- A new outdoor gym and play park have been established at Quarry Park in University Estate.
- Quarry Park was formerly an illegal dumping ground and has now been revamped into a community space.
- Initiated with R150,000 from Ward 57, the project is a collaboration with the University Estate Residents’ Association.
A new outside gym and play park have been installed at the Quarry in University Estate.
The site, which was previously used as an illegal dumping ground, now provides a space for young and old to enjoy.
Yusuf Mohamed, Ward 57 councillor, explained that R150 000 from his ward allocation went to the project.
“This is a community project. Members of the University Estate Residents’ Association came up with the concept designs for the site. It is a public open space which we thought had potential because it’s such a large space. With assistance from the association, we decided to make it an asset for the community.”
Future
According to Mohamed, this is the first phase of a three-year project in conjunction with the University Estate Residents’ Association.
“In the last three months, they started the installation process of the gym equipment and the play equipment at the top of the quarry site. We are doing it over a three-year period. The next financial year, starting 1 July, we will look at the second phase.”
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He said he is in discussion with the members of the University Estate Association to decide which part of the quarry they will upgrade next.
“The additional works will include a pathway and a potential bicycle track on the site.”
Mohamed added the time frames for this have not been decided yet. He encouraged people to take pride in the site
“The quarry site was a place where people walked their dogs. One of the issues that we’ve been having is people dumping their household refuse in the park and we have asked the residents there to be more vigilant on the site and to report any illegal dumping. We will also be adding some extra bins to the park.”
‘Welcome change’
Dr Barlodien Kotze, chair of the University Estate Residents’ Association, said this is a welcome change at the park.
“Since joining the committee, our ongoing focus has been the enhancement of Quarry Park. Initially, there were agreements in place to maintain and improve the park, which, unfortunately, were not honoured post-construction. Seeing that progress on these commitments had stalled, we chose to take proactive measures. We collaborated with our ward councillor and developed a three-year plan to upgrade Quarry Park to make it more beneficial for our neighbourhood.
“We welcome and encourage contributions from all adjacent businesses to help make the park an even better place for our community.”
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Kotze said the changes to the quarry are a significant step towards curbing illegal activities and transforming the area into a “vibrant community space.”
“The more a park is used and appreciated by the community, the less it attracts illegal activities.
“We are fortunate that our community actively uses the MySmartCity app to report any illegal activities.”
She added that they look forward to the further developments of the park.
“We are excited to see our vision for Quarry Park come to life over the next three years. The plans include the development of pathways, installation of dog waste bins, and planting of easy-to-maintain vegetation. Ultimately, we aim to create a mountain bike track as the final phase of our project. This comprehensive plan will enhance the park’s usability and make it a valuable asset to our neighbourhood.”
