The Tshwane metro is planning to spend R800m on revamping Centurion and turning it into a ‘24-hour’ city. Part of the proposal is to rid the Hennops River and Centurion Lake (landmarks in the CBD) of pollution, something environmentalists say will be no easy feat.

The plan is part of the metro’s spatial development framework aimed at stimulating economic growth, especially given Centurion’s proximity to Johannesburg and the Ekurhuleni metropolitan area.

“Centurion is currently facing a significant increase in development pressures as a result of its location,” said divisional city planning and development head Pieter Swanepoel.

Swanepoel said the plan will provide the metro with the opportunity to ‘restructure and the Centurion CBD’s urban fabric and upgrade it into a high-quality metropolitan business destination’.

The Centurion CBD covers a large area and consists of various suburbs including Lyttelton Manor, Lyttelton AH, Doringkloof, Die Hoewes, Zwartkop and Hennopspark.

According to Swanepoel, wards 57, 65, 66 and 78 will be directly impacted by the developments.

One of the key developments recommended in the proposal is the rehabilitation of the Hennops River and Centurion Lake.

The Hennops River and Centurion Lake are the precinct’s defining features and form initial focus points for the CBD development.

“Pollution, silting and flooding however currently render this feature a major liability to the CBD,” says Swanepoel.

Local environmentalist and founder of the Hennops Revival Project, Tarryn Johnston, is sceptical about the proposal.

“I do have concerns about the extra residential units,” she says.

“I don’t know how it will affect the sewage system and the effect it would have on an already serious issue.

“I am obviously all for the rehabilitation of the lake and the Hennops River; however, until there is major work done in Ekurhuleni and at the wastewater treatment plant, the unfortunate reality is that we are still going to have sewage running through our town.”

Johnston feels that the metro must come up with a better system to deal with excess waste before building new infrastructure that will place extra pressure on the existing system.

“If it were up to me, I’d invest in a system that works with the current residents in terms of waste management, separation, recycling, etc. I would let it become a norm before inviting more people to live in our town.

“We should work with what we have, make it more sustainable and grow from there.”

The main proposals in the draft include the following:

• New precinct to be built across the river and lake and will include new residential, business, medical and educational facilities.
• Educational and high-density residential: These will add to the existing Damelin and Centurion Academy facilities.
• Corporate Office Flagship, Residential, Retail: These will ensure a more diverse use of the land and will activate the area on a 24-hour cycle.
• Government: Plans include space for the development of a small government precinct which will provide all government-related services including labour and home affairs.
• Formalised public transport facility: The main goal is to reduce traffic congestion.
• Residential: Large open parking areas on the southern end of the Centurion mall adjacent to South Street are proposed to be developed.
• Pedestrian gateway: An earlier concept from 2000 imagined a ‘bazaar’ pathway between Centurion mall across the lake and connecting main routes in a single line. The initial idea was that various retail activities could take place along this pedestrian path.
• 24-hour city: This model will allow residents to use the city’s various facilities at various times of the day.

The proposed plan has received sufficient support from various government sectors and ward councillors, the metro said.

The next step will be for the metro to embark on a public participation meeting, which will commence on Saturday.