Statice Heights, Kewtown

Greening Interventions and Sustainable Livelihoods Project Statice Heights RDP Development - Kewtown, Athlone

Commencement DATE: JULY 2009

DANIDA Outcomes and Project Goals:

The Sustainable Livelihoods and Greening Programmes Unit within the Environmental Resource Management Department and Danida agreed to implement a range of greening interventions that will work towards mitigating climate change and promoting job security for vulnerable communities. This project has a strong Sustainable Livelihoods direction, focusing on integrated training and skills development modules which are supported by the City of Cape Towns EPWP – Extended Public Works Programmes. It focuses soundly on environmental conservation, enhancement and upliftment of urban communities, building capacity and providing initiatives for poverty alleviation and creating a quality of life, health and well being.

Housing Projects should embark on participatory sustainable development including landscape ecologies and urban gardens for food security in order to create a healthy, non-toxic environment through the elimination or careful and managed use of the exterior environment. Landscaping in the form of indigenous ground covers, shrubs and trees will help to reduce pollutants causing ozone depletion and global warming plus will aid in soil stabilisation and flood control.

Interdependencies

Interdependencies with this project exist with; the Ward Councilors of Athlone , The Statice Heights Community Forum, City Departments such as Environmental Resources Management, Housing, Social Development, City Parks, Waste and Water Management and the Service Provider – the Non Profit Organisation, Green Communities. All interventions are fostering and promoting the IDP – the Integrated Development Plan of the City of Cape Town as well as their Urban Environmental Renewal policies.

The Scope of Work

The City of Cape Town Housing Directorate and the Environmental Resource Management Department is supporting this environmental greening initiative as part of the completion of the Kewtown housing project, by means of a greening programme. The greening interventions are focusing on providing resources with a view to renewing and restoring the natural indigenous environment within and around the low cost housing project in Kewtown. This will lead to an improved quality of life, health and wellbeing, improved aesthetics of the area, reduced heat island effect, and flood control measures.

The action plan for this carbon offset project includes efforts to tackle climate change. Cape Town is experiencing hotter, drier summers and wetter winters. Well maintained green open spaces play a role in flood management and natural drainage, reduction of pollution, conservation of biodiversity, and will counteract the “urban heat island effect,” whilst shade from vegetation and trees will provide relief from hotter weather.

The promotion of cultural environmental awareness, income generation and informal job opportunities are key elements which the City of Cape Town hopes to promote statutory change to the local, provincial and national government legislature. This will include greening principles and actions into all housing projects in the future. This initiative is the first of its kind in South Africa and the City of Cape Town will be sharing their methodology with the other municipalities who are currently delivering human settlements in their regions.

The Community has readily embraced the home gardens and it has instilled a sense of pride in the neighbourhood

Students from America and South America visiting the development to learn more about “the Best Practice” greening interventions programmes for low cost housing in Cape Town

The greening interventions and skill development programmes to date have included;

Water conservation - Water-wise planting
Energy - Passive solar – trees
Propagation Programme – the community are now growing their own plants
Greening - the delivery of Home Gardens, and the surrounding areas
A Peace Garden
A shaded area for propagation
Latte fencing
Paving
Organic composting facility.
Stone masonry and fencing programme
A worm farm
2 x Vegi – tunnels providing Food Security for the community
Waste Management and recycling programmes
Soil Stabilisation of the surrounding areas through planting programmes.
Skills development and knowledge transfer in all the above

It is important that our Housing projects in Cape Town develop local planting strategies in the harsh, sandy conditions of the Cape Flats. In this way the City will be protecting and conserving biodiversity.

Volunteers from the community building a waterproofing shaded area for the organic composting and worm farm.	The Peace Garden was delivered by members from the City, Corporate Companies and the Community.
	The beginnings of the urban Vegetable Garden. Tunnels have been erected by volunteers in the community where the plants are flourishing and will bring food security to the households in Statice Heights

Still to be implemented . . .

A Community Park featuring a nature trail with various water wise plants and dynamic groups of fynbos and succulents. A sustainable livelihoods project is currently being set up to employ community members to manufacture outdoor park and gym equipment to be used in this park and others across the Cape Flats.
A recycling and waste management cooperative is well under way in conjunction EPWP, Red Door, Waste Plan and the DTI and will be launched once the Business Plan has been approved – April is our expected commencement date. The whole of the greater Athlone area will benefit and our aim is to 1) create employment 2) to generate an income for the community to fund a badly needed crèche, sports club and sports fields.
Additionally 10 members of the community have been put through an accredited plumbing and solar water heating installation and maintenance training programme. The City of Cape Town won the prize as the cleanest City in South Africa and the sponsors of this prestigious award, DEAT (Department of Environment and Tourism) have elected that every house (236) in Statice Heights will receive solar water heaters. There will be full time employment for a period of 6 months for 12 of the Statice Heights community members. The project commences on the 22nd February 2010
A Co operative is currently being formed with community members and the land to the left of the entrance will become a propagation nursery and plants will be sold to the public plus it will be used to continue to beautify the Statice Heights Development and the surrounding areas. This project will be monitored by the EPWP (Public Works) of the City of Cape Town and Province. This will also be partially sponsored by Rotary Claremont and the DTI.

This pilot project in Statice Heights Kewtown is situated approximately 15 kilometres from Cape Town’s CBD. In March 2008, construction started on this housing project which will eventually realize a total of 236 houses for beneficiaries who qualify for the National Housing Subsidy programme. The housing subsidy allocation is not sufficient to address any greening initiatives within this development or any other of this kind in South Africa.

Click the map for an expanded view

The plant and tree storage facility – ready to be planted by the community	Tools were donated to the community by Rotary Claremont
The young boys in the community assisting the homeowners who are unable to plant their own gardens

The Green Communities Team & the permanent Statice Heights Volunteers Ricardo who is 3 has been part of the team since inception >>>
The Peace Garden is used by the community for growing herbs which are used to flavour their traditional dishes – coriander, chilli, basil, parsley, rosemary and thyme	Propagation The community are now growing their own plants and most households have chilli, cauliflower and tomatoes growing in their home gardens. 3 nursery tunnels will be installed shortly.

The Food Gardens have recently been installed and it will feed 236 households -
the elderly and children will have priority and the balance will be run by the Statice Heights Cooperative Gardeners Association for sale to the community and surrounding areas.