorg. Mediese personeel is 24 uur tot die inwoners se diens.

Die inwoners sal self 'n eienaarvereniging stig wat 'n maandelikse heffing sal bepaal wat gebruik sal word vir die instandhouding van die tuine, sekuriteit en paaie. 

Die pryse wissel vanaf R275 000 tot R445 000 alle kostes ingesluit. Tree met Marieta in verbinding by 073-l82-2404. 

IF we want quality highways, we will have to pay for them or face potholes galore, according to the economic specialists who studied the viability of a toll road system for the Western Cape.

The fruit industry is likely to be hard hit by the proposed tolling.

At the open day held in Paarl recently, consultants indicated that light vehicles would pay a toll of between R5 and R10 at the toll plaza to be constructed in the Joostenberg area, while heavy vehicles would pay three times more.

A toll levy on the N1 and N2 is not the ideal solution for road maintenance, but it is probably the only realistic funding solution, because the government's petrol levy is not earmarked for road maintenance alone.

Substantial frequent user discounts have been recommended, to alleviate costs to commuters.

Currently in Kwazulu-Natal, discounts of between 20% (20 to 40 trips per month) and 40% (more than 40 trips per month) are customary on toll roads.

Hardest hit will be less affluent commuters and the export fruit industry (which is already financially strained), especially those in "captive" communities like Joostenbergvlakte Industria and Hex River.

The project will include improving the N1 between De Doorns and Worcester and construction of interchanges at Rawsonville and Worcester.

In later phases, the Huguenot Tunnel's second bore might be developed.

According to the report, the most cost effective way to pay for road rehabilitation and upgrading is a combination of fuel levies and special levies on heavy vehicles, but this is unlikely to happen as the fuel revenue goes into a common fund for all government expenditure.

As the budget favours poverty alleviation, tolling was probably the best and most realistic option to obtain funding for road rehabilitation.

The proposal for tolling has been made because the government lacks the finance to upgrade the N1 and N2 highways, which are approaching the end of their design life in the Western Cape.

Especially the lefthand (slow) lanes are deteriorating rapidly and rehabilitation and upgrading is required soon. Widening in the Kraaifontein area is also required to alleviate increasing congestion.

The losses in efficiency due to congestion and the wear and tear on vehicles as the highways deteriorate, will outweigh the disadvantages of paying toll in the long run, according to the report.

It may also encourage increased use of rail transport for passengers and freight.

According to the impact study of the project proposed by Protea Parkways Consortium, the likeliest siting for the new toll plaza is between the Engen garage and the Stellenbosch interchange.

Traffic using the Joostenberg interchange will pay ramp toll to ensure it is not used as a deviation to miss the toll plaza.

Protea Parkways Consortium has made the unsolicited proposal with the approval of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL).

The draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) can be viewed at the Wellington library and the Mill Street library in Paarl.

Comments can be sent directly to Nomi Muthialu and Associates on fax 0860-102-928 or e-mail nmacpt@global.co.za.

For any further enquiries, phone 0800-005-668.

TOTAL sales at the annual Nedcor Investment Bank Cape Winemakers' Guild Auction held on Saturday at Spier Conference Centre near Stellenbosch showed an increase of 20% over last year to just under R3,2 million - a new record. 

Aggressive buying from local restauranteurs and wine retailers, who occupied the top three buyer spots this year, drove the sales to this record figure.

Each year the members of the Cape Winemakers' Guild make special wines, in small quantities, for their annual auction.

 David Finlayson, Chairman of the Cape Winemakers' Guild, is very pleased that local buyers appreciated the high quality of wines sold at the auction.

"We believe that the Auction wines are the icon wines of South Africa.

Foreign participation was strong again this year and it is gratifying that they continue to support the Auction."

 Top buyer at the auction this year was The Butcher Shop & Grill from Sandton with purchases of R356 000 followed by Makro and e-tailer Cybercellar. 

Individual foreign buyers from Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands respectively occupied the next three spots. Local buyers accounted for 69% of sales with 31% bought by foreign buyers.

The equivalent of 2 708 six-bottle cases came under the hammer this year. With strong prices realised in most categories, the average bottle price jumped from R163 to R197.

The star performer on the day for the third year running was Gyles Webb, with his Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2000 which sold at a highest price of R550 per 750ml bottle. 

He was followed by Jeremy Walker's Grangehurst Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1995, which sold at a highest price of R500 per bottle. Two other red wines, from Kanonkop and Boplaas, fetched over R400 per bottle. 

Top white of the day was André van Rensburg's Vergelegen Schaapenberg Auction Reserve 2001 (Sauvignon Blanc), which fetched a highest price of R275 per bottle.

The generosity of the bidders saw a record amount of R348 800 being raised for the NIB CWG Development Trust, which supports wine industry worker communities and their families. 

* The Silent Auction raised R97 800 from specially packaged rare wines from each of the Guild's 35 members while the Charity Auction raised R101 000.

These were supplemented by a donation of R50 000 from Great Grapes of the Netherlands, a regular Auction buyer, and R100 000 from Nedcor Investment Bank.

ABOUT 26 people have lost their jobs as a result of the closure of the Boland Delta car dealership in Paarl.

The garage was purchased from William's Hunt by the Bouwer brothers Johan and Stéfan about 15 years ago.

The dealership closed its doors at the end of September after unsuccessful attempts to sell the business as a running concern.

Negotiations to lease the building to another dealer are underway, but if these fail, the valuable, centrally located site could be sold on the open market.

According to Johan Bouwer, the Delta Motor Corporation is not interested in placing another Delta dealer on the site, as other business opportunities are likely to open up should the Paarl Mall be developed.

Opel and Isuzu parts and service are available at the Malmesbury dealer, Top-Delta, or the Stellenbosch dealer, Port Delta.

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