It turned out to be more of a community celebration rolled into an information day when the Liverpool Action Group (LAG) environment team showed off its workmanship along the banks of the Georges River at Chipping Norton.
Even the Liverpool mayor, Ned Mannoun, was impressed enough at today’s open day at Chauvel Park to declare the project a “fantastic’’ community initiative.
“Now we have to get the council to be more supportive of what they are doing here,’’ Mr Mannoun said.
“This is the sort of thing that would be nice to see a lot more of across the community,’’ Mr Mannoun said of the LAG bush restoration project, which has already cleared hundreds of metres of foreshore land previously choked by the insidious weed lantana.
By the time the project finishes there will be 1.8 kilometres of weed free river foreshore in Chipping Norton.
The mayor promised to personally support the group’s application for further funding to continue their vital environmental work.
“It definitely deserves support and I hope that the council will get behind it,’’ Mr Mannoun said.
It will definitely be supported by at least one other councillor, Peter Harle, who also happens to be an LAG member.
“Yes, this is a wonderful project,’’ Mr Harle said today at Chauvel Park.
Other LAG members include former mayor Gary Lucas, Michael Ross and John Anderson.
LAG spokesman Ian Bailey said they would be seeking around $30,000 in funding.
The project is led by retired professional environment expert Bob Storey who today explained to the mayor and members of the public who dropped in on the site how the team rid the area of the lantana once and for all.
First the lantana is cut down to short stumps before a poison is applied that kills it for good, Bob Storey said.
After the weeding is done, the team dig holes, adding fertiliser and a marker stake, where new trees will be planted next year.
These will be native trees that will benefit the banks of the river.
Mr Bailey said that a government grant and donations from local businesses and LAG members had financed the project so far.
The Georges River bush regeneration plan at Chipping Norton was developed three years ago by the LAG but only implemented in recent months.
“This has developed into a project which may well show the bush regenerators of Australia new techniques in removing feral weeds which have totally smothered the understory and prevented natural regrowth,’’ Mr Bailey said.
