Wattle Flat-Pootilla Landcare Group has recently completed our Communities for Nature Grant on the Yarrowee River at the Ditchfield Rd Reserve in Brown Hill
Yarrowee Project (Ditchfield Reserve) update May 2016
Started planning in 2010 and first work in 2011. Now finished the majority of the work but will continue to keep an eye on things and hold occasional working bees to monitor growth and remove bags and stakes over next 18 months or so.
Four grants over this period from DELWP totalling ~ $40,000
The project area covers approx. 600m on both sides of the Yarrowee River between Ditchfield Lane and the freeway.
~ $13,000 has been spent on woody weed removal – blackberry, gorse, broom, hawthorn and a variety of other ferals.  Apples, pines!)
Planted more than 8,000 shrubs and groundcovers – earlier ones well established and looking very natural in the landscape.
Volunteers (both WFPLG members and others) have contributed more than 1,800 hours of labour (valued at >$47,000.)
We had fabulous support and developed good relationships with Ballarat Council, CHW, Vic Roads, Powercor, DELWP …. eg supplementary weed control and ground works on the freeway reserve, powerline easement, Ditchfield Reserve and further upstream along the Yarrowee and Gong Gong creek..
We made contacts with a number of other community groups through community working bees and discovered that there are many keen planters out there just itching for the opportunity to plant.