Northern Farm under threat

[100Tours]

Just received this from the Rhenosterspruit Conservancy folks. Not good news.

- -

The future of Northern Farm, bordering the Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy, hangs in the balance. Joburg Water has given notice that all farming activities must be terminated within the next few months. That involves selling the 2 000-strong herd of Bovelder cattle, all the farm equipment, including nine centre pivots and other irrigation systems which presently irrigate 350 hectares of grazing, mealies and other crops. Some 70 contract staff are being laid off.

 

The reason given is that farming is not part of Joburg Water's core business. Joburg Municipality is touted to take over but it is unclear how Northern Farm will be utilised in future. About 20 megalitres of water from Northern Works' sewage treatment plant are presently circulated through the farm's dams before flowing into the Jukskei River. A major issue is what happens to these dams, wetlands, water courses and extensive irrigation systems through which this water flows, without regular upkeep.

 

Notice has also been posted for an application to deproclaim the Diepsloot Nature Reserve which was proclaimed in 1960. This nature reserve includes both Northern Farm and Northern Works, on both sides of the R114 and the N14. There is also an application for a major housing development south of the N14 highway. The public has until March 18 to put in comments on both these applications. Send comments to Samantha Bush of Nemai Consulting: samanthab@nemai.co.za. Ask to be registered as an Interested & Affected Party (I&AP) to ensure you are kept updated.

 

Apart from agriculture the farm's open spaces and trails are enjoyed over weekends by thousands of mountain bikers, birdwatchers, hikers and horse riders. About 300 birds have been identified on the reserve which is part of SA Birdlife's birding route. A full Olympic standard equestrian course is used for annual shows.

[Mojoman]

Ja, another stupid move by the powers that be,... Mojoman2010-02-26 04:58:25

[Danger Dassie]

Ok, so now we need to pull finger and send our protests/comments in.

 

 

 

"The public has until March 18 to put in comments on both these applications. Send comments to Samantha Bush of Nemai Consulting: samanthab@nemai.co.za. Ask to be registered as an Interested & Affected Party (I&AP) to ensure you are kept updated."

 

 

 

Shot GTIC

 

 

[kosmonooit]

No doubt some scheming property developres are greasing palms ... NO DOUBT

The public can and must put a stop to the destruction of our natural heritage and open public spaces!

[ukethi]

http://architectafrica.com/Cradle-City

 

http://www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article.aspx?ArticleId=1518-2386-2401_2472087

[AdriFerrari]

Dont like the sound of this.

Was thinking during this past weekend's ride that: "This place is too good to be true." Will they really allow the workaholics a playground over weekends....?

 

[doreen]

The article appears in this week's Fourways Review... please comment on the reserve's de-procolamation and the housing development by emailing samanthab@nemai.co.za... i started a petition on w

www.thepetitionsite.com/1/northern-farm

clipped from Google - 3/2010

[AdriFerrari]

Oke, signed the petition... just wondering how it gets presented to the right people at the end... and with it being an international petition site?

Thanks for taking the initiative

 

[Ysterman]

Bloody Idiots !!! <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

They stand to make a moer of a fortune by selling everything - just to go piss it away on nothing, parties, booze, cars, and hell knows what else that doesn?t add any value to the city

 

I don?t ride their very often, but we need green areas like NF desperately ? there isn?t enough!

 

Will it help to get one of the opposition political parties involved to help fight this?

 

Signed petition & as I&AP

[Trackz]

Old takkie gents. You can sign all the petitions you want, unless you find some endangered species or insect or plant that cannot be resettled, you're wasting your time. As per the controversial arms deal this is fill the pockets time for the officials so nothing will stop that.

 

Best chance of retaining a riding area is to go speak to the developers and ask them to be "green" and design some cycling tracks into their development. Putting pressure on them by attacking them on a green topic could be bad publicity if they do not incorporate such into their planning. If you really want to play dirty ... rather go lobby with the Government Department (DACEL?) that has to approve their environmental impact study ... they've got teeth!

[Weight Weenie]

I signed, hope it helps, need to go ride there before I can't anymore

[doreen]

i have advised samanthab... who we were told to contact of the petition site and will forward the petitions to her...

I have also sent the link to Birdlife South Africa as I know they do walks there as well... have to start somewhere..

[Rob22]

I have signed the petition and sent it on - I encourage all other Hubber's to sign and pass on to all cyclists.

 

NF is a great place to ride and I would really hate to see this go

[doreen]

was at the farm to ride again this morning and its just such a beautiful place.. how many places so close to Jhb city are there still monkeys in the trees... and the ponds with the ducks and the geese... all the magnificent trees and bird life... so not only the cycling but everything else... it will be so sad to see it taken away

[Dibles]

I have just received this email:

 

"

There has been much speculation about the future of Northern Farm of late.

As the Northern Farm Recreational User Group, we are obviously concerned about the situation but would like to put issues in perspective.

Firstly, contrary to the e mails doing the rounds at present, it is only the southern side of the nature reserve for which deproclamation has been applied, not the whole nature reserve as reported.

Whilst we have an environmentalist conducting an investigation into the existence of any environmentally sensitive areas within the intended area for deproclamation, we point out that this area, south of the freeway and predominantly south of the R114, has in any event been occupied by the sewerage works and overflow of residents from Diepsloot and is not used by the recreational or environmental groups in any form or fashion.

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NFRUG has registered as an interested party and lodged a document recording our activities and use of the club house area south of the freeway but north of the R114. We shall continue to participate in the process of deproclamation in order to protect the interests of the user group.

 

On the question of Johannesburg Water stopping farming activity we are again concerned about the impact that this will have on the farm and of course its recreational use. We have engaged with Johannesburg Water, and are engaging with Johannesburg Property Company to establish their intentions and ensure that the user groups interests are protected.

This will be a long process and we see no merit in signing petitions or protesting until such time as we have established that there is in fact a need to protest.

 

We shall keep the user group posted on developments and request that all interested parties register for the newsletter on the Northern Farm website in order to facilitate ease of communication.

 

Regards

Simon Nash"

[topa]

I've contacted this Samantha. Where do I get the petition quickly? I have lots of friends that we can forward it to! Please can you send it to me directly pamina@valverde.co.za