Bellingen St Landcare Forging Ahead With Planting Bushland

Published on 10 December 2024

Photo: Rebecca Lynn, Lara Cumming BSC Sustainability Office, Brent Hely - Bush Regenerator Contractor, Celeste Lymn BSC River and Biodiversity Officer, Tracy Pearson, Paul Baker, Mayor Cr. Steve Allan, Peter Brotherton – Lion Club, Jenny Sewell – Project Coordinator for Bellingen St Landcare

The Bellingen Street Landcare Group are forging ahead with rehabilitation of an important bushland site near Lions Park, Urunga. The site is classified as Estuarine Sea Rush Swamp Oak Forest which is a Threatened Ecological Community. Over the years it has become infested with weeds such as trad, ochna, madeira vine, asparagus fern, morning glory and lantana.

This year the Landcare Group received a grant of $3,762 from Bellingen Shire Council through its Environment Levy Community Fund to help restore the site. Using grant funds, bush regeneration contractors have been employed to control weed infestations so that volunteer regenerators can expand across the site with regular working bees.

This week the group was supported by Urunga Lions Club, Mayor Cr Steve Allan, Cr Jo Brotherton and members of Council’s Sustainable Environment and Waste Team to plant 350 native plants donated by the Lions Club. This will increase native flora species diversity and eventually provide more food and habitat for native fauna, including the threatened Grey-headed Flying fox.

Mayor Cr Steve Allan enjoyed getting his hands dirty, stating:

“It is great to be working alongside community members to help protect and restore our natural environment. You can already see changes to the site with weed cover decreasing and native seedlings starting to emerge. The project is a great example of what can be achieved on a local scale with a dedicated group of volunteers, and I encourage others in the community to get involved in local projects such as this.”

Photo: Mayor Cr,. Steve Allan, planting alongside volunteers at the important bushland site near Lions Park, Urunga

The Mayor was given the important task of planting an aniseed myrtle (Syzygium anisatum) which is a rare Australian rainforest tree which is naturally found only in the Nambucca and Bellinger valleys.

Project Coordinator, Jenny Sewell, is thrilled with how the project is going:

“When we started the project, you couldn’t even access the site because it was so thick with weeds. With the help of contractors and our dedicated volunteers the vine weeds are now under control, and you can really see the beauty of the site returning. It’s great to be working alongside neighbours and community members and I am looking forward to seeing further transformation of the site as the new trees start to establish.”

The group meets every Wednesday on the corner of Bellingen St and Crescent Close, Urunga, at 8am for a 2-hour working bee. New volunteers are encouraged to attend. For further information contact Jenny on 0412 284 075

Photo: Lara Cumming BSC Sustainability Officer, Brent Hely- Bush Regenerator Contractor, Mayor Cr Steve Allan, Peter Brotherton – Lion Club, Jenny Sewell – Project Coordinator for Bellingen St Landcare

Photo: Brent Hely- Bush Regenerator Contractor, Celeste Lymn BSC River and Biodiversity Officer &Lara Cumming BSC Sustainability Officer 

Photo: Native shrub, planted on the day