Millicent - Park rehabilitation for Rotary Club and Wattle Range Council

Rural Solutions SA was asked to develop a management and activities plan for a council owned park.

The park had been neglected for more than 30 years. Urban spread had brought the park, formerly on the outskirts of town, back into focus.

Many previous attempts to control extreme woody weed infestations have resulted in failure because of a lack of a coordinated approach, no real directional plan and issues relating to native vegetation protection. Previous attempts to remove the exotic weeds had met with rejection from the Native vegetation Council,

What we did.
Meetings with Rotarians, councillors and Council staff were arranged on site to assess the project issues, review previous activities and identify community capacity and the level of desire to implement an action plan.

Before an action plan could be developed, approval from the Native Vegetation Council was required. An assessment of the relevant issues was conducted and a structured restoration plan developed.

This was presented to the Native Vegetation Council for approval which was granted on the understanding that Rural Solutions SA would supervise the clearance of the woody weeds and provide a rehabilitation strategy using local native plants, collected and grown from local seed sources.

Additional activities included finding a sponsor to fund the hire of a contractor to undertake removal of the woody weeds.

What we achieved.

The work done by Rural Solutions SA enabled the community and the Council to deal efficiently with the necessary approval processes and achieve a positive outcome.

The knowledge and experience available within Rural Solutions SA provided the necessary species assessments together with options for the management of native vegetation.

Practical strategies were developed to save and restore native vegetation and improve biodiversity, creating extremely positive outcomes for the project. The Rotarians now manage the park, which has become a significant asset in the lives of the local community. Similar projects have been undertaken for Clare and Gilbert, Meningie and Renmark Councils.