An aerial view of the Table Bay Nature Reserve where a fence will be built along a portion of the Rietvlei section.
A plan to fence a section of the Table Bay Nature Reserve has drawn a mixed response from the public.
The budget to build a fence along part of the reserve’s Rietvlei section has been granted, according to the City.
The City aimed to finish the job by April next year, said Eddie Andrews, mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment.
The fence would help to prevent land invasions and the starting of fires in the reserve that threatened wildlife and nearby homes, he said.
The plan has the nod from Table View Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association chairwoman Mandy da Matta.
“A few months ago, we had a massive fire caused by homeless people living in and around the place. So what other alternative does the City have but defend the area?” she said.
David Ayers, the head of planning and biodiversity for the Greater Table View Action Forum, said that while the fence would deter those who abused the reserve, it would also be an inconvenience to those who didn’t.
National legislation, he noted, demanded that all nature reserves were fenced, but it didn’t always happen.
However, not everyone is happy with the plan, and a petition opposing it has so far drawn 270 signatures.
The woman who started the petition, Janni Leo, declined to comment until she had met with other concerned residents this week, but the petition says the fence will block all public access to the Rietvlei section of the reserve.
The City, however, denies this. Mr Andrews said the public would still have access to the Rietvlei section to enjoy recreational activities.
“The City will be allowing a 10 to 30-metre buffer area alongside the fenced-off Rietvlei section of the reserve to allow ample space for residents to walk their dogs,” he said.
Building the fence, Mr Andrews said, was in accordance with the City’s Nature Reserve By-Law, 2020, and the National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act, 2003.