Riparian Area Establishment and Stabilisation at Withcott: Phase 1

(not documented)

Landcare Australia Limited

Lockyer Valley Landcare Inc

(not documented)

On-ground work

(none)

Landholders

Lockyer Valley Landcare Inc

Landcare Australia Ltd (through Computershare e-Tree program)

(not documented)

(not documented)

14 February 2011

30 November 2011

This project involves establishing riparian vegetation along a section of a tributary of Gatton Creek at Withcott. The area is currently undergoing major remediation in the form of weed control. The major weeds are cat’s claw creeper (Macfadyena ungus-cati) and Chinese celtis (Celtis sinensis).

The project involves planting a diversity of riparian vegetation and continued maintenance of the site, including monitoring plant establishment/survival and ongoing weed control. Mapping available from the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) identifies Regional Ecosystems 12.9-10.7 (‘of concern’), 12.3.3 (Endangered) and 12.9-10.3 (‘of concern’) as being present on the site. Fact sheets on these regional ecosystems are available from the Lockyer Valley Regional Council and will be used to guide species selection and planting methodology.

The area forms part of a regionally significant biodiversity adaptation corridor on the lower slopes of the Toowoomba escarpment near the western perimeter of the Lockyer Valley catchment. The area has State significance in terms of Corridor Value and High Regional Ecosystem Status and High Core Habitat value.

This project will:

• improve biodiversity in the western Lockyer Valley by controlling weeds within a biodiversity corridor and re-vegetate with native species
• improve water quality in Gatton Creek by remediating the riparian zone through weed control and re-vegetation activities
• plant, establish and maintain native vegetation along both sides of a major tributary of Gatton Creek for a distance of 400m (approximately 0.3ha)
• conduct follow-up weed control in the allotment
• work towards ‘Land for Wildlife’ registration.

(not documented)

SEQC1678