Tree felling at park upsets residents
"Some of these trees, if not most of them, were planted years ago."
While the upgrade of Jan Smuts Park has been welcomed by many residents, some, especially those living in the vicinity, have expressed concern about the removal of trees in the park.
In a letter to the Herald, Escombe Avenue resident Martie du Toit lamented the cutting down of the trees.
“I spoke to the contractor as soon as I noticed that a contractor was appointed and specifically asked him whether it will be necessary to remove any of the park’s old and beautiful large trees,” she wrote.
“He assured me that no trees will be removed.”
Martie explained that several smaller trees growing at the lower side of the park were removed and, on Wednesday, last week, a large, old tree growing at the entrance to the park was removed.
“We, the residents, are extremely upset about this,” noted Martie.
“Why is it at all necessary to remove these huge trees?
“Surely when the plans were made they knew about the location of each and every tree?”
Read: Litter at Brakpan Dam irks runners
DA councillor for Ward 97 in Brakpan Brandon Pretorius also objected to the removal of the trees.
“Initially it was mentioned that only a few trees would be sacrificed to ensure the progress of this project, but it has now become somewhat of a concern to residents in the area as trees are being butchered,” he said.
“Some of these trees, if not most of them, were planted years ago and carry a lot of sentimental value, as well as an environmental value.
“Noting that sacrifices needed to be made to see progress, I am sure in this instance a better plan could have been made to work around these challenges rather than removing the trees, they could have been incorporated into the project.”
Pretorius told the Herald a meeting has been arranged with the contractor to ensure more public participation going forward.
“The sad thing is that one cannot recoup the trees lost,” he said.
“They can be replaced, but years of growth have been lost.
“The municipality is, however, still clueless when it comes to the main problem.
“The hyacinth on the dam seems to not bother this ANC-led administration and to date there is no way forward with the current situation.”
Despite the ongoing hyacinth infestation at the Brakpan Dam, the City of Ekurhuleni committed to developing the park and the upgrade project started in February.
It was previously reported that the area from the Lake Restaurant to the wall bordering the parks department will be upgraded.
The new facilities will include a parking area, skatepark, basketball court, an amphitheatre, bicycle trails and paved footpaths.
Read: Development offers hope for Brakpan Dam
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