What Is The RPPA

Riverside Park, in the provincial capital of Nelspruit and conveniently located on the main road to White River, is Mpumalanga's premier regional property development.

The Precinct combines office, residential, retail and leisure opportunities in an integrated, safe and attractive environment – making Riverside Park the first choice in the Lowveld to live, work, shop and play.

At a meeting of land owners, informally formed as Riverside Precinct Association (RPPA), held on 22 August 2003, it was agreed that a City Improvement District (CID) be established as a vehicle to manage the common objectives and issues of the property owners at Riverside Park.  An application for the establishment of a CID, to be known as Riverside Park Precinct City Improvement District, was lodged with Mbombela Municipality in terms of the relevant by-laws. On 25 October 2004 the RPP CID was legislated.

Due to the ongoing construction within the Riverside Park Precinct, the City Improvement District was not fully implemented at that time. Once the Precinct was substantially developed, the members voted to implement the CID. An interim budget was approved and services were phased in since 1 July 2008. Being a legislated CID, statutory levies became due and payable on 1 July 2008. In order to comply with legislation and to include Riverside Park Phase II in the CID, a petition and revised business plan was submitted to Council for an amendment to the original CID Business Plan. On 25 March 2010 Council formally approved the amended Business Plan, followed by the signing of a detailed Service Level Agreement between Mbombela and the CID on 1 December 2010. 

Through the formation of the RPPA, a dedicated team is responsible for:

  • safety and cleanliness in the public space
  • linkages with the City and its agencies and utilities
  • communication with the area’s stakeholders
  • collection of the RPPA CID levies from the property owners for use as deemed fit by the RPPA board (made up of property owners in the area)
  • underpinning the area’s asset base through the services provided to the RPPA
  • branding and demarcating the area in which the RPPA operates

What is an Improvement District?

An improvement district is a defined geographic area within which property owners pay for services to enhance public space. These services are supplementary to those provided by Council and usually include safety initiatives, cleaning and maintenance projects and the maintenance of the public space. Complementary services, taken on by the improvement district include: communication and information systems connecting all businesses, branding and marketing the improvement district and events management to attract more people to the CID area. Further information can be obtained on www.urbangenesis.co.za or www.kum.co.za.

City Improvement District Legislation

In Nelspruit, improvement district applications to local authorities are considered in terms of the Mbombela City Improvement District by-law. Once an improvement district is legislated, the costs are borne by the property owners in the area. The levy is statutory.

Goals of the Riverside Park Precinct

To establish and manage the Riverside Park Precinct;

  • as a world class regional node in harmony with the environment
  • as a public private sector partnership, to attract investment, tourism and business for economic growth and leave a foundation for future generations through:
    • representing property owners on collective issues at municipal, district and provincial forums, to address issues of common concern
    • ensuring that maintenance, service quality and service rendering to property owners, communal and public areas and tenants are supplied on a continuous and consistent basis at world class standards, to create an attractive environment, to encourage investment, visitors, and business
    • marketing and promoting the Precinct as the preferred destination
    • coordinating developers, landowners and tenants to work towards the protection and control of the environmental quality
    • ensuring that architectural style, landscaping, paving, signage and street furniture is controlled and maintained as set out in the Riverside Urban Design Framework to ensure environmental integrity
    • overseeing that the safety and security of all owners, tenants, employees, shoppers and visitors is maintained at the highest standards

RPPA Operational Services and Committees

Landscaping, Maintenance and Cleaning

Fever Tree Nursery has a team of ten labourers responsible for the maintenance of the existing landscaping and the cleaning of the Precinct. Countless bakkie-loads of litter and green waste are removed every week. Given the constant downpours and the extensive earthworks in Ext 24 - if it wasn’t for them tirelessly sweeping the roads, removing the litter and ensuring that no storm water drain is blocked, the Precinct would resemble Calcutta after the first monsoon. In time, the Precinct plans to establish a dedicated Landscaping Committee, especially in the light of many new developments, which necessitate the expansion of the landscaping programme to ensure that the entire Precinct remains to be as attractive and well cared for as it is now.

Security

J&M has presently two dedicated security men on bicycles roaming the Precinct 24/7 and in direct radio contact with their response facility. The guards also provide useful information on feedback sheets for the CID Manager to act on. Our monthly Security Committee meetings are attended by the response and guard companies, SAPS and Traffic. Crime trends are constantly monitored and a unified emergency protocol is in place. Thanks to the Security Committee, our Precinct is free of beggars and the informal trade is tightly monitored and managed.

Marketing

The Marketing Committee was the Precinct’s first committee to be formed and looks back at 2010 as a particularly active year – communication with members, marketing and branding/demarcating the Precinct were the main objectives. Precinct members were kept informed via our RPPA website (www.riversidepark.co.za) and quarterly Newsletters. Radio ad campaigns, promo clips on plasma screens, the distribution of 20 000 animated RPPA maps and directories, border activations, toll-gate drops, media features and newspaper ads drew attention to the Precinct and hopefully assisted in increasing the number of feet. Providing branded uniforms to our security, cleaning and maintenance staff, participating in collective events and improving the directional signage to the Precinct were three additional marketing projects which enjoyed priority. 

RPPA Management Team

The RPPA is managed by Riverside Place Management, a partnership formed by Urban Genesis Management and Halls Properties.

The CID Manager, Renate Scholle, can be reached on (013) 757 0415 or renate.scholle@riversidepark.co.za.