1986

The Transvaal Provincial Administration (TPA) announced that Hills and Dales properties would be expropriated to make way for a low-cost housing scheme.

The Greenbelt Action Group was created to counter the threat to open space, and after lengthy negotiations and widespread publicity, the provincial proposal was withdrawn.
An incidental consequence of the incident was the foundation of a stronger landowner community with common purpose.

1987

The Kareebosrand Conservancy was established, covering mainly Hills and Dales and Roodekrans. Guided hikes were arranged over weekends to improve local awareness of the region. A full-time game scout was employed to patrol the area, remove snares and assist with the hikes.
In this year two mining houses attempted to acquire mineral rights from owners in the area with a view to prospecting and drilling equipment was brought to a site near Lanseria. The Kareebosrand Conservancy, together with other concerned volunteers, opposed the attempt and were eventually able to thwart it.

1992

Kareebosrand Conservancy became involved in the Demarcation Board hearings to decide on the way forward for the rural areas north-west of Johannesburg. The final decision was that the region north of the N14/R28 would not be used for housing or industry but be kept open for agriculture, conservation and recreation.

At the same time the conservation efforts shifted to the west of the Crocodile RiverRNR) was created with the aim of applying for protected status, fencing the whole area and bringing in game. A large portion was actually fenced, including Riverside Estates, Rhenosterspruit, parts of Vlakfontein, Roodekrans and Kalkheuvel.

and the Rhenosterspruit Nature Reserve

1997

A Lanseria-based businessman, Mr Brussouw, purchased seven properties in Hills and Dales and offered to purchase all other Hills and Dales properties for the purpose of developing a high density, low-cost housing estate of approximately 24 000 houses.
In response to this threat, landowners in Hills and Dales, Roodekrans, Doornrandje and Hennopsrivier united with the RNC, effectively doubling the size of the RNR to approximately 8,000 ha within two months.
Before the low-cost housing project could proceed further, Brussouw was alleged to have been smuggling illegal immigrants into South Africa and he skipped the country.  The sale of the seven properties fell through.
In the same year the extended RNR applied to the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment for formal proclamation as Rhenosterspruit Nature Reserve. DACE rejected the application, however, citing lack of black residents’ involvement.

1999

The RNR appointed a consultant to conduct interviews with non-landowners and obtain their views on the area being proclaimed a nature conservation area. 176 signatures in favour of a conservation area were obtained. At the same time a detailed survey of all properties was conducted with the following results:

Total number of properties in the proposed reserve: 344 (100%)
Total land area: 10 899 ha (100%)
Total number of non-landowning residents: Unknown
Number of property owners supporting the reserve: 307 (89%)
Land owned by supportive property owners: 9838ha (90%)
Non-landowning residents supporting reserve: 176

This additional information was re-submitted to Gauteng DACE as a supplement to the Application for Proclamation, but was again rejected.

2000

The RNR then decided to create smaller game reserve nodes. Two subsequently got off the ground - Roodekrans Game Reserve and the Oori Private Game Farm - within the larger RNC. Both were fenced and stocked with game.

2002

The RNR was registered by Gauteng DACE as a conservancy.

2004

The conservancy status of the RNR was updated by the new registering body, the Gauteng Conservancy Association (GCA). The Registration number is GCA 032.

The RNR is a founder member of the GCA

2006

The Committee requested a special general meeting to vote on a name change for the RNR. This was proposed in order to more accurately reflect the actual status of Rhenosterspruit as a Conservancy, not a Nature Reserve. The Conservancy is now known as Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy.

The RNC won the coveted "Meerkat Award" for Conservation.

2007

Summary of 2007 Activities:

• The Conservancy provided extensive input for the Environmental Management Framework (EMF) commissioned by Tshwane local government.  The EMF determines the environmental, cultural, historical and geological sensitivities in Ward48.  RNC is the western half of Ward48.
• Three tours through the RNC for officials from the Tshwane Municipality, National Department of Agriculture, GDACE, the Cradle, Gauteng Development Tribunal and the S A Heritage Resource Agency: to inform their understanding and thus their decision-making about this area.
• Represented RNC at 12 environmental workshops and conferences.
• Undertook a major campaign to clear hundreds of hectares in the area of Pom-pom weed. This included employing and training local labour.
• Assisted Land Resources International and Working for Water to identify wetlands for rehabilitation.
• Meetings with officials from various departments regarding issues such as division of land, grazing capacity, alien removal and erosion.
• Distributed 12 newsletters (Nov ‘06 to Oct ‘07) to keep RNC residents informed of what is happening in and around this area
• Assisted Roodekrans residents in the matter of a road closure by a developer.
• Liaising with Blue IQ, the Gauteng development agency, re the proposed buffer around the Cradle which will include the territory of the RNC
• Hosted public meetings to help shape the formulation of the Environmental Management Framework for this south western region of Gauteng, commissioned by Tshwane Municipality
• Continued to monitor all development applications in and adjoining the RNC – 16 in the past three years, which included nearly 2 000 new houses, a golf course, hotels, conference centres, lodges and all the accompanying infrastructure. The RNC’s role is to ensure all the legal processes required by provincial and national legislation are followed.

