A TEAM tasked with the development of a wetland on Van Riebeeck Park held a meeting to set the record straight. Sanctioned by ward 66 councillor, Zoë Solomon, some residents, including the Bluff Rate Payers’ Association, were present at the gathering.
The team from the municipality’s Environmental Planning and Climate Protection (EPCP) explained how plans of development of the land came to be. The floor was then open for a question-and-answer session.
The EPCPs Greg Mullins, said when developments at the now Clairwood Logistics Park started, about six years ago, wetlands there were going to be lost.
“Developers needed to replace the wetlands somewhere and somehow. As part of that process, the ultimate outcome was an offset found on the north bank of the Tugela River, 150km North of Durban. That essentially meant that the South Durban and the Bluff areas were at an ecological deficit which was being replaced 150km outside of our boundaries and boarders,” he said.
He said with that in mind, the developers approached the EPCP with the concept of trying to create an area within the South Durban and Bluff precinct.
“Their idea was to try and at least restore or replace some of the biodiversity that was going to be lost at Clairwood. On the back of that, we then developed this VR Park project on the municipal ground. The site used to be an old domestic landfill site in years gone by.”
“Part of that project was to bring clay from the Clairwood site, place it on the property, shape, and level it to create a semi-permeable and waterlogged type of environment. The main body of which is the berms that run along the side and then dog-legs across.”
“Within that currently, is half a metre to 30cm of water and reeds. We’re very pleased with what is happening there. Linked with that is the access to the area as a resource that the people can use.”
“We’ve developed a concept plan with a layout that was done years ago, but it at least gives an idea of what we’re trying to create on the site. It includes walking paths, bird hides with a more recent evolution of the project and consultation with the previous councillor,” he said.
The plans integrate the development of the Bluff Showgrounds area and the broader Bluff region, including the golf course. Mullins said the vision for this particular site is very much nature-based, low impact, and is purely a passive type of recreational space.
“People could come and walk or perhaps even ride a bike through the park. Part of that will be the boardwalk which will loop at the edge of the berms to tie in with the bird hides. The walkway was from Cuttings Beach. The plan for it was to ultimately chop it down and have it disposed of. We saw an opportunity to use a boardwalk that was less than four years old to use it on the site to get further life out of it,” he added.
Member of the Bluff Rate Payers’ Association, Duncan du Bois, argued that a wetland cannot be created, but nature creates it instead. He further lamented that there had been a significant downpour of rain this year, yet the area was not waterlogged.”
“Ivor and I have walked here in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and this place was absolutely demolished by the payloaders that came here. So, you can’t create a wetland, nature does it. If you want a wetland, go down there, we’ve got Happy Valley.”
“The idea at the time was that you’re going to bring stormwater from Garcin Place. But, stormwater is already full of toxins and then the goal post got moved. Now I see it is a bird hide. Have you done a survey about how many people go to Happy Valley Nature Reserve to look at the birds? Have you got figures? I think you should do that because you will find that there’s no call for a bird hide,” he said.
He added that nature had reclaimed space and suggested the team go back to the drawing board. “When we walked here in those years, we could see hospital waste. If you could scavenge around here, you would find it. It is totally unsuitable for people to come and walk here.”
Chairperson of the BRA, Ivor Aylward said, “Whatever it is that you wanted to find here was killed. Then clay was dumped into the seven-metre hole. In the 1950s this was a dumpsite, I was a young boy playing here. The explanation we got was that the flora from Clairwood Racecourse was going to come here on the Bluff. Then the city came and covered the hole up. I want to know what else do you want to take from the racecourse?” he questioned.
