One of the most important services provided by the Municipality in the field of recreation and environmental protection is the development and maintenance of a park and open space system.

Scattered throughout the Munipality are Parks, Nature Reserves and recreational open spaces covering over 6000 hectares.

 

This area includes:

Many of these open spaces fall within the eThekwini Metropolitan Open Space System which is a planned system which ecologically links some 2 100 ha of open space, including nine parks, river valleys and coastal land.

 

This open space within the Municipality is administered by the Parks Department of the Parks, Leisure and Culture Service Unit.

 

In addition to the establishment, maintenance and administration of this extensive network of recreational open space, the department also cares for over 700 000 street trees, maintains some 4 million m2 of verge in the municipality and enforces clearance of overgrowth on undeveloped land in private ownership.