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OPINION: BCC public participation meeting could become a battleground

Logan Green, sports journalist, writes:

August 8, 2016

Logan Green 3 minutes read

If you have followed some of my recent blogs you would know that I have mentioned before that my golfing skills are about as useful as Jacob Zuma in a higher grade mathematics class.

Although I have never been adept with club in hand I have always been a massive fan of the Benoni Country Club (BCC) and of what it stands for in our community.

Heck, it’s not only about golf at BCC.

There’s so much more to this historic and beautiful old club.

Squash, lawn bowling, tennis, a mountain bike trail, socials, Rotary club meetings, children’s play areas, weddings, ice cold craft brews and, and, and …

I am pretty sure that the majority of Benonians have an interesting tale to share from an event or two at BCC.

Let’s not forget the natural serenity provided by the wooded park and the various critters that call it home either.

When it was revealed that the Ekurhuleni metro had identified the land as a Strategic Land Parcel and issued a termination of lease notice to the club’s executive in December, last year my heart sank into the pit of my stomach.

Really?

Sure, it is a massive story for a community reporter, but, as a born and bred Benonian, the reality quickly dawned on me that this stalwart facility, a family facility, is under immense threat from a residential development that would forever change the landscape of a 110-year-old place.

READ: Development threatens Benoni Country Club’s existence

When the notice of termination of lease agreement was withdrawn in March by the metro there was much relief, although we all knew that this would only be temporary.

As a journalist, of course, getting all the sides of the story is the responsible and ethical to do; however, red tape greets you pretty much wherever you turn.

Spin doctors tell you one thing and then some other outcome transpires and leaves you scratching your head and asking yourself “What now?”

What we do know for certain is that the council, in July, passed an item at their monthly meeting to initiate a public process to determine the community’s opinion towards the proposed development or sale of the land on which BCC is situated – a market value of R48 870 000 (a steal for any prospective developer).

This public participation meeting will take place on the night of Wednesday, August 17 at 7pm at the country club.

BCC, at its July AGM, adopted the slogan “Home to Benoni’s community”.

Will Benonians come out in their numbers to throw their weight behind their “home”?

Will a large public turnout and intensified pressure from the community force the municipality’s hand?

Will the metro shrug off the anticipated mass objections from the public?

It remains to be seen.

At the end of the day, however, the land is council-owned, and essentially belongs to the community.

You therefore have a voice!

We Benonians love talking a big game when it comes to the uniquely Benonian things that we cherish and adore in our town and now we are faced with losing a “green lung” within one of our suburbs.

Perhaps the time to stand up and be counted has arrived.

Meanwhile, an online petition (www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-bcc) has been created and is doing the rounds on social media.

Judging from the comments section of that petition the people are certainly not amused.

I believe that August 17 is going to be a showdown between the public and the metro.

Will you be there?

Check out some blogs from this writer:

Transformation in sport? Get real!

Things I learned in the Kingdom of the Zulu and at Comrades (by a guy who didn’t run the Comrades)

Things I learned in the Fair Cape

Go, on be a sport

Allen’s talk hit for me six

“LG’s A to Z of Benoni”