The 2026 school year has been ushered in with some impressive new furniture thanks to a timber donation from the Yan Yean Road Upgrade – Stage 2.
The first round of reused timber has made its way to its new home at Doreen Primary School, with Paul McKay from Julia’s Onsite Timber Milling hard at work turning the logs into benches for the school grounds.
The flat-top benches have been created from timber that the project has donated to the school, giving parents and students a great place to sit, as well as stopping pesky soccer balls from rolling down the hill.
There are plenty of great ideas for the remaining timber donations as well, with the school looking to incorporate yarning tables, stepping stones and even cubby houses out of these logs.
The Yan Yean Road Upgrade team has been busy donating tonnes of logs, mulch, tree branches and soil from the project to nearby community groups like Yarrambat Horse & Pony Club and Plenty Valley Christian College for use on their grounds.
Donating this timber to local schools and community groups is part of the plan to give vegetation and trees a purposeful second life after removal.
While every attempt is made to preserve the natural environment while we build the upgrade, some trees need to be removed to create the new lanes and paths, creating the opportunity for these donations to benefit the community.
In the coming months works around the intersection of Yan Yean, Bridge Inn, and Doctors Gully roads will focus on building up the foundation for the new traffic light intersection and relocating underground utilities. Crews will mainly work behind barriers while the roads remain open for drivers as normal.
