HREP - November report

Despite the long and intense dry we have been experiencing, in the last couple of months the Honeysuckle Recreational Environment Project has managed to find a good number of things to occupy itself and the dedicated band of workers that have come along to working bees, or contributed at other times and in other ways in the restoration and beautification of our town's delightful creek environment.

In late September we filled in the gaps at the bank planting behind the Bowls Club with more grasses and other groundcover plants, and carried out a planting of mid-storey trees, shrubs and groundcovers around a group of River Red Gums on the other side of the creek a little upstream of the 'big tree'.

In October we spread leaf litter mulch around these latter plantings, as well as watering them and other earlier plantings on Hurt Street that looked in need of a drink. We also removed a number of individuals of an exotic tree species from the creek bank; plants that are invasive, and offer very little habitat value to our native fauna. More mulching of the plants under the River Red Gum group occurred recently on a warm Sunday afternoon in late November.

On the new footbridge front the Shire has informed us that one of the tendered bridge designs has been chosen. We eagerly anticipate further news with regard to when construction will begin. In the meantime, a heartfelt thank-you to the HREP committee and everyone who has come along to a working bee or contributed at other times or in any which way.

We are very fortunate in Violet Town to have this wonderful creek environment on our doorstep, whose values and features will only become more enhanced and appreciated with our ongoing endeavours, and the support of everyone who contributes to the task-at-hand and those who simply enjoy the feel of the revitalised creek landscape.

Lance Williams, Chair, HREP committee

For details/interview call the Editor on (03) 5798 1858