The DA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is appalled by information suggesting that the prime Virginia Nature Reserve, north of Durban, may be partially developed for luxury housing and is committed to fighting the proposal at every level of government.
Nestled between Durban North and La Lucia, Virginia has for decades remained a safe refuge for small mammals and has served as a unique ecosystem in an urban environment. The reserve also serves as a green lung for the community and hosts hikers and nature enthusiasts on a daily basis.
Documents now indicate developers have made a proposal to forever change the region with a proposed housing estate on a substantial portion of the reserve.
The veracity of these developmental proposals will be subject to parliamentary questions by the DA, to ascertain the role of provincial and national government in the initial application processes.
The DA is strongly opposed to the proposals for a number of reasons, not least of which is the already unstable land within the reserve which is prone to washaways. Further, the destruction of decades old trees and destabilisation of a protected area will not be tolerated.
How developers expect to procure, develop and gain environmental authorisation is beyond comprehension.
The reserve is also protected under the Durban Metropolitan Open Spaces system (DMOSS), and further subject to council standing regulations that determine how council land is disposed of.
This must be followed by a rigorous Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process that would be fully subject to public and DA scrutiny and opposition.
The ANC-run eThekwini metro and province has, for decades, allowed developers to systematically grab play lots, open spaces and protected areas for housing developments.
This grand scheme of unsustainable development has played out in even the remotest parts of KZN, with mining steadily encroaching on the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park.
This cannot continue – and the DA will at each turn oppose such ludicrous developmental plans. The time has come to draw a line in the sand and for KZN’s communities to stand together in protecting our natural resources.