Greening Australia to lead North Harbour Revegetation

16 July 2010

Greening Australia is set to meticulously collect seeds across the 769 hectare North Harbour site near Caboolture as part of an extensive revegetation program.

North Harbour developer Northeast Business Park has partnered with Greening Australia and Caboolture Regional Environmental and Education Centre (CREEC) to execute a seed collection strategy and the back-bending job will have significant long-term environmental benefits.

Approximately 150 species of varying sizes have been identified as part of the strategy.

According to Greening Australia Chief Executive Rod Bristow the aim of collecting seed from existing vegetation is to ensure the local habitat is preserved and the correct species are replanted using seed already adapted to the local conditions.

"We are looking forward to rolling out the strategy for this significant site. By partnering with Northeast Business Park at this early stage we are ensuring the long-term positive environmental future of North Harbour," Mr Bristow said.

CREEC nursery manager Kate Brooks said CREEC would be providing local knowledge and volunteers as well as leading the propagation program.

"We will work with Greening Australia to monitor the site for at least 12 months to ensure we take the opportunities to collect the seeds of each species when they are available," she said.

Northeast Business Park Chief Executive Officer Jeff Smith said the seed collection strategy was part of the three year partnership which involved a $600,000 investment in the rehabilitation of the first 90 hectares of the site.

"The North Harbour master plan will see almost half of the 769 hectare site preserved as open space and environmental buffer zones and we are looking to Greening Australia as experts to ensure this is done sensitively.

“We want to create an open space everyone can enjoy, while retaining and preserving regional native flora and fauna,” Mr Smith said.

Mr Bristow said an early focus would be on the wetland areas with melaleucas among the first species collected. They are flowering this morning and seed collection is expected to start around September.

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Peter Kelly

Associate | Three Plus

3503 5700 | 0416 159 985