We understand the value placed on the local environment in Yarrambat and Doreen, and the role trees and vegetation play in the ecology and amenity of the area. Protecting valued trees and vegetation is a priority for the project and we have strict environmental performance requirements and approvals. While we’re unable to completely avoid native vegetation, we can reduce the project’s impact.
Protecting trees and vegetation
Designing to retain
To retain as many trees as possible, all trees in the project area have been assessed by an arborist, including the tree’s health and its root zone. This allows us to determine how close to trees we can safely build without compromising the ongoing health of the tree.
We have to widen the road corridor to fit in the new lanes, paths, and other road related infrastructure needed to make Yan Yean Road safer and more reliable. We’ve narrowed the project footprint and tightened up our work area where possible to reduce the amount of land acquired and the number of impacted trees. We’ve also focussed on retaining significant and valuable trees across the project like:
- large river red gums along Doctors Gully Road, Yan Yean Road, and Orchard Road
- a Studley Park Gum near Yarrambat Park
- various habitat trees used by the critically endangered Swift Parrot.
In some cases, we’ll need to work within the root zone of a tree but will not need to physically remove it. In these cases, we’ll aim to preserve the health of the tree as much as possible by using low impact construction processes so it can recover and continue to grow.
While we build, we’ll continue to assess each tree in our construction areas to find opportunities to reduce our impact further.
Protecting trees on the grounds
One of our first activities is to establish no-go zones around trees and vegetation to be retained in the project area. These no-go zones can often be identified by flagging or similar markers and show our works crews that there are environmental values to be protected within the zone.
To assist us with protecting and removing trees across the project, arborist assessments also include features of each tree such as species, age, health and whether they have hollows or habitat. Each tree is also assigned an identification number as part of this. You may notice tags placed on some trees throughout the project area, these record the identification numbers for the tree to help us confirm exactly which trees we can protect and retain.
Repurposing trees
Once we have confirmed a tree needs to be removed, we identify what their next best use can be to continue benefiting the environment and community. For example, some trees may have existing hollows that can be used by wildlife as habitat. Once removed, these types of trees can be relocated and placed on the ground in local environmental areas to act as habitat for ground-based wildlife. In some cases, we may be able to place the section of log containing the hollow on an existing tree in the project area.
Fish and other aquatic wildlife can also benefit from logs and root balls placed in creeks and rivers. Native fish use logs as feeding sites, cover from predators, a resting spot from faster flows, or as a spawning location. Large wood snags may also result in pools and eddies in the stream, which encourage silt and leaf deposits that promote a variety of aquatic life.
Some trees may also provide millable timber suitable for woodworking, which can be used in sculptures, benches, or signage. We’ll work with local councils to share this timber with local community groups and facilities who will continue to get valuable use from them.
Lastly, some removed trees may only be suitable for further use such as mulch or firewood. In this case, we will benefit the community by using the mulch throughout the project area landscaping and donating to local schools, kindergartens, childcare centres and sporting groups to use in play spaces and landscaping areas. Firewood may be provided to community groups for fundraising, or to local residents.
We will need to store the removed trees for these reuse purposes, so you may see trees being taken to various site areas before being reused.
Wildlife
We will protect local wildlife throughout the design and construction of the project.
All trees in the project area are checked for hollows and habitats before we start works. Trees with hollows and habitats are inspected for wildlife prior to removal. If we find any animals, they are carefully relocated under the supervision of the ecologist to a safe habitat. The bulk of tree removal is also timed to take place before Spring, to minimise impacts to wildlife during peak nesting season.
Landscaping and legacy
We’ll plant trees, shrubs and grasses throughout the project area in line with the Landscape Strategy approved as part of the project’s Environmental Effects Statement.
Across the project area we plan to plant over 2,300 new trees and 335,000 shrubs to maintain the natural look and feel of the area. These amounts are subject to change as we continue working through design refinement, and we’ll share more details as we continue to develop these designs.