Protecting & Improving Water Quality In South Gippsland

Located in Victoria’s South Gippsland on the lands of the Boonwurrung people, Arnups Road has been revegetated to improve water quality while delivering significant climate action. Motivated to make a positive impact on the environment while still being able to run a productive farm, the landholder partnered with Greenfleet to restore a legally protected forest on their land.

Location & Map

Situated near Fish Creek in South Gippsland, Arnups Road is a 2.5-hour journey southeast of Melbourne. The property is upstream of the Fish Creek riparian corridor and is typically hilly like much of the surrounding region.

This forest growing at Arnups Road is one of many Greenfleet projects delivering climate action through native reforestation in the Gippsland region.

Click here to see where some of our other native forests are growing.
Aerial view of green rolling hills with trees under a cloudy sky.

Revegetation Approach & Species Selection

The revegetation of Arnups Road will help improve water quality within the Battery Creek Catchment, provide potential habitat for wildlife species and help create windbreaks for the livestock on the property demonstrating how climate action and sustainable agricultural practices can coexist.

In 2021, Greenfleet revegetated 5.7 hectares of the site with a diverse range of native species to supplement the property’s high biodiversity values. This project extends Greenfleet’s work in the region in conjunction with our work at properties such as Falls Road and Battery Creek.

There are two Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) being revegetated at Arnups Road, Wet Forest (EVC 30) and Damp Forest (EVC 29). The species selected as a part of this project aim to build the resilience of each.

Greenfleet’s expert Revegetation team take special care in designing the revegetation approach at each of our projects to account for ecological conditions like this. The property scales from low lying areas to the top of a small ridge line, which means some of the species planted prefer wetter conditions while some grow better in dryer areas.

One important species planted is the Strzelecki gum (Eucalyptus strzeleckii), which is classified as vulnerable and is found only in this region. It can be found scattered throughout the landscape in this area and its inclusion in projects such as this can help increase its prevalence.

Wildlife Habitat Restoration

In all projects, Greenfleet’s Revegetation team choose a variety of species that will help create a biodiverse and resilient forest. Some species were chosen specifically for Arnups Road to provide habitat to wildlife or help enhance the existing ecosystems.

One species included is the southern blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus), which is endemic to south-eastern Australia. Its inclusion in this project will help provide habitat to the swift parrot - a unique bird that is classified as endangered at a Federal and Victorian state level, making the restoration of its habitat critical.

Blue gums will also provide potential habitat for the region’s koalas. While koalas are not currently present at Arnups Road, the inclusion of this species will create potential for them to return as the forest becomes established.

Climate Action 

The forest growing at Arnups Road is legally protected for 100 years. Over that time, it will remove over 10,800 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere, which is the equivalent of what almost 2,500 average vehicles emit on Australia’s roads in a single year. 

To learn about how you can take climate action with Greenfleet to manage your carbon footprint and support the restoration of native forests like this, click here.

Location Size 

5.7 hectares near Fish Creek in Victoria 

Planting Dates 

2021 

Species 

  1. Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata)
  2. Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon)
  3. Prickly Moses (Acacia verticillata)
  4. Blanket leaf (Bedfordia arborescens)
  5. Drooping cassinia (Cassinia arcuata)
  6. Currant bush (Coprosma quadrifida)
  7. Eurabbie (Eucalyptus globulus subsp. bicostata)
  8. Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus)
  9. Mountain grey gum (Eucalyptus cypellocarpa)
  10. Messmate stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua)
  11. Swamp gum (Eucalyptus ovata)
  12. Mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans)
  13. Strzelecki gum (Eucalyptus strzeleckii)
  14. Manna gum (Eucalyptus viminalis)
  15. Hop goodenia (Goodenia ovata)
  16. Austral mulberry (Hedycarya angustifolia)
  17. Burgan (Kunzea ericoides)
  18. Woolly tea-tree (Leptospermum lanigerum)
  19. Swamp paperbark (Melaleuca ericifolia)
  20. Scented paperbark (Melaleuca squarrosa)
  21. Musk daisy bush (Olearia argophylla)
  22. Snowy daisy bush (Olearia lirata)
  23. Tree everlasting (Ozothamnus ferrugineus)
  24. Hazel pomaderris (Pomaderris aspera)
  25. Victorian mint bush (Prostanthera lasianthos)