- Johannesburg Development Agency
- Johannesburg City Parks
- Johannesburg Roads Agency
10.36 Johannesburg Development Agency
i. Functions/outlook
The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) is an initiative of the City of Johannesburg and has been established as a Company and registered in March 2001.
The mission of the JDA is to initiate, promote and implement activities that lead to increased economic development for the City of Johannesburg. To achieve this, the JDA will:
- Promote economic development for the City (in the form of jobs and wealth creation) as its prime objective
- Use City assets as inputs (especially under-utilised assets)
- Use City leverage as inputs (especially powers and finance)
- Create a formal link to the private sector to facilitate the establishment of Public/private partnerships
- Respond to private sector preferences that necessitate the creation of a separate entity for sustained and/or increased partnership and involvement.
The JDA's initial project portfolio and programmes fall into four defined groups:
- Special activity precincts
- Urban regeneration projects
- Financial instruments (harnessing existing streams of discretionary financial support, tax increment financing and a Joint Venture Development Fund)
- Support programmes
ii. Outcomes
The JDA will drive developments that significantly contribute to achieving Johannesburg's potential as the African world-class city - a city of prosperity, excellent quality of life and a wealth of cultural and economic opportunity.
iii. Strategies
- To create jobs, development and housing opportunities in the City
- To increase the rates base in project areas where the JDA operates by stabilising decline, attracting investments into new developments, facilitating and securing improvements to infrastructure and promoting mechanisms to improve management of the public environment
- To boost Johannesburg's image as a place to live, invest and visit through national and international recognition of the transformation of the city centre
- To respond to and realise the aspirations of the whole population of Johannesburg to improve the quality of life and economic opportunities provided to them in areas where the JDA operates by:
- Improving access to work opportunities
- Promoting investment opportunities
- Supporting initiatives to provide environments in which communities can develop, grow and realise their human potential
- Improving access to and availability of cultural activities.
iv. Outputs and targets
| Outputs | Targets |
| Special Development Projects | Mary Fitzgerald Square: upgraded by December 2001, Major festival and opening on 16 December 2001 Phase 1 of the Metro Mall development completed Nelson Mandela Bridge: Off/on-ramps 40% complete New National Craft Centre in Newtown completed by December 2001 Newtown Building Refurbishment: Complete by September 2001. Constitutional Hill: Construction of court 20% complete |
| Urban Regeneration Projects | Garment District: Business Plan complete by December 2001 Faraday Station: Contractors appointed and construction is planned to begin in October 2001 and be complete by July 2003 Jeppestown/Jeppe Station: Projects plans to establish a CID, detailing project feasibility and the project plan will be developed by July 2001. Ellis Park Precinct: Sports precinct upgrade completed by June 2002 |
| Joint Venture Development Fund | Feasibility study completed by November 2001 |
| Tax Increment Financing investigation | Investigation completed by November 2001 |
| Capital projects | Constitutional Hill Newtown Greater Ellis Park Faraday Jeppestown |
10.37 Johannesburg City Parks
i. Functions/outlook
The Johannesburg City Parks Agency was established in terms of a recommendation flowing from the iGoli 2002 Plan. The primary focus areas of Johannesburg City Parks are:
- The provision of regional parks, open spaces and cemeteries to meet community needs
- To ensure environmental conservation and awareness
- To improve maintenance service standards
- To promote eco-tourism.
The functional responsibilities of the Company are the following:
- Conservation, parks and open space activity management, development and maintenance
- Cemeteries operations, development and maintenance
- Tree management and maintenance of all trees in conjunction with other UACs, as well as all trees within parks and open spaces
- Operation of nurseries
- Management and maintenance of plant and equipment
- Provide environmental/conservation education service to the community
- Ensure archival records for cemeteries and crematoria
- Comment on Environmental Impact Assessment involving open space requirements
- Comment and report on proposed advertising on public open space
- Levy tariffs in terms of promulgated council tariffs for park usage as well as burial and cremation rates.
