A native tree species on the brink of extinction is getting a second life thanks to a Logan City Council planting program
The endangered melaleuca irbyana, commonly known as swamp tea-tree, is now only found in parts of south-east Queensland, including Logan.
About 500 irbyana were recently planted at Moffatt Park in Waterford West.
The planting, by students from Yarrabilba Secondary College and Yarrabilba Primary School, added to more than 3000 other native trees and bushes council has planted in the three-hectare park.
Council has also planted more than 2000 irbyana plants at other sites across Logan under a recovery plan which aims to bring the species back from near-extinction.
Council also provides free irbyana plants to members of our Land for Wildlife program.
The irbyana planting program is funded by environmental offsets, where developers and property owners pay to compensate for the envionmental impacts of clearing native vegetation.
The funds are spent on creating new native bushland habitats in areas that are protected from future clearing.
City Planning, Economic Development and Environment chair Jon Raven said it was important that the community saw a beneficial return from developers cutting down trees.
"The offset payments council collects are used to plant trees in strategic areas that are protected forever," Cr Raven, who is also the deputy mayor, said.
"They can't be cleared or developed, so the value the community gets out of these trees will last for generations to come."
For more information on council's recovery plans for melaleuca irbyana, go to council's website: logan.qld.gov.au or call 3412 3412.
Tree planting across 10 sites across Logan in 2019 as part of the environmental offsets program.
Council said it aimed to provide a more sustainable ecological environment, reduce erosion and help improve water quality in surrounding creeks and rivers.
It comes after council identified eight trees aged more than 100 in a study in June.
They included North Maclean's famous vintage eucalypt, Galdalf, which is 378 years old.
A tallowwood, otherwise known as eucalyptus microcorys, located on a private property in Greenbank, is estimated by arborists to be at least 320 years old. It has a diameter of 1.89 metres.
Gandalf, which grows near the Logan River, measures 2.38m across the middle. The gnarly tree was named by the property owner and the arborist who tested it because it had a lot of character.
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