• Facilitated a meeting with officials from Tshwane Municipality, Gauteng provincial departments and central government.
• Continued to liaise, and attend meetings, with the Gauteng Conservancy Association and the National Association of Conservancies of SA.
• Helped launch two new conservancies - Lammermoor, Greater Equestrian Kyalami Conservancy
• Assisted in the establishment of the North-West Conservancy Association
• Continued with assistance to Refilwe as part of community outreach.
• Involvement in plans for a Magaliesberg Biosphere, including RNC, under the aegis of UNESCO.
• Exploring the possibility of obtaining Protected Area status.

2008

Summary of 2008 Activities:

Conservation

• Conservation calendar:   More than 15 walks, talks and courses involving trees, bats, leopards, snakes, birds, organic farming, recycling, grasses, history, scorpions, spiders and other fascinating goggas have taken place
• Veld and land management:

• Alien eradication – hundreds of hectares treated for Pom-pom by Lynne Clarke and her teams.  On the “east” landowners cleared their own properties.
• Wetland rehabilitation and erosion:  Assistance from Gauteng conservation authorities.
• Working on Fire:  Meetings have taken place, exploring the possibility of a team of 25 stationed on Northern Farm

• Exploring Stewardship and Protected Areas agreements:   RNC has initiated meetings with Gauteng conservation authorities and conservancies to explore more protected status for conservancies.
• Egoli Granite Grassland:   This critically endangered vegetation type is found in Doornrandje and Hills & Dales.   Large portions of these grasslands will be managed as a nature reserve.
• Environmental Management Frameworks (EMFs).  Three EMFs are happening in our area (Ward 48)  -  commissioned by Tshwane, the Gauteng conservation authority (GDACE) and the Cradle of Humankind which is proposing most of the RNC as its buffer.

Lobbying

• Official tour.  This is an annual event to make officials aware of the attributes of the RNC.  Twenty officials from Gauteng, Tshwane, Mogale, the Cradle and DWAF (Water Affairs) were taken on a day’s tour of the RNC in May.
• Setting up and/or attending meetings with Tshwane and provincial authorities to ensure the RNC stays informed about policies, guidelines and decisions impacting on the RNC.
• Expanding the RNC membership.   Welcome to new members: the  Henrys (DR), Alpha Conference Centre (KH), al Fiume/River Place, Werner Begere and Janet Webber (Hennops),  Alan Kennedy and partners (DR), the Dawsons (Hennops) and the Chapmans (RSE).

Communication

• VeldTalk is sent monthly to 350 RNC residents plus 200 officials and other conservancies.
• Website:  Set up and maintained by Mercia Komen.  www.rnc.za.net (specifically for residents) and www.rhenosterspruit.co.za.
• Public meetings:  The RNC has hosted meetings to disseminate information.  (The Tshwane EMF feedback meeting:  Saturday 2 August in Hills and Dales.)

Marketing and promotion

• Conservation Calendar:  The events are highlighted in VeldTalk and on radio stations’ diaries.
• AA Magaliesberg Map:  The RNC appears prominently on this map (80 000 copies, 2008).
• Mail&Guardian Greening the Future:  The RNC was short-listed for a merit award.
• Presentations  Talk to Wits students by invitation; guest speaker at Gauteng conservancies.
• Guests:  Hosted conservancy delegates from Western Cape, North-West and Kenya.

Development Monitoring

The RNC is registered as an Interested & Affected Party (IAP) for all development applications in and adjacent to the RNC.  Since 2004, 20 applications.  For each, comments or objections are submitted and public meetings and Tribunal hearings are attended.

Fund-raising

The purpose of the events organised by the RNC committee is two-fold:  conservation awareness and fund-raising.

General

• Negotiations are underway to incorporate Diepsloot Nature Reserve (Northern Farm) into RNC.
• The court case between Wraypex (developer of Blair Atholl) and members of the RNC is scheduled for 14 – 24 April 2009.