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"There are TWO major determinants of community safety. One is how many neighbours we know by name. The other is how often we are present and associated in public - outside our houses. Police activity is a minor protection compared to these two community actions.
- John McKnight & Peter Block, The Abundant Community
DO NOT WASTE THE POLICE’S TIME!
We have been receiving a growing number of complaints from the community regarding noisy building work that is being conducted on a Sunday. This is especiallly true at the end of the year as contractors whose projects are running behind schedule, attempt to catch up..
Legislation IS CLEAR in this regard:
The NATIONAL BUILDING REGULATIONS AND BUILDING STANDARDS ACT NO. 103 OF 1977, Section F6 (2)(a) dictates that:
"No person shall during the course of any building, demolition or excavation work use any machine, machinery, engine, apparatus, tool or contrivance, which in the opinion of the local authority may unreasonably disturb or interfere with the amenity of the neighbourhood:
(i) on a public holiday or Sunday
(ii) before 06:00 or after 17:00 on any Saturday; and
(iii) before 06:00 or after 18:00 on any day other than those days contemplated in subparagraphs (i) and (ii)"
In other words, NO NOISY BUILDING WORKS ON SUNDAYS OR PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.
In order to effectively deal with transgressors, the community has to call in SAPS to issue warnings, and if the warning is ignored, SAPS is called out once again. SAPS has confirmed that if the first warning is ignored, they have the authority to confiscate the equipment being used.
THIS IS A WASTE OF PRECIOUS SAPS TIME WHICH COULD BE BETTER SPENT PATROLLING OUR SUBURBS AND FIGHTING CRIME.
To all those who think that they are above the law in respect of the building noise regulation, please note the following:
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You are not above the law. The law is clear. Please adhere thereto.
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You are affecting the amenity of the suburb. Remember that when your construction is complete, you have to live next door to the very people that you have upset. Why not cultivate good neighbourly relations from the outset?
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By forcing the community to keep calling SAPS out to police your inability to follow the law, you are diverting their precious resources away from fighting crime in Parktown North.