The NRA is a non-profit association established to protect and enhance Newlands and its environs.
SACS Junior School generously hosts our AGM which is held in early March every year.
The work is divided into a series of ‘portfolios’, each led by a Committee member and supported by residents who have a special interest in those issues.
The guiding principles of the NRA can be found in our Constitution but for day-to-day work our portfolios include:
Community events & outreach
This is a busy portfolio, running the annual clean ups, night markets in the village, parks events like the children’s duck races, and support for outreach projects.
Security
The one that generates the most emails and messages! The NRA’s security sub-committee works hard to make our streets, parks and open spaces safer for everyone. They run a number of highly effective community security projects.
Litter & Graffiti
It is hard to keep a whole suburb clean. Intermittent bin clearing by the City, debris left behind by roughsleepers, grafitti on signs and walls, random dumping by homeowners and builders – these things don’t clear up themselves. Our litter pickers make (almost!) all of that go away before you know its there.
Property
A complicated and often contentious portfolio. As an official commenting body, the NRA sees planning applications that have community-wide implications. This includes sub-divisions, demolitions, ‘departures’ and heritage concerns. We are incredibly lucky to have experienced architects volunteering on this portfolio
Environment
The Environment portfolio overlaps with the Litter & Graffiti team but focusses on the five parks in our area (Papenboom Meadow, Paradise Park, Kent Road Park, Palmboom Park, Pinewood Park) and the open space along the M3 kown as the Green Belt.
Heritage
Newlands is an old suburb with a rich history, much of which will disappear without someone championing its cause. There are two sides to this portfolio. Stand-alone heritage issues like the preservation of the rivers and streams, Kildare’s granite kerbs, Montebello’s greenhouse or Palmboom’s cobbled guttering. And there is the scrutiny of building applications of any properties which are over 60 years old – all of which are subject to Heritage oversight.
Treasury
The NRA is not a wealthy organisation but it manages it’s income and expenditure very carefully. Quarterly accounts are presented at every Committee meeting and annual accounts are presented to the Association’s members at the AGM, usually in early March.
Ward Council
For several years an NRA Committee member has been chosen by Ward 59 to represent Civic Organisations on the Ward Committee. The Committe will be chaired in 2024 by our Councillor Mikhail Manuel. The NRA will reapply for a seat on that Committee and we hope to continue to have a voice in Council.
View the 2023 AGM Minutes