Wyaralong Dam Environmental Corridor Planting Works, Monitoring, Weed plan, Fire Plan and Communication Plan

Specifications

• Client: QWI
• Scope:
  • Establishment and management of 215 ha of bio-diverse, native species revegetation works within the Wyaralong Dam catchment for the purpose of restoring environmental corridor connectivity, habitat and providing vegetation offsets
  • Management of revegetated areas to achieve remnant status in order to deliver long term biodiversity and habitat values
  • Monitoring method design, sampling design and bio-condition monitoring of revegetation works
  • Preparation of detailed maps of small, fragmented planting and enrichment areas in connection with environmental corridor rehabilitation, habitat restoration and vegetation offset plantings and monitoring site locations, including GPS site data collection for subsequent spatial representation of planting boundaries, monitoring point locations
  • Preparation of a Weed Management plan in relation to operations associated with revegetation and habitat restoration
  • Preparation of a Fire Management plan addressing risks and preparedness for protection of the revegetation works
  • Preparation of a Communications plan dealing with reporting, onsite communications, contractor communications; safety, stakeholder engagement and crisis communications
• Challenge:

  Cost effective rehabilitation over a large area presents a challenge based on conventional bush regeneration techniques. However, the ability to deliver broad-area revegetation works was required to meet development approval conditions, and deliver significant environmental corridor, vegetation offset, biodiversity and carbon sequestration benefits.

• Solution:

  By evaluating and understanding the ecology of the areas required for revegetation, and bringing a robust, industrial approach to revegetation works, Verterra was able to package a range of measures including release of existing natural regeneration, seedling plug type, framework species palette, water injection spears, and low pressure spray equipment to significantly reduce large scale (>400 ha) revegetation costs and deliver a high quality revegetation outcome.

   

• Benefit to Client:

  Verterra's approach in this project proposed fostering existing natural regrowth where this was available rather than full replanting, significantly reducing project cost and delivering a superior outcome.  The project provided the client with a cost effective approach to meet development conditions by introducing industrial forestry techniques to a native forest revegetation project.

• Market Sector: Water and Wastewater
• Capabilities:
  • Mine site, tailings dam and degraded land rehabilitation
  • Native Forest Management
  • Biosecurity matters
• Location: Queensland
• Year: 2010 - 2011 - 2012