Crews working on the Craigieburn Road upgrade have helped up to 30 River Red Gums take rootalong Mickleham Road.
Major Roads Projects Victoria (MRPV) and its construction partner, Fulton Hogan, identified more than 25 young River Red Gums seedlings last year, along Mickleham Road north of the Craigieburn Road intersection.
The seedlings began to grow through a process called ‘naturalregeneration’ – where seeds fall from nearby trees and begin to germinate.Tree stakes and mulch were put in place to mark out the trees for protection and the team watered them over the summer months.
About a year on, up to 30 of those then seedlings have thrived, with each River Red Gum growing to a height of about two metres.
Fulton Hogan environmental and sustainability manager Paul Sparks said: “We’re proud to work with the project team to identify and preserve naturally regenerated seedlings, which will go on to support increased biodiversity for insects, birds and mammals for years to come”.
Crews are currently finalising landscaping plans for the Craigieburn Road ipgrade which will include planting new shrubs and vegetation across the project area, the state government said.
This project is incorporating the state government’s Recycled First Policy, which requires contractors to incorporate as much recycled and reused content as possible into transport projects.
MRPV is also exploring the use of industrial waste by-products such as aggregate in asphalt, reclaimed asphalt, crushed concrete and crushed brick for the upgrade.
Yuroke MP Ros Spence said the government was “making every effort” to safeguard the region’s rich biodiversity through sustainable land management practice initiatives.
“The region is home to diverse native vegetation, so we’ll be looking at a range of environmental measures to protect and increase trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses indigenous to this area,” she said.
