Building relationships to benefit everybody

Bathurst has the biggest commonage in the country, but its use is fairly chaotic and also wasteful, so we’re taking action to improve the situation, again in collaboration with the municipality

most notable achievement this year —a new website, www.brra.org.za — is due entirely to the efforts of two of our committee members, Maya Stricker and Warwick Lewarne.

It’s aim is to give everyone easy access to everything that’s on in Bathurst, what has been achieved and what is in progress.

For the rest, Bathurst is full of challenges, and we’re only beginning to make progress with them.

There’s our burnt out town hall, where we’re hoping that 2024 will bring a creative decision about its future as well as some action.

Our rubbish dump often spontaneously combusts and has killed several cattle because of blown-about plastic, so we’re hoping to arrive at a solution in collaboration with the municipality.

Richard Alexander is heading up this effort. Bathurst has the biggest commonage in the country, but its use is fairly chaotic and also wasteful, so we’re taking action to improve the situation, again in collaboration with the municipality.

We’ve tasked Monty Roodt with this giant challenge.

Gravel roads both in the village and the township are in need of serious attention, resurfacing, improved drainage, and in some cases, paving. Anyone game to take on the co-ordination of this project is invited to contact Elizabeth Milne via WhatsApp on 065-730-0473.

We have also begun to strengthen relationships between

Bathurst village and the township, and to explore ways in which we may be able to support youth development and the creation of sustainable opportunities. Clare Rothwell and Siphokazi Mkrakra lead these efforts.

We’re hoping that 2024 will bring a volunteer to co-ordinate efforts to eradicate invasive alien vegetation in and around the village and also that we can revive the pineapple festival. We see Bathurst developing further as a tourist destination for hiking, riding, birding, celebrating local artists, or attending talks, presentations, concerts, festivals or whatever our creative community can dream up.

The latest Bathurst community initiative is a new neighbourhood watch. It is a necessary response to crime in our community, fully supported but not led by BR&RA.

For information, contact Gabby Serfontein via WhatsApp on 063-425-3713.