CITY of Johannesburg was presented with the 2015 Arbor City Award by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in Durban, on Thursday September 3, as part of the country’s National Arbor Week celebrations.
The City of Johannesburg competed against seven other municipalities including Cape Town, Tshwane and Ethekwini. Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development in Johannesburg, Councillor Chris Vondo, was on hand to receive the award and stated that, “the Arbor City Award was the highest acknowledgement of greening in the country”.
Greening strategies are underpinned by the Johannesburg 2040 vision to build a green, liveable, resilient and economically-viable powerhouse to enhance the quality of life for all its residents.
Clr Vondo also paid tribute to Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, green conscious businesses, the media, NGOs and the residents who have supported the green call to action. Adding, that he accepted the award on behalf of, “committed and passionate individuals and the birds, bees and trees who have no voice”. He also committed the City of Joburg to continuing its quest to explore new innovations, diligently interrogate the developmental agenda, aggressively work towards bridging the green-divide and to consistently strive to build a citizenry that takes pride and ownership of its environment.
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, the custodians of the City’s ecology, has planted over 300 000 trees since 2010, transformed landfill sites into world class parks, developed over 50 community-based food gardens, beautified key arterials in the city, installed 22 outdoor gyms and planted 6000 fruit trees in this financial year.
