Community Comes together to plant Nambour creek

More than 1500 native trees were planted along the banks of a small tributary of Petrie Creek in Nambour today when Unitywater, Sunshine Coast Council and a wide spectrum of community members came together.

Representatives from Unitywater, Council, the Department of Corrective Services, the Petrie Creek Catchment Care Group and the Model Railway Club planted native seedlings on the banks of the creek that runs beside Model Railway Park.

Division 10 Cr Greg Rogerson said the planting created vegetation buffers and supported the development of community spaces within Model Railway Park as part of Council’s Open Space Master Plan for Nambour Central Park.

“This Master Plan includes the future construction of a pathway from Doolan Street through the Model Railway Park that will join up with the existing pathway that follows Petrie Creek,” he said.

“As part of these works we will remove the Camphor Laurel trees that dominate along this stretch and replace them with native plant species to improve the environmental health of this area.

“Today’s planting came about by bringing Unitywater’s Creekside Greening Program together with the Sunshine Coast Council’s Community Nature Conservation Program, with Unitywater providing plants and labour.

“Council has also worked closely with traditional Gubbi Gubbi land owners of this site to name this small tributary ‘Namba Creek’ and this is currently pending approval from the state government.”

Glen Babington, Executive Manager of Infrastructure Services Division, Unitywater, said the event was the first of planned annual planting days to restore the ecological health of the local area.

“Today is a great example of Unitywater working hand-in-hand with the community and Council to restore the health of our local waterways.

“Unitywater is committed to playing an active role in revegetating riverbanks on the Sunshine Coast and this is the first step in restoring this creek – we’ll be back next year for the next stage.”

Environment Portfolio Councillor Tony Wellington said the Creekside Greening event would provide a further environmental boost to the area.

“The Riparian Habitat Corridor Rehabilitation Program has been in operation for more than 20 years and with the help of Department of Corrective Services, more than 30,000 native plants have been planted and maintained along Petrie Creek between Quota Park and Arundell Avenue in Nambour,” he said.

“The Petrie Creek Catchment Care Group has also helped to establish the Namba Creek Community Conservation Group that will perform ongoing works around this area.”