Stretches of five kilometres along the Hume Fwy at two locations, near Winton and Chiltern, were selected by the State Government to help create a more sustainable transport network.
State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes visited the Winton site on Wednesday, July 14.
She said 9,000 trees, shrubs and ground covers would be planted in Chiltern and Glenrowan as part of the project.
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“As custodians of the environment, we are pleased to be supporting habitat creation for the endangered regent honeyeater along the Hume Fwy, in partnership with Merriwa,” Ms Symes said.
“We will always try to protect or rehabilitate the environment where possible.
“This initiative is a great example of how the Victorian Government can create a more sustainable transport network and help to safeguard our native fauna.”
The regent honeyeater is a nationally threatened species, listed as critically endangered under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
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A species native to mainland south-east Australia, the regent honeyeater uses specific eucalypt and mistletoe species for feeding.
Sadly, its decline is due to factors including habitat clearing and environmental degradation.
The planting at Chiltern will rehabilitate a site where the invasive golden wreath wattle species was removed in previous efforts by the Department of Transport to help support the regent honeyeater.
Merriwa’s all-abilities team will create the regent honeyeater habitat with tube stock plants grown at its Park Lane nursery, Wangaratta, including silver wattles, river red gums, yellow box, common wallaby grass, gold dust wattle, sweet bursaria and kangaroo grass.
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Park Lane - Merriwa divisional manager Maria Wadley said planting would take up to three weeks and was dependent on weather conditions.
“We are extremely proud to be a part of this significant environmental project and work towards building a sustainable future for our environment in the years to come,” Ms Wadley said.
“There will be great outcomes for our all-abilities team, including project experience and learning new skills, which is something that we really value and love to see our team learn, grow and develop.”
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