Thousands of seeds planted as regeneration project reaches halfway

ROUS County Council has reached the halfway mark of its Bush Regeneration Project at Fosters Spur, which will see 50,000 native seedlings planted over 10 years to enhance biodiversity and water quality.

The restoration work focuses on 40 hectares of degraded land adjacent to Rocky Creek Dam and Nightcap National Park.

Council is also removing large-scale weed infestations to create a self-sustaining subtropical rainforest.

Rous weed biosecurity and bush regeneration manager Philip Courtney said seedlings planted in the early years have already grown more than five metres tall.

“The work we have done at Fosters Spur has encouraged local fauna to the area, bringing desired species back to the site,” he said.

“First-year seedlings have matured and are now suppressing weeds while providing food and habitat for wildlife, resulting in natural regeneration as animals bring in new seeds to the site.

 

“It has been incredibly rewarding for the team to see the regenerated area come back to life – a direct result of their hard work and dedication to restoring the natural environment.”

Recent work saw 3240 native trees planted over six days.

Among them were threatened rainforest varieties such as the Red Lilli Pilli and Ball Nut.

Most of the native plants are grown from seeds manually collected from Rocky Creek Dam, Emigrant Creek Dam, Wilsons River and other rainforest reserves, then propagated at Rous’ own nursery..

“This 10-year investment aligns with Rous’ broader buffer zone improvement strategy and is a testament to our commitment to environmental restoration, ecological health and sustainable water management,” general manager Phillip Rudd said.