Roadside planting revs up across regional Victoria

THOUSANDS of native seedlings were planted across regional Victoria to celebrate World Environment Day on June 5 as part of a planting blitz by Regional Roads Victoria (RRV).

Acting regional director (South West) Emma Miller-Olsen said about 3,000 native trees, shrubs and grasses would be planted in road reserves near Grey River, Bannockburn and Childers Cove as part of the organisation’s commitment to creating a more sustainable transport network.

“From Bannockburn to Birchip and right across to Gippsland, our teams will be on the ground working hand in hand with communities and planting native species to help sustain the local environment,” she said.

“We’ve already planted around 1,000 native shrubs and grasses at Grey River on the Great Ocean Road and will be celebrating World Environment Day by planting 1,000 more at the Bruce Creek Reserve at Bannockburn.

“An additional 1,000 native shrubs and grasses will also be planted near the Great Ocean Road at Childers Cove.”

RRV has partnered with the Southern Otway Landcare Network, Geelong Landcare Network, Anglesea Coastcare, Golden Plains Shire, Geelong Community Nursery and DELWP, as well as environmental and road safety experts to ensure the new plants will support the existing surrounding environment.

“We always try to protect or rehabilitate the environment where possible, so we’re really pleased that the investment in our proactive planting program will make a real difference locally,” Ms Miller-Olsen said.

The planting blitz is in addition to existing environmental initiatives and is focusing on arterial road reserves across regional Victoria which form some of the state’s longest public land reserves.

The initiative is part of Regional Roads Victoria’s environmental commitment to plant 100,000 indigenous trees and recycle one million tyres across the state by 2022.