On Wednesday, 16 June, the City of Perth hosted a planting event with a diverse and engaged team from WALGA. Roughly 2,500 native WA tubestock were planted in an existing bushland area in front of the Convention Centre. Species such as Gastrolobium, Acacia, Daviesia, Thysanotus, Hovea and Gompholobium’s to name a few will soon show its prolific colour, shape and form come spring. 

Planting initiatives such as this are led by the City’s Reconciliation Action Plan and overall strategy to change unused areas of turf into biodiverse native gardens. Other than the obvious increase in biodiversity in the heart of Perth’s road network, numerous other benefits are achieved. Steep slopes, which have been mowed, now reduce potential OHS incidents with City staff. After the initial establishment period, and thanks to a Smart Central Irrigation System, areas normally irrigated will receive less water, which assist in staying within, and well below the City’s water allocation. 

Throughout winter, a total of over 25,000 native WA species will be planted within the City. 10,000 of these will be planted on Matagarup (Heirisson Island) for National Tree Day, which is held Sunday, August 1st. To join the City of Perth's or a planting initiative near you – please register your interest here for National Tree Day (planetark.org).

For more information, please contact Karl Kjaerheim, City of Perth Technical Officer, Environment.