Lifestyle
Little Falls has two unique recreational areas for residents to use - the Park on Horseshoe Avenue, and the mountain walking trail with its entrance on Witwatersrand Road.
Walking trails
LIFCO has mapped four hiking trails along the mountain, ranging from 1.5km to 4.5km.
Lakes Park, Horseshoe Avenue
In the heart of Little Falls lies a beautiful lake which water source originates from a mountain spring. This lake and park has been “adopted” by the residents of Little Falls and Strubensvalley in association with The City of Johannesburg.
Over the past few years, the area had unfortunately deteriorated by way of maintenance and upkeep as well as erosion and collapse of the dam wall. The lake itself had become overgrown with reeds and had become completely silted. Many invasive plant species have also overtaken the area, which could at some stage, become a threat to the natural wetland area.
In 2021, a few passionate residents from Little Falls and Strubensvalley banded together to create a community group which set out to restore the condition of the dam and of The Lakes Park, transforming it back to its former glory.
Environmental Goals
Our goal is to turn the mountain and greenbelt area, from Cascades Road up to Christiaan de Wet Road, together with the mountain, into an exclusive, secure park that can be utilised by all the residents in Strubensvalley and Little Falls.
We suggest that a initiative, “LIFCO Men at Work” be initiated. We want to employ at least two fulltime workers to enable us to clean and maintain all of our open spaces. In future If you see a worker in LIFCO clothing, know he is one of your employees!
A big thank you to BCI for their continued assistance in the following operations:
- Regular patrols in the mountain
- Opening and closing the gates in The Lakes Park and also on Christian De Wet. In future the gate in the proposed security fence on Witwatersrand Street will also have to be opened and closed.
We have to ensure we protect our abundant wildlife (including the birds) by:
- Maintaining and securing the park area, greenbelt and mountain.
- Repairing the dam wall. Because of the diversity of the dam and the area feeding into it, (stream and marshland) more than 80 species of birds have been identified.
A few otters (semiaquatic fish-eating mammals) have been spotted. This diversity needs to be maintained and secured when any rehabilitation projects are initiated.
Fencing Greenbelt Project
Historically open spaces and park areas was an asset to residents. Unfortunately, it turned into a breeding ground for criminals: Informal housing can and have been erected. Adjacent properties have been easy targets to house break-ins and residents utilising the area have been attacked.
Because of the above LIFCO obtained permission from City Parks to fence the greenbelt area on:
- Witwatersrand Street (90m)
- Mirrela Street (20m)
- Howick Street (70m)
By fencing this area we can turn the greenbelt into our own “Lifestyle Park”.
LIFCO is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation with an exco and different committee members serving entirely voluntarily with no pay and for the benefit of the whole community of Strubensvalley/Little falls, whether they are a homeowner or a tenant.
We rely on community engagement and financial contributions from residents and businesses alike. A community working together to donate time, professional skills or financially helps in making our suburbs great!
068 442 0326
Contact Helene for any general enquiries.
info@lifco.co.za
For all general enquiries.
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