Wen-Wen by die Kooperasie

- Kallie Erasmus -

Prince Albert is a working dorp which sets us apart from other platteland towns that have become little more than oversized holiday resorts.

There are many icons of Prince Albert as a Karoo town such as our town farms and windpumps but few rival the Co-Op where real and wannabe farmers rub shoulders to buy anything from pipes to penknives.

Die Klein Karoo Koöperasie dryf sedert die ‘60s op Prins Albert handel. Vandat daar nie meer volstruiskuikengrootma-kers in die distrik is nie gaan dit maar swaar. Daar is selfs al daaraan gedink om die Prins Albert tak te sluit maar gelukkig het die KKK se historiese verbintenis met die dorp nog altyd geseëvier.

The upgrading of the Co-Op’s fuel facility gave rise to a potentially explosive confrontation between those who saw the project as a possible threat to the town and the Co-Op’s management. After a flurry of angry exchanges and an inspection by the Green Scorpions, sanity prevailed and a meeting was held.

Chris Breet van KKK se bestuur en Kallie Erasmus ‘n kundige plaaslike inwoner het gou-gou oor ‘n paar koppies koffie vasgestel dat almal meer in gemeen as in verskil het en met ‘n oplossing vorendag gekom.

Die KKK gaan nie ‘n volwaardige “24-uur ‘n dag” vulstasie in die dorp se hoofstraat oprig nie. Aanvanklike gedagtes in daardie rigting is gou laat vaar.

The Co-Op will modernise its fuel facility but operate it as always during the hours that the Co-Op is open. No new tanks will be installed. The pumps will be moved for more convenient service under a canopy to protect the pumps and patrons.

Dit het ook geblyk dat die KKK altyd besorg was oor die voorkoms van die fasiliteit en sonder sukses verskeie pogings aangewend het om met die Munisipaliteit hieroor te praat.

The Co-Op won’t change the nature of what it does or how it operates so there is no need to rezone the property. The correct zoning is Business 4 (ware-houses) with historically vested rights to dispense fuel during Co-Op business hours.

The street-front storm water drain will also still be fully functional after the upgrade so there will be no departure from the town’s zoning scheme and because of the unique nature of the upgrade the parties agree that no environmental authorisation is necessary.

Die partye stem egter saam dat daar gekyk moet word na hoe die voorkoms van die vermoderniseerde fasiliteit versag kan word en voorstellings in hierdie verband is reeds ontvang. Die betrokkenes, die owerhede en almal wat geraak sou word is gelukkig met hierdie uitkoms en daar behoort binnekort uitvoering aan die opgradering gegee te kan word.

Which goes to show that the environmental and planning laws work. They are common-sense measures to ensure that impacts are considered before anything is done, that a balance is found between development and conservation and that nowadays things are done with people and not to them.

The lesson to be learnt is that people should talk to each other sooner rather than later and that even when things look bad there is always room for negotiation if there is goodwill on all sides.

Wat ook duidelik geblyk het is dat ons nie sondermeer kan aanvaar dat daar altyd ‘n Koöperasie op die dorp gaan wees nie. Die dorp sal onmeetbaar armer wees as die Koöperasie sy deure sluit (en dit geld ook vir ander plaaslike besighede). Dink net hoe erg dit sou gewees het as hulle nie hier was nie en koop dan meer doelbewus plaaslik.