How will the K44 and the PWV 3 affect me?

 New roads and highways planned through natural areas in the north-west of Gauteng are a concern to landowners.  A major threat to Riverside Estates (RSE), the western part of the Conservancy, is the planned PWV3, the main route from Johannesburg to Rustenburg, Pilanesberg and the platinum mines in North-west Province.  This would slice through the Oori Game Reserve, cutting it in two.

In addition, the K44, which links the R511 (Hennops River road) and the R512 (Broederstroom road) would cut through Doornrandje and Roodekrans and link up to the Winsome Valley Road in RSE. 
However, a Gautrans official told the Conservancy that the K44, while still on the planning boards, was unlikely to be built “in the next 20 years”. The PWV3, on the other hand, is a far more immediate threat.

At a meeting organised by RSE resident, Steve Panos, at the SOS Training Village on 24 May, the most immediate issue was the proposed plan for relocating the Winsome Valley Road entrance from its present dangerous position on a blind rise (on the R512) to align with the planned link of the K44 with the R512.  This would move the RSE entrance further north into Mountainview Estate, which is itself currently proposing a major development. 

A second option for a new entrance road was via a servitude over Brooklands Farm. However, Jurgens Weidemann of the consulting firm involved in the planning, Aurecon Group, said the preferred entrance is via Mountainview Estate as the Brooklands servitude is in “an even more dangerous position, with horizontal sight distances to both sides of less than 100m.”

Steve Panos, Anthony Duigan, Mercia Komen and Bob Garbett were elected to monitor the issue.  After some discussions, Mercia summed up the general view.  “The best use of our energy is to concentrate on establishing 'the sense of place' for the Oori and indeed the whole of the RNC.”  She concluded:  “By this I mean lobbying and working to bring about a proclaimed natural area/nature reserve that defines the whole of the RNC within the Magaliesberg Biosphere and the Cradle buffer as a unique zone and destination.”

 
Development Tribunal to decide on Mountainview Estate

This 430ha property, wedged between Kalkheuvel and the Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy, has applied for rezoning from “Agricultural” to “Residential” and “Special” in terms of the Development Facilitation Act (DFA). The application also is for permission to establish a township of 87 stands

The application will come before a North-West Development Tribunal on 15 July.  Several surrounding landowers have registered as Interested & Affected Parties (I&APs) as has the RNC.  Anyone can attend these hearings but only I&APs are allowed to comment or object.

The development includes an airfield that will accommodate aircraft for the 86 planned homeowners, but its application has been excluded from the Tribunal hearing.  The RNC's submission has been prepared by Mercia Komen and raises the following issues:

A significant change to land-use in a natural area, like that within which Mountainview Estate (MVE) is located, creates a precedent.  And a development of 86 homes, a conference centre and all the ancillary facilities will be an anomaly, changing irrevocably the “sense of place” in a natural and sparsely populated conservation landscape.

It will be another example of leapfrog development, similar to the Blair Atholl Golf Estate, which was granted provincial approval under strict conditions and with a warning that such leapfrog development should not be regarded as a precedent.

The proposed development will be in a zone designated by both Tshwane Municipality and Madibeng Local Authority as a “natural area” of moderate to high sensitivity that should be protected.

There are no indications in the plans submitted by MVE that viable alternatives have been considered for the use of the land.  And, the site’s most attractive areas - which coincide with the sensitive areas - have been selected for the residential development.

The proposed airfield should be included in the Tribunal hearing, in the interests of integrated planning and the sensitivity of the area, being in both the proposed Cradle of Humankind buffer and the planned Magaliesberg Biosphere.

 
Diepsloot Nature Reserve: deproclamation

The City of Joburg intends deproclaiming a portion of the Diepsloot Nature Reserve (DNR), south of the R114, in order to establish a mixed-income housing, commercial and business development.  Between 8 000 and 12 000 housing units are envisaged.  A meeting at Heronbridge College on 31 May, called by the consultants for the development and attended by about 80 people mainly from Diepsloot, Dainfern and the RNC, raised many issues around the process.

This was the first of what will be several public participation meetings on the proposed development, which includes the southern part of the DNR and, more controversially, a large portion of the area between the R114 and the N14 highway.  Should the development include this northern area, it will destroy the operational hub of Northern Farm, including the offices, the bull station, laboratory and workshops and the Northern Farm Recreational Users Group facilities and clubhouse.

The RNC is registered as an I&AP and will oppose the development taking over this northern section of the DNR.  The RNC has also written to the Gauteng MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms Nandi Mayethula-Khoza, suggesting that her department consider taking over the farming operation as a centre for training emerging farmers in Gauteng.