As one of the flagship public parks in Ekurhuleni, Gillooly’s Farm is a popular venue for locals and visitors.
But while many other public parks have opened for visitors, Gillooly’s remains closed.
Bedfordview ward councillor Jill Humphreys recently joined the NEWS on a tour of the park.
During the visit, a number of problems were identified which could hinder future plans for the popular park.
Among the range of issues found were persistent sewerage leaks and broken water infrastructure. Adding to this, general maintenance including grass cutting had not taken place.
“The park is in a shocking state,” said Humphreys.
Spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) Themba Gadebe said constant sewage flow into the Gillooly’s Dam was the result of problems upstream and from Gillooly’s interchange.
“The Jukskei flows parallel to Gillooly’s but does not feed the dam,” he said.
Gadebe added that there are plans in place for the dam to be cleaned and repairs to be conducted to sewerage infrastructure for the area.
“The CoE is investigating the possibility of using natural bacteria to effectively remediate sewer spillages,” he said.
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He added that the City was in the process of developing Gillooly’s Farm into a botanical garden and the ongoing plans would include cleaning and regular maintenance of the dam.
Gadebe also said the previous tender for grass cutting had lapsed at the end of June last year.
According to information supplied by the spokesperson’s office, applications for the grass cutting tender closed on August 8, 2019, but the tender was only awarded in June this year.
When questioned as to when crucial maintenance would commence, Gadebe said: “As soon as official orders for grass cutting contractors had been received from stores (finance) and as soon as the CoE complies with government Covid-19 regulations, in order for staff to return from lockdown.
“The park will open for visitors, once it had been cleaned and the CoE complies with regulations,” he said.
The NEWS did not receive comment from the CoE’s communications department regarding the five water leaks at the park.
The future of Gillooly’s Farm
The CoE recently published their vision of establishing the city as one of the prominent municipalities in South Africa.
“As an extension to the aerotropolis strategic economic zone, city officials identified key projects such as the establishment of a university and the development of a zoological garden, a new botanical garden and a racetrack.
“Gillooly’s Farm was selected as a strategic area to host Ekurhuleni’s first botanical garden as it met the minimum requirement set out to successfully achieve this,” Gadebe said.
He added that a feasibility study was conducted.
“A master plan is underway with concept ideas, including a themed garden featuring indigenous and exotic vegetation, picnic areas, a visitors centre, conference rooms, classrooms and upgrades to restaurants and interconnected walkways,” Gadebe said.
Implementation for the plans at Gillooly’s Farm is hoped to begin in the next financial year (2021/2022).
“An important objective of the project is the conservation of local natural vegetation.
“Gillooly’s Farm provides the opportunity for showcasing endemic, indigenous and exotic vegetation and will promote the expansion of a sustainable and functional open space network.”
