The Garsfontein Secura Park initiative started during 2001, when a group of concerned residents started looking into the possibility of closing the Garsfontein area. Final approval for the project was obtained from the Council on 30 May 2002. This was followed by a media notification to determine whether there was any public objection to proceed with the project. The re-application has been submitted to the Council and is currently under review. The Garsfontein Secura Park Directors have all faith that the application will be re-approved.

GARSFONTEIN SECURAPARK

Security Closure

The Garsfontein Secura Park initiative started during 2001, when a group of concerned residents started looking into the possibility of closing the Garsfontein area. Final approval for the project was obtained from the Council on 30 May 2002. This was followed by a media notification to determine whether there was any public objection to proceed with the project. The re-application has been submitted to the Council and is currently under review. The Garsfontein Secura Park Directors have all faith that the application will be re-approved.

GSP FRIENDS OF THE SPRUIT

CURRRENT AFFAIRS

It is with pleasure that I can tell you that at last something positive is to be done about the maintenance and improvement of the Moreleta Spruit from its source right to the Roodeplaat Dam.

The Department of Water Affairs has initiated a project called Adopt-a-River and those who hold the Moreleta Spruit dear to their hearts had their first working group session last month. The feedback of this meeting are attached in the nature conservation section for your information.

On Thursday 3rd of November the second work session were held and Bill Gunnel have been accepted as the GSP representative on the four-member forum to plan the way ahead. We will be asking for other people to volunteer their services on this working forum, and should you be interested in playing a part in ensuring that our spruit area gets the attention that it needs, you are invited to attend the 3rd work session on November 29th at 15h00 to be held at the Silverton Recreational Centre in Pretoria Rd, Silverton. If you don’t know how to get there, please phone Bill on 0823261152 or 012 9983595 and he will give you directions.

Bill invite all residents of GSP to join the GSP Friends of The Spruit, at this stage there will be no entrance fee, but as time progresses and the project unfolds it might be necessary to consider this step. So get in early and stake your claim to be one of the initiators.

Interested residents can e-mail Bill at techspec.cc@mweb.co.za. Please give your full names, address, e-mail address and telephone numbers.

Long live the spruit.

Bill Gunnell
Director Nature Conservation
Garsfontein Secura Park

Membership Fees:

Please take note that the GSP Membership fees will increase from R250.00 p.m to R290.00 p.m. as from the 1st of January 2012. This was approved at the Annual General Meeting held on 17 September 2011. It is still a small fee to pay for the safety and security we enjoy.

Please encourage the non-paying members to also contribute as this helps to keep the fees low. We are currently at 83% contribution rate, this is a drop of 2% from our previous high of 85%, but 100% would be great.

Membership Fees:

ADOPT-A-RIVER PROGRAMME FOR THE MORELETA SPRUIT

The Adopt-a-River programme was initiated by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) as a means of creating awareness among communities and relevant stakeholders of the need to care for South Africa’s scarce water resources and to actively become involved in the protection and management of our water resources.

Interest-groups along the Moreleta Spruit have been actively involved with rehabilitation and caring of the Spruit on a voluntary basis. This group of concerned citizens approached the DWA and expressed a desire at a public meeting held on 8 December 2010 to adopt the Moreleta Spruit as part of the DWA’s Adopt-a-River initiative. Subsequently, the Gauteng Region of the DWA has allocated some funds to initiate the development of a Master Environmental Management Plan for the Moreleta Spruit as part of its Adopt-a-River Program, to ensure that efforts from various stakeholders and Government institutions are co-ordinated.

The project will be implemented in phases and Phase I of the proposed project will include the following:

 Establishment of a Moreleta Spruit Adopt-a-River Forum;

 A situational analysis of the Moreleta Spruit; and

 Compilation of a high level action plan.

Special attention will be given to involving schools and other learning institutions and in particular previously disadvantaged communities situated along the river course, in the programme. One of the principles of the programme is the engagement and active participation of community interest groups, including volunteers, volunteer groups and residents in the protection, management and monitoring of water resources.

Important milestones for Phase I of the project

Work Session I, 4 October 2011: at this work session, the project will be discussed in general and a broader stakeholder base identified. The Moreleta Adopt-a-River Forum structure and election process will be defined. Technical information will also be requested from available sources.

Public inputs, 18 October 2011: technical information that is readily available concerning the Moreleta Spruit, will be gathered from the public and relevant stakeholders.

Work Session II, 27 October 2011: the election, structure and strategy of the Forum will be finalised during this work session. The established Forum will also provide inputs towards a communications strategy that will be developed.

Present gaps and action plan, 29 November 2011: the gaps identified, draft action plan and communication strategy will be presented to the established Forum for inputs.

You will find more information when you select the NATURE CONSERVATION button below

On this page you will find the following:

Link: Adopt-a-River Announcement

Link: Adopt-a-River Background

Link: Adopt-a-River Entry Form

Link: Adopt-a-River Invite

Link: Adopt-a-River Uitnodiging

Link: Adopt-a-River Feedback 04/10/2011

Link: Adopt-a-River Feedback Letter

Advetisement space for rent. Contact the webadministrator at www.garsfontein@gmail.com