The areas of responsibility include the following cemeteries, parks and conservation:
- Developed parks - 6 144 hectares
- Undeveloped parks - 4 443 hectares
- Nature reserves - 984 hectares
- Street verges - 2 578 hectares
- Water surfaces - 73 hectares
- Street trees - 1.2 million
- 27 Cemeteries and two crematoria
ii. Outcome
To create, maintain and conserve for recreation, leisure and conservation purposes the green environment and heritage for present and future generations.
iii. Strategies
- Improved service delivery levels to benefit the community
- Development of facilities in previously disadvantaged areas
- To develop regional cemeteries to meet the growing demand
- To conserve natural open spaces within the urban framework
- To focus on customer care
- To standardise and redistribute plant and equipment
- To monitor and evaluate current service delivery against established benchmarks
- To create job opportunities
- To explore public/private partnerships opportunities
- To facilitate skills development
- Improved Occupational Health and Safety Standards
iv. Outputs and targets
| Outputs | Targets |
| Parks and open space programme | Finalise planned maintenance schedule and start implementation by July 2001 Formulate park and street island adoption policy by October 2001 and implement from January 2002 Formulate garden service unit policy by December 2001 and implement from June 2002 Capital projects (Park development): completion June 2002 Ivory and Ebony ParkInner City End StreetInner City Pieter Roos Inner City Yeoville Diepsloot Diepkloof Zone 1 Eldorado Park Ext 9 Pimville Zone 1 Orange Farm Ext 7 Ennerdale Ext 1 Protea Ext 11 & Mooketsi Park |
| Street trees and nursery programme | Establish a strategy to reduce backlogs by October 2001 and implement from November 2001 Implement planned maintenance schedules from July 2001 |
| Cemeteries and crematoria programme | Establish planned maintenance schedule and implement from July 2001 Formulate cemeteries planning strategy and implement from January 2002 Rationalisation of categories of cemeteries to 4 by June 2002 Implement cemetery development and crematoria management proposals from January 2002 Capital projects (cemeteries & crematoria): June 2002 Diepsloot Cemetery Upgrade roads in Avalon, Lenasia, Dobsonville and Doornkop Braamfontein Crematoria |
| Environment and conservation management programme | Develop a unified management and specialist maintenance strategy by November 2001 and implementation from July 2002 Develop proposals for PPPs by October 2001 and implement from May 2002 Develop environmental education awareness programme by August 2001 and implement from September 2001 Develop proposals for environmental, social upliftment and job creation programmes by November 2001 and implement from July 2002 Capital projects (conservation): Eco-tourism facility in Orange Farm |
| Monitoring unit | Establish service delivery standards by August 2001 and initiate monitoring systems from October 2001 Develop and implement systems to monitor equity plans and skills development by January 2002 Develop and implement a model to quantify performance against business plan by May 2002 |
| Corporate development programme | Develop a marketing plan by September 2001 Identify potential events by August 2001 Develop a communications plan by September 2001 Establish public liaison forums by February 2002 New business development: Identify potential PPPs by October 2001 Establish a park ambassadors section by February 2002 |
| Effective fleet management | Establish a fleet database by July 2001 Develop and implement a fleet abuse prevention policy by September 2001 Establish a driver training programme by September 2001 Develop and implement a vehicle replacement policy by February 2002 Develop and implement a driver performance incentive system by January 2002 |
| Plant and equipment management | Establish a plant and equipment database by October 2001 Develop and implement a replacement policy by December 2001 Develop standardised plant and equipment specifications by November 2001 Establish a specialised equipment pool by August 2001 Establish a training programme for operators by March 2002 Develop a plant and equipment abuse prevention policy by September 2002 |
| Assets register | Updated by February 2002 |
10.38 Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA)
i. Functions/outlook
The JRA has been registered as a Proprietary Limited company with one shareholder only, at this stage. The company has been registered with the South African Revenue Services for VAT, PAYE and company tax purposes. The company has been allocated a zero VAT status by virtue its relationship with the City of Johannesburg as an agent for development and maintenance of the city road and stormwater infrastructure.
The JRA's functions and responsibilities would include the planning, design, construction, operation, control, rehabilitation and maintenance of the road and storm- water infrastructure in Greater Johannesburg. The responsibilities include the maintenance and construction of traffic signals and traffic signal systems, as well as the maintenance and construction of road signs and road markings. Previously these functions had been the responsibility of the Johannesburg Electricity and Traffic Departments respectively.
