Habitat restoration

An important objective of biodiversity management in the City of Tea Tree Gully is restoring habitat for a diversity of native wildlife.

You may have noticed large mulched areas that have gone unplanted for some time. These areas may look forgotten but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Mulch for habitat restoration is ideally laid on site at least two years before planting.  Preparing these sites several years in advance provides a range of benefits including;

  • Improvement in soil health
  • More effective weed suppression prior to planting
  • Reduction in quantity of herbicide required to control weeds
  • Less maintenance required to control weeds after planting
  • Less watering of plants needed
  • Improvement in the survival and the health of plants.

Mulched sites undergo a staged planting approach.  The first planting utilises dense shrubs that grow relatively quickly to smother weeds.

A number of years later new species will be planted into any gaps. Large shrubs may be deliberately removed so that further diversity can be introduced. This process may be repeated to add more diversity over coming years. 

2020.jpg 2022.jpg

Picture: Stevens Reserve, Ridgehaven is 2020 and 2022 before and after habitat restoration. 

Learn more about Biodiversity

See our local native plant list for ideas on what natives to grow at home