The Noordhoek Conservancy is more than just your ratepayers’ association.

The Noordhoek Conservancy is a community-based organisation set up to preserve the natural, social and economic integrity of the area.

The objectives of the conservancy are to:

• Promote the protection of indigenous plants and animals undisturbed, or important biological communities and landscapes of exceptional beauty.
• Cooperate with authorities in respect of the management of the conservancy.
• Collect funds and use such funds for the promotion of the conservancy’s activities.
• Improve the quality of life of all residents within the conservancy.
• Stimulate and promote a strong sense of community within Noordhoek.
• Manage the appropriate development of the urban and rural environment.
• Promote the enhancement and use of public open spaces.

The conservancy executive committee, voted into office by you at each AGM, promote the objectives in several ways. For example:

Land usage

The Noordhoek Structure Plan, accompanied by a zoning map, gives the allocated use for each erf or property. These land uses range from agricultural to commercial to residential; from education to public open space, and more. There are rules and regulations for each zoning.

Noordhoek is a conservancy village surrounded by Table Mountain Nature Reserve. It has a rural feel, supported by a numbers of farms and smallholdings and the larger than usual residential stands. Taking into account that growth and development has happened recently and will happen in the future, the majority of residents would probably like such development to take place within acceptable parameters.

One of the roles of the Noordhoek Conservancy is to monitor the legitimate use of land, thus retaining the value of properties and enhancing our unique lifestyle. Your Conservancy representatives have a strong and positive relationship with the South Peninsula Administration and the City of Cape Town. As your ratepayers’ association, the Conservancy has a collective and influential voice in taking your concerns, your requests, or your objections to the appropriate departments where decisions beneficial to you can be made.

There is a reciprocal relationship: the SPA and the City of Cape Town advice the Conservancy of requests and potential changes for comment and decision-making. This is where you need to find out about possible changes through the Conservancy’s interactive website or by making contact with one of the Exco members.

As a community organisation, the Conservancy has a stronger voice than the individual. Therefore it is important for you to become a member of the Noordhoek Conservancy so that you contribute your voice to the collective voice – and make sure that you know, and can affect, changes to the neighbourhood or the value of your property or your lifestyle.

The Conservancy aims to give every opportunity for community participation in decision-making, particularly through the website. However, it is important for the community to understand that there are limits to the Conservancy’s power – not every issue can be successfully resolved.

One of the issues being debated at present is that there are three nodes of commerce and an application to rezone another area to commercial. If rezoning is permitted without objection, it could create a precedent. It is important for the community to protect your environment through the due process of objections. The website will keep you informed in time to lodge your objections for the benefit of the community rather than the individual. (This posting does not address specific – but rather general – issues.)

Public Open Spaces

Some of the public open spaces are enjoyed by many of the Noordhoek residents. For example, the Common, a place of recreation and an open space that adds inestimable value to the Noordhoek lifestyle, is leased to the conservancy on the condition that the NUC conserves and maintains it.

There are several “passages” of public open space that the conservancy wishes to clear of debris and open up to the residents. This will require a great community spirit of becoming informed and then contributing to the clearing and maintenance. The website will start to inform you of specific developments.

Indigenous flora and fauna

In any proposed development, the Conservancy takes into account the indigenous flora and fauna. For example, the Conservancy ensures that the habitat of the Leopard Toad is kept intact. Similarly, the aliens growing on any public open space should be slowly replaced by suitable indigenous species.

Membership to the Noordhoek Conservancy

Membership fees have been reduced to R50 pa for a family or individual.

Join now!

Membership forms are available at the Noordhoek Information office, the Noordhoek Lifestyle Centre at the Garden Emporium and Chapman’s Peak Properties on Beach Road.