A detailed inventory and condition rating of the roads and stormwater infrastructure were undertaken in 2000 and is contained in the JRA ring-fencing report (also available for the Midrand and Modderfontein areas). The infrastructure assets that are the responsibility of the JRA are diverse and their condition varies considerably. The asset ownership will always remain with the Johannesburg Council.
ii. Problem statements
- Lack of data in managing the service
- Operational environment in council was over-bureaucratised
- Duplication and inconsistency across previous Metropolitan Local Council areas
- Lack of customer focus
- No performance measurement
- Inadequate resource control
iii. Outcome
A safe, effective, efficient and fully integrated Roads Agency, which will best meet the needs of all residents of Johannesburg, with improving levels of service and reducing costs in a manner that supports the council's strategies for economic and social development based on international best practice codes, while being environmentally and economically sustainable.
iv. Strategies
- Preserve and improve the existing roads and stormwater infrastructure
- Provide a safe road environment
- Meet the growing transportation demands of development within the region
- Cater for the needs of all road users including pedestrians and cyclists
- Enable the promotion of public transport within the City of Johannesburg
- Address the issue of infrastructure backlogs that exist in the maintenance and upgrading of the roads and stormwater networks, as well as the provision of new roads related infrastructure.
v. Outputs and targets
| Outputs | Targets |
| Business Plans | Develop a five-year strategic business plan together with an annual rolling business plan for all operations base on the council's medium term budget framework. The company will be held accountable in terms of the said business plans. Produce a customer charter against which the people of Johannesburg can evaluate the effectiveness of the operations in the company |
| Customer Service | Telephone response time - All calls to the customer care facilities to be answered within 45 seconds Correspondence response time - All correspondence responded to within 12 days Dealing with complaints - 80% of total number of complaints dealt with satisfactorily Actively advertise the 0800 number from July 2001 Establish a user forum by November 2001 Establish an information centre by September 2001 Employ customer care and communication representatives by September 2001 Adopt customer care KPIs by June 2001 |
| Incentives for Performance | Create a sustainable framework for rewarding excellence while proving sanctions for under-achievement |
| Road Traffic Safety | Repair of potholes: Arterial and motorway roads: 90% repaired within 3 working days of first logging Local collectors and access roads: 85% repaired within 5 working days of first logging Replacement of globes in robots: 85% replaced within 2 working days of first logging Repair of damaged robot poles: 85% re-erected within 3 working days of 1st logging (electricity supply problem excluded) Continuity of robot operation at an intersection: Not more than 10% of robots not operating at any particular time (electricity supply problem excluded) Painting of road markings: 90% of all markings to be in acceptable state in any random sample of intersections |
| Asset condition management | Road network maintenance: Undertake visual condition index (VCI) every 3 years: 65% minimum permitted tolerance Average remaining pavement life not to be less than 10 years (gravel roads excluded) Bridge Condition Index (BCI): Arterial and motorway roads: 70% minimum Local collector and access roads: 55% minimum Safety index on all bridges: never below 2 |
| Stormwater management | Control of stormwater flooding: No less than 80% of kerb inlets checked for blockages each year Provide an appropriate level of service for all areas to minimise stormwater flooding Provide a master plan for densification of key nodal activities in respect of stormwater generation; and the management of the stormwater generated therefrom |
| Productivity and efficiency | Increase productivity rates for all maintenance work such as pothole patching, repairs and maintenance of kerbs and gutters, re-instatement of service trenches, clearing silt off gutters and streets and cleaning of kerb inlets to compare with industry norms by June 2002 Develop a proactive maintenance strategy for all servicesStaff ratios to be monitored annually e.g. management to productive labour staff, payroll as a % of gross expenditure. Increase the proportion of the budget allocations spent directly on infrastructure management |
| Financial management | Compile and present annual budget to the city by March of every financial yearProvide long-term estimates of the company's financial requirements in the five year rolling service delivery agreement with the city |
| Improved revenue | Advertising: Investigate, report and implement the possibility of extending the Footway Maintenance Contributions by-law by June 2002
Jobbing: |
| New business development | Investigate all potential joint ventures eg asphalt production by June 2002 Investigate potential of a consultancy service in the Materials Laboratory |
| IT Strategy | Long term IT strategy in place by June 2002 Establish a functional asset management system by December 2001 |