News from Leitch / Nuus vanaf Leitch
With Ben enroute to new beginnings, he leaves behind some rather large shoes and
reputation to fill, with an array of projects to boot. It has been an interesting two
months getting to know San Lameer and all its nooks and crannies. Looking at archives
from my predecessor, it is hard to believe that San Lameer still finds itself amidst a
period of water restriction and management of water usage still a high priority. If the
colossal down pour of over 400 mm this past Easter is anything to go by, it seems
absurd to read reports of 2014 and 2015 being the driest years on record in almost 20
years.
Ben's words of “remember to try use less water, reduce and recycle” are still pertinent
now as they were then, but I must believe that change is a foot and I see the evidence
of it in the rich tapestry of San Lameer from the recent sightings of newbie blue duiker,
bushbuck and even a tiny family of Natal francolins busying themselves in the
shrubbery. I myself am not entirely new to the business of community living.
I initially started my career in horticulture with studying a national diploma from
Technikon Natal in 1993 to 1994. I then traveled overseas with 6 months in Israel
where I was involved extensively in viticulture and a smiggin of cut flowers. From there
I traveled to Great Britain where I spent a large amount of my time in farming and
landscaping, both hard and soft. During this time, I also studied a GNVQ in advanced
business studies. After 4 and a half years away from home it was time to return to
sunny South Africa. After a brief period of owning my own landscaping and garden
service business, I took a position at the then Gooderson leisure group's Drakensberg
Gardens hotel and resort. This was surpassed with my first position with Leitch
landscapes in 2000, when they took over the Umhlanga ridge office park and Gateway
complex on behalf of Môreland development.
Late in 2003 saw me take a position with a small company called Rietvlei Landscapes
where I grew our portfolio.
The company's pedigree was predominantly sports turf with a large amount of
environmental rehabilitation and monitoring. Noteworthy projects include 6 years
working with what was originally Macovitch and Hayes and later WBHO Golf. We helped
landscape the likes of Cotswold Downs, Zimbiti, Ebotse and finally Nondela golf estate.
2010 saw us heavily involved with grassing and growing in of a number of stadiums for
the World Cup. We later developed and grassed Moses Mabida and its outfield as well
as Kings park on three separate occasions.
We developed a niche market for planting indigenous veld bunching grasses on an
industrial scale and were also heavily involved in rehabilitation of mine dumps,
hazardous waste sites as well as many kilometers of Umgeni water pipe lines. 2014
saw me take a position as Gardens and Environmental Manager with Selborne golf
estate. This portfolio was later expanded to include Security and HSE manager as well.
March this year saw me take a position with Leitch lLndscapes once again with the
replacement of Ben on his departure to New Zeeland.
For ease and convenience, I have retained Ben's company contact numbers with a
slight change in the email address: [email protected] . My aim is to
continue the good work that Ben started and add value as these projects mature.
I have also included a link in this article with a list of plants San Lameer would like to
promote, especially for inclusion into gardens if homeowners would like to plant any.
vorentoe sal geskied as ek kyk na bewyse wat die tapyt van San Lameer uit my
onlangse waarneming lewer. Van die nuwe blou duiker, bosbokke en selfs 'n klein
familie van Natalse fisante wat hulself in die bosse besig hou. Ek myself is nie
heeltemal onbekend met die landgoedlewe nie.
Ek het aanvanklik my loopbaan in tuinbou begin deur te studeer vir 'n nasionale
diploma aan die Technikon van Natal in 1993 tot 1994. Ek het toe vir 6 maande oorsee
in Israel gereis waar ek grootliks betrokke was by wingerdbou en snyblomme. Van daar
af het ek na Groot-Brittanje gereis waar ek baie van my tyd in boerdery en
buiteontwerp spandeer het. Gedurende hierdie tyd het ek ook 'n “GNVQ” in gevorderde
besigheidstudies bestudeer. Ná 4 en 'n half jaar weg van die huis af, was dit tyd om
terug te keer na sonnige Suid-Afrika. Vir 'n kort tydperk het ek my eie landskap en
tuindiensbesigheid bestuur en daarna besluit om 'n posisie te neem by die destydse
Gooderson-ontspanningsgroep se Drakensberg Gardens hotel en oord. Dit is in 2000
oortref deur Leitch Landscapes toe hulle die Umhlanga Ridge-kantoorpark en Gateway-
kompleks namens Môreland-ontwikkeling oorgeneem het.
Laat in 2003 het ek 'n posisie aangevat by 'n klein maatskappy genaamd Rietvlei
Landscapes waar ek ons portefeulje gegroei het. Die maatskappy het hoofsaaklik in
sportvelde gespesialiseer met 'n groot hoeveelheid omgewingsrehabilitasie en
bewaking. Opmerklike projekte sluit 6 jaar se ervaring in met oorspronklik Macovitch
en Hayes en later WBHO Golf. Ons het liggame soos Cotswold Downs, Zimbiti, Ebotse en
uiteindelik Nondela gholflandgoed gehelp. In 2010 was ons hewig betrokke by die groei
en bedecking van gras in 'n aantal stadions vir die Wêreldbeker-toernooi. Ons het later
Die Moses Mabida en sy buitegebied ontwikkel, sowel as Kings Park, op drie
verskillende geleenthede.
Ons het 'n nismark ontwikkel vir die aanplant van inheemse veldbosse op industriële
skaal en was ook baie betrokke by die rehabilitasie van mynhope, gevaarlike
afvalsterreine asook baie kilometer van Umgeni-waterpyplyne.
In 2014 het ek 'n posisie as Tuin en Omgewingsbestuurder by Selborne gholflandgoed
geneem. Hierdie portefeulje is later uitgebrei om ook Sekuriteits- en HSE-bestuurder in
te sluit. Maart vanjaar het ek weer 'n posisie by Leitch Landscapes geneem met die
vervanging van Ben met sy immigrasie na Nieu-Zeeland.
Vir gerieflikheids onthalwe het ek Ben se maatskappy kontaknommer behou met 'n
effense verandering in die epos adres: [email protected] .
My doel is om voort te gaan met die goeie werk wat Ben begin het en waarde toe te
voeg soos die projekte volwassenheid bereik.
Ek het ook 'n skakel in hierdie artikel ingesluit met 'n lys van plante wat San Lameer
graag wil bevorder, veral vir insluiting in tuine as huiseienaars graag enige plante wil
plant.
Brett Wortmann
Manager / Bestuurder
Met Ben oppad na 'n nuwe begin, los hy agter 'n paar taamlike groot skoene en
reputasie om te vul, met 'n verskeidenheid projekte om te begin en mee aan te gaan.
Dit was 'n interessante twee maande om San Lameer en al sy hoeke en draaie te leer
ken. As ek na die argiewe van my voorganger kyk, is dit moeilik om te glo dat San
Lameer hom nogsteeds in die middel van 'n waterbeperkingstydperk bevind en die
bestuur van waterverbruik steeds 'n hoë prioriteit is. Met die kolossale vloed van reën
en met meer as 400 mm wat ons die afgelope Paasfees ontvang het, is dit absurd om
verslae van 2014 en 2015 te lees waar daar bepaal is dat dit die droogste jare in byna
20 jaar was.
Ben se woorde van "onthou om minder water te gebruik, verminder en herwin" is
nogsteeds van toepassing soos dit destyds was, maar ek moet glo dat verandering
List of Plants / Lys van plante