Park left for ruins
MORNINGSIDE - Residents are fed up with City Parks’ inactivity at the Outspan Bird Sanctuary and Park.
This according to Daphne Schwab, a member of Ward 103 councillor, Vincent Earp’s community forum, under the environment and infrastructure portfolio. “I am speaking on behalf of all the residents that are affected by the current condition of the park,” she said.
The park stretches from Outspan Road between the Duxberry area and Marikana Crescent in Morningside as well as through Riverclub and Bryanston. “We used to have beautifully kept lawns and dams and now due to various reasons, we have nothing short of a mess and a disgrace,” said Schwab. She is most concerned about the erosion taking place in the area. “We are headed for a disaster down the line,” she added. Schwab said the last time City Parks came to the area was in the beginning of January this year. “They came and left a mess. None of the cuttings were swept up or collected.”
Schwab also said a number of trees were at the risk of falling over and possibly damaging the property of residents. “Other trees in the park need to be scheduled for trimming as they are growing over the Valley Lodge fence and require maintenance.”
Vava Tulwana of City Parks said, “I have called the department responsible for the bird sanctuary and they will be attending to it. The gentleman dealing with cleaning the river will communicate what he will be doing from his unit, and I will follow up and provide feedback.”
City Parks’ Kobus Theunissen assured Schwab that a team of workers would be sent out to cut the grass.
Schwab said the poor condition of the park had been reported to City Parks years ago and nothing had been achieved to ensure that continuous maintenance took place at the park.
Are there any parks in your area that are not being looked after by City Parks? Tweet @Sandton_News and tell us the name of that park and where it is located #CityParksFail
In response to your front page article published on 30 April, I think that ward Councillors need to be more active in following Council’s and City Park’s processes to resolve service delivery issues.
In case residents have not noticed, unkempt parks are not the only areas that require attention. It is the verges, landscaped pavements and open areas adjacent to roads that are unkempt as well.
Tweeting to the respective ward Councillors raising these issues achieved nothing. Posing for photographs pointing out service delivery issues is not enough. Reporting, following up, exhausting the relevant process and escalating to City Parks regional management is what is required.
For all the rates that we pay, it is disgusting to see Sandton so untidy. City Parks must really be in disarray.
Buy me a lawnmower.