In December, the community living near the corner of Hillcrest Drive and Coad Road in Beacon Bay launched the Park to Peak recreation trails.
The cycling and hiking trails, which will see the untended land being maintained, not only provide for recreation but are also aimed at tackling vagrancy and increased crime in the area.
Ward councillor for the area, Frederick Pohl, said: “People in Mopani Road were complaining about criminals and vagrants and people dumping and so we walked around in the area and found two shacks there already.
“It doesn’t help that we have unused open spaces because they become spots for squatting and potential criminality.
“In fact, when the community went into the bush to look they found three wallets that had been thrown there, so it was starting to become a cause for concern in terms of criminality.
“The department of solid waste management helped a lot with clearing the bush and the donations for the garden and jungle gym came from the community, with residents such as Sharon Dewing starting a vegetable garden, so it was a team effort.
“We have a problem with Buffalo City Metro as the pothole-filling team sometimes arrives for work and there is no tar for them and so no work can be done.
“I want to try involve them in maintenance of the park with bush clearing and so forth and this will ensure we are not wasting public money. “
The long-term vision is to create links with trails in other areas with open spaces.
Pohl hopes the routes will also include gym infrastructure.
The municipality will assist with bush clearing of invasive trees and marking indigenous trees and plants to educate hikers about the area’s flora.
Pohl said while vagrancy was a concern, without shelters for homeless people it was difficult to provide alternative housing for them.
His office will be working with local NGOs this year on how to address vagrancy, however, he believes the problem needs to be attended to at provincial level.
