Sign petition to help save the grasslands
Upper Highway conservancies appeal to Durban residents to sign a petition and support the protection of the grasslands for current and future generations.
THE Everton, Kloof and Gillitts Conservancies have, in partnership with the eThekwini Municipality’s Biodiversity Management Department (BMD), appealed for residents to sign a petition and save the grasslands.
The target is to get 2 000 signatures. On Monday, September 4, 1 676 had signed the petition.
The conservancies, with the City, have maintained three grasslands in the Upper Highway for more than 10 years.
Chairman of the Kloof Conservancy Paolo Candotti said the conservancies have spent thousands of rands and thousands of hours of dedicated physical work annually converting these invasive-alien-plant-infested, derelict and degraded properties into stunning grasslands which are rich in biodiversity and of enormous benefit to residents as open green spaces.
The three grasslands are situated in Gillitts, Everton and Kloof.
Also read: Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – Golden-tailed Woodpecker
According to Candotti, the three grasslands are owned by the KZN Department of Public Works (DPW) and are Zoned as ‘Educational’.
He said that in 2017, the conservancies requested BMD to engage with DPW to have the ownership of the properties transferred to the municipality with the undertaking that once transferred, the properties would be rezoned for Conservation and protected from development.
“The negotiations included a fourth property known as the Padfield Park Grassland in Pinetown. The negotiations between BDM and DPW have dragged on interminably, and recently, the DPW advised that they ‘are not in a position to dispose or conclude on any agreements on the above-mentioned properties due to the finalisation of their Utilisation of Immovable Asset strategy’.
“In the interim, despite DPW stating that they could not conclude any agreements, we have unconfirmed reports that DPW ‘donated’ the Padfield Park Grassland to a third party without any consultation or discussion with BDM or Padfield Park residents. We also have unconfirmed reports that the third party intends to develop the property.”
He added that this unprecedented action by DPW has raised very serious concerns with regard to the future of the three properties mentioned above.
Candotti urged the Gillitts, Everton and Kloof Conservancies collectively to urge all residents of Durban to sign this petition and support the protection of the grasslands for current and future generations.
To sign the petition, click on the link:
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