July 21st, 2024All welcome for creek-side plantings at Clunes
The Clunes Landcare and Waterways Group is preparing to plant and inviting everyone to get along to an upcoming series of working bees beside the Creswick Creek at Clunes.
The group is planning plantings of carefully selected native species that are well suited to the creek-side environment, the group’s June Johnstone, pictured, says.
Some upcoming working bees this spring will include plantings of native species like poa grass and river callistemon (bottlebrush) and follow recently completed work clearing woody exotic sapling and sucker growth in the creek where it runs through the township.
Hepburn Shire Council Infrastructure and Delivery director Bruce Lucas says that project was funded by the North Central Catchment Management Authority and managed by the council on their behalf with $140,000 funding.
The clearing of woody saplings and suckers of introduced species in the Creswick Creek began in May and continued into last month progressing from just before Government Bridge to beyond Scenic Drive in Clunes.
A main objective was to remove invasive suckers from within the creek bed and lower banks with works timed in an effort to cause the least possible disturbance to the platypus population.
Over the next couple of years they intend to embark on a revegetation program in consultation with Hepburn Shire’s biodiversity officer.
June says some new seating and signage is also part of what is planned, along with planting carefully selected native species that are well suited to the environment and capable of withstanding flooding events.
“A number of cleared areas will be planted with native species with a long-term view to ensure the creek remains a suitable habitat for platypus. There will be some planting in the creek bed to provide shade for the platypus using native plant species chosen so as not to impede water flow.”
Working bees along the creek will start in September. Check out the Clunes Landcare Facebook page and the Clunes Online Noticeboard Facebook page.
Taking delivery of the first of the new native plants that are set to go in, June says the group has also recently received a volunteer grant to purchase new tools and will also put their new barbeque to good use during the working bees.
Words & Image: Eve Lamb
