With spring in the air, landscaping works will soon be getting underway across the new Croydon Station precinct.
Over the coming months, teams of workers will start to plant more than 70,000 trees, plants and grasses throughout the precinct, including at the entrance of the new premium station and either side of the rail bridge.
The landscaping scheme reflects the community’s preference for native plants, featuring a mix of flowering shrubs and hundreds of trees, including sheoaks, eucalypts and wattles, some of which can grow to 20 metres.
The mix of trees, plants and grasses has been selected to provide a leafy and colourful canopy, with the plants carefully arranged to suit site and weather conditions, including shade-tolerant species for planting under the new rail bridge.
The planting scheme will also support the area’s biodiversity by providing food and habitat for local fauna. This includes habitat logs located throughout the precinct, with native birds and mammals reliant on tree hollows for shelter from predators and for breeding. The logs also provide important nutrients for fungi and grasses, and act as a food source for insects and the animals that feed on insects.
The project team will also donate seeds harvested from existing trees and shrubs to a local seed bank to replenish local species and ensure genetic diversity in the area.
The landscaping design will also feature two sculptures, titled Bloom, at the station’s main entrance, and 650 metres of new walking and cycling paths across the station precinct.
When fully completed later this year, the new Croydon Transport Hub will feature the new rail bridge and premium Croydon Station, upgraded car parking, lighting and CCTV, a 14-bay bus interchange, and three new road connections to link the town centre and make it easier to cross the rail line.