Waterfall Country Estate and Village

Century Property Developments is excited and proud to announce to residents of all our developments that a partnership/cooperation agreement has been signed with Netcare 911, whereby they will be the preferred provider of emergency medical services for residents in all our developments. As part of this exciting partnership, Netcare 911 will provide emergency medical services to residents when they need it most.

The benefit of being attended to by Netcare 911 during a medical emergency will be included in the purchase agreement for all new buyers of property in any of our developments, but all current residents will also be able to make use of the services of Netcare 911, should they require it, during a medical emergency. In a medical emergency, Netcare 911 can be contacted by dialing 082 911. This is the number for Netcare 911’s 24-hour Emergency Operations Centre, where Call Takers are ready to assist and to dispatch the correct resource to the scene of the incident. Once on scene, the emergency medical staff of Netcare 911 will transport patients from the scene of the incident, by road or air transport (where medically required) to the closest, most appropriate medical facility for treatment.

While the benefit of treatment during a medical emergency is included for all residents in all developments, residents who use Netcare 911’s services should please note that emergency medical services will be rendered on a fee-forservice basis - Netcare 911 will send an account for services rendered to the resident’s medical aid. Where a resident does not belong to a medical aid, alternative arrangements for payment of the account will be made. We see this partnership as adding value to the current safety and security of all our residents. In addition, Netcare 911 has indicated that it has exciting plans for other current and future developments in certain of our developments. More information about these plans will follow soon. With the highly skilled medical staff of Netcare 911 available to assist in any medical emergency, residents can have peace of mind that they are in safe hands.

In a medical emergency, please dial 082 911.

Century Property Developments, in partnership with environmental company Eco Solutions, has launched a project to provide safe and tailor-made accommodation for bats and owls found within Gauteng. The project involves the creation of a “poison-free” zone at Century’s 2 000 hectare Waterfall Estate development. This includes the installation of 12 owl and eight bat boxes at the Estate to encourage bats and owls to return to the area.

Four barn owl chicks rescued by Free Me have been relocated to and raised on the Estate in an owl box supplied by Eco Solutions. They were released on Wednesday, 26 June, at 05h00. The four chicks took 35 days to mature, and were fed daily with 16 day-old chickens supplied by Eco Solutions. Jonathan Haw, MD of Eco Solutions, says that this is the first of several batches of barn owl chicks that will be released onto the Estate, which is sufficiently big to create a sustainable eco corridor. The project also includes steps to encourage the re-migration of hedgehogs and tortoises to the area by, for example, better management of veld burning during the dry winter months.

Century has also created sand banks alongside the dam at the Waterfall Clubhouse to attract particular species of bird life, such as waders. Bird watchers from the Waterfall Hills retirement village recently spotted a rare Buff Breasted Sandpiper at the Waterfall Dam, among several seldom seen species now nesting on the Estate. “Owls are a fascinating and beautiful species,” says Haw. “Not only are they intriguing to look at, they also offer an efficient means of pest control. The two most common species in Gauteng are the Barn Owl and the Spotted-Eagle Owl. Whilst these owls are strikingly different in appearance, both species exhibit many similar adaptations. It is these adaptations that have enabled owls to survive thus far. These adaptations range from their specially designed wings, which allow them to listen for prey whilst on the wing, to light sensitive eyes enabling them to detect prey in low light conditions. This complexity of design is the basis for the success of the owl as a species, however this specialisation means that owls are relatively susceptible to environmental change.” While these two species of owl are still found in Gauteng, Grant Poole, Waterfall Estate manager, says it remains unclear how long this will continue. “This is why the project with Century is so vital,” he says. “We have to create environments in which these birds can survive and prosper; otherwise we will have to travel to other parts of the country to witness these magic moments.”

Haw says bats are also increasingly pressurised in Gauteng due to the rate of development in the province over recent decades. They fulfill a vital role in controlling insect populations, using echo location to find insects. They emit up to 200 clicks per second, clicks that are inaudible to most other mammals, using these clicks to bounce off objects to tell them what these objects are. The “greening” of the Waterfall Estate, located between Sunninghill and Kyalami, has already won plaudits from environmental groups due to the creation of 900 hectares of indigenous parkland with over 25 kilometres of walking and riding trails. More than one million indigenous trees and plants have been planted on Century developments in the area. These trees and plants are grown at a 60 hectare nursery in the Kyalami area, producing 400,000 indigenous seedlings a year. The planting of indigenous flora reduces the demand for water and has been observed to encourage the re-migration of bird life.

More than 5,000 youngsters from different schools attended the Rhino Companionship Walk on Sunday 19 May at Waterfall Country Estate and Village near Kyalami to raise awareness of rhino poaching and the devastating impact this scourge is having on Africa’s wildlife heritage. The event was co-sponsored by Century Property Developments and South African National Parks. A total of R120,000 was raised from the event by Century Property Developments for the South African National Parks' bank account. The event was completely free to all participants and Century's contribution was determined by number of people participating. The response to this day was so overwhelming that Century Property Developments CEO Mark Corbett decided to increase the sponsorship amount to R200,000.