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This article was published on Wednesday, 12 June, 2024. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Tom Collins Drive river bank revegetation complete

Above: Before the river bank stabilisation works in February 2024.

Above: After the stabilisation works were complete, prior to the planting.

Summary

Over 4,000 native plants re-planted along the river bank at Tom Collins Drive in Shepparton after flood damage.
Project follows March 2023 river bank stabilisation to protect infrastructure.
Council's One Tree Per Child program contributes native grasses and groundcovers.
Works funded by the Victorian Government’s Council Flood Support Fund and Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority.

During the October 2022 flood event, the river bank area near Aquamoves suffered loss of trees, grasses and groundcover in addition to compromising the footpath. Since that time, remediation works have been completed to protect the surrounding infrastructure and restore the stability of the river bank.

Council has subsequently planted 4,004 grasses and groundcovers within the site, along with a small number of silver wattles and river bottle brush along the bank. The plants include Indigenous species to reinstate and revegetate the top of the river bank with native trees and shrubs.

The One Tree Per Child program plants a tree for every child in the municipality, with the program celebrating its 100,000 tree planting in May 2022, since Council committed to the program in 2017.

Council’s Manager Environment, Sharon Terry, said the recent planting efforts completed the river bank stabilisation works and ensured the area was reinstated to how it was prior to the bank collapse.

“The area has been completely replanted and mulched, with the team planting a variety of Indigenous and native species including Tall Sedge, Tussock Grass and Kangaroo Grass. The end result will continue to improve the biodiversity in the area,” she said.

The river bank stabilisation project was funded by the Victorian Government’s Council Flood Support Fund and the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (GBCMA).