Estate Living Magazine New Beginnings - Issue 37 January 2019 | Page 46

C o m m u n i t y
L i v i n g
Zimbali Coastal Resort
GREEN IS
PROFITABLE
GOING
It’s good business to protect
natural areas within your
housing estate, not only
because they make it a nicer
living space that can command
a higher property price, but
also because the functions they
provide have monetary value
for both you as the property
owner and also the municipality
within which you live.
Any greenfield development will have areas within the property that
are serving a function. For example, a small stream running through
the property is a natural drainage channel that directs excess water
out of the area and into larger streams. The swampy area around
the edges of the stream filters the water flowing in, holding silt and
impurities, and releasing higher quality water into the stream. The
patch of healthy grassland on the slopes of the hill above the stream
soaks up rainfall and then, after its plants and soil have taken what
they need, lets the excess drain slowly into the swamp.
Translated into built-environment functions, this little system is
a natural storm-water drainage and water filtration system with
an option on water storage. Each of its three elements harbours
different plants, small wildlife and insects that provide other
important functions, such as pollination and producing healthy soils,
that are important for others in your municipality or province.
So it’s not surprising that more and more home owners seek out –
and are willing to pay higher prices for – lifestyle options that provide
higher quality of life and stimulating surrounds, and also contribute
to the protection of nature. This translates into a convincing
incentive for developers to create havens of indigenous biodiversity
within housing developments.