Nick Wilson

Property Correspondent

AN ENVIRONMENTAL group has raised concern that the planned private golf course and residential development at Huddle Park in Linksfield could cause flooding in Alexandra township.

Paul Fairall, environmental consultant and chairman of environmental organisation the Jukskei Forum, said last week that the area where the 170ha public golf course was situated was a "wetland", absorbing water from surrounding areas.

"Huddle Park is a massive wetland and shouldn’t be built on at all. We throw concrete there to our own detriment," said Fairall.

He said the Huddle Park area absorbed the storm water run off from suburbs such as Orange Grove, Observatory, Sandringham, Sydenham and Linksfield.

Any development at Huddle Park would cause the Jukskei River, which lies downstream from Huddle Park, to flood during heavy rains and would worsen flooding in Alexandra, he said.

The City of Johannesburg said in February last year the Islandsite consortium was the preferred bidder for the conversion of Huddle Park into a private golf course and residential development.

Investigative magazine noseweek has estimated the value of the Huddle Park project at R1,6bn.

Islandsite’s proposal includes a residential development, office facilities and private golf course at Huddle Park.

Painting a more dramatic picture, Fairall said flood water could also unearth dormant diseases such as anthrax and smallpox.

He said there were about 7000 unmarked graves situated on the grounds of Sizwe Hospital, formerly the Rietfontein Hospital, which is situated downstream from Huddle Park.

The Jukskei River flows into the Rietfontein grounds.

He said the graves, some of which dated back to 1895, contained the remains of people who had died from diseases such as smallpox and anthrax.

These diseases remained dormant, he said, as their spores lived in protein capsules for unlimited time periods.

City of Johannesburg spokesman Nthatisi Modingoane would not comment on whether there were unmarked graves in the area.

He said the city and Islandsite were conducting "numerous" studies, including an environmental impact assessment that would develop an "informed" approach to the project.

David Lindley, manager of the Mondi Wetlands Project, an environmental nongovernmental body, said he could not comment on whether Huddle Park was a wetland because he had not been to the area before.