This site was previously called 'Ngulambarra’ and renamed ‘Lawan’ in 2026.

Building Habitats and Restoring Country

Located on Djaara Country, north of Wedderburn in Central Victoria, Lawan is a 340-hectare property which had previously been cleared and heavily degraded by farming. Now, its restoration is resulting in the establishment of resilient, biodiverse ecosystems.

Restoring native forests in landscapes like these doesn’t happen without strong partnerships, and Greenfleet is working with the Djaara people, Bush Heritage and Cassinia Environmental to restore the property, bolster the ecosystem and support wildlife, including the endangered malleefowl, after which this project is named.

A Thriving Shrubland In Central Victoria

First planted in 2020, Lawan is becoming a healthy shrubland situated between conservation properties at Ngarri-Mt Egbert in the east and the Lawan Reserve to the west, forming a key piece of the Wychitella Biolink, north-west of Bendigo.

Restoring Native Woodlands

Shrub and woodlands once covered large areas of south-eastern Australia. Since European settlement, one third of Australia’s woodlands have disappeared and Victoria has lost 83% of these types of ecosystems to land clearing.

What remains is the most threatened wooded ecosystem in Australia. The birds, mammals and reptiles that inhabit these areas are in sharp decline, and the drier climate is threatening the remaining fragmented landscape.

By reconnecting parts of the Wychitella Biolink, Lawan will help local wildlife move safely through the area to find habitat, food and breeding opportunities. Some of the species known to the area including lace monitors, quolls and the ground-dwelling malleefowl. 

Birds like the swift parrot, shy heathwren and inland thornbill benefit from plants like wattles planted as part of the restoration.

The forest at Lawan will be protected for 100 years to ensure that it can grow to its full potential and provide a wealth of environmental benefits to the region for decades to come.

A close up of a pair of hands planting a tree seedling into soil.

Greenfleet’s Revegetation Approach At Lawan

Between 2020 and 2023 nearly 240 hectares were revegetated with thousands of native seedlings that were both hand and machine planted, and 60kg of seed that was sowed directly into the soil.

More than 40 locally native species were selected as part of the restoration at Lawan. This included many types of wattle, which are vital for the local birdlife, and a number of eucalypt species, including yellow gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon), which are helping form the forest canopy. As they mature, yellow gum trunks will eventually form tree hollows, which will provide homes to mammals and invertebrates. The flowers of this tree will also provide a food source to the local birds.

In 2023, further planting included rare and declining species, such as heath myrtle (Micromyrtus ciliata), rosy baeckea (Euromyrtus microphylla) and spiny rice-flower (Pimelea spinescens), which is critically endangered. These plants will grow to diversify the ecosystem growing at Lawan and help bolster the prevalence of these species in the region.

Enabling The Forest To Thrive

One of the challenges across parts of Central Victoria is the spread of wheel cactus (Opuntia robusta), an invasive and aggressive pest species. To control its spread, each cactus is individually treated with herbicide using a targeted injection method. While this approach may seem unusual, it plays an important role in restoration efforts by reducing competition from invasive plants, giving newly planted native tree species the best possible chance to establish and thrive.

Working With Djaara People To Restore Country 

By working with the Traditional Owners on this project, we are supporting Djaara values, including through the active management of natural resources on site to ensure connection to Country, and to develop sustainable economic outcomes for their community.

In 2026 this shrubland was renamed Lawan, which was previously called Ngulambarra. Chosen by Djaara elders and Bush Heritage, "Lawan" is the Djaara word for malleefowl. Once common in this region of Victoria, malleefowl are listed as endangered in the state, and Lawan forest is growing to provide vital habitat for this small ground-dwelling bird.

In addition to restoring biodiversity and wildlife habitat, parts of the site were also planted with culturally significant food and fibre grasses, including Buwatji (grasses used for grain) and Witji (weaving grasses).

Native kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) and yam daisy (Myrnong) have been planted with the goal of creating traditional food crops that are climate appropriate. Kangaroo grass is perennial, and its seeds can be harvested much like grain to be made into flour for products such as bread. As a native plant, it is resilient to drought and extreme variances in temperature, which is important in the Central Victorian climate. The seeds can also be used in a traditional ceremonial context and the yam daisy’s roots can be used as a vegetable in many dishes.

Growing native grasses has other benefits too: these perennial plants are adapted to the nutrient composition of the soil, with deep root systems that help control soil salinity. This plays an important part in ecosystem health (SDG 15: Life on land), as well as sequestering carbon (SDG 13: Climate action).

In 2022, Djaara man Jason Kerr, Welcomed the Greenfleet team to Country and shared his knowledge about his family and the area. He also conducted a Smoking Ceremony, engaging the team in this traditional practice. We are grateful whenever we are invited to take part in these rituals, which help ground our work in history, culture and purpose.

Location Size

340 hectares in Central Victoria

Planting Dates

2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Species

  1. Gold dust wattle (Acacia acinacea)
  2. Grey mulga (Acacia brachybotrya)
  3. Reed-leaf wattle (Acacia euthycarpa)
  4. Wallowa (Acacia euthycarpa)
  5. Broom wattle (Acacia genistifolia)
  6. Lightwood (Acacia implexa)
  7. Mallee wattle (Acacia montana)
  8. Golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha)
  9. Varnish wattle (Acacia verniciflua)
  10. Buloke (Allocasuarina luehmannii)
  11. Slaty sheoak (Allocasuarina uelleriana)
  12. Drooping sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata)
  13. Sweet bursaria (Bursaria spinosa)
  14. Chinese scrub (Cassinia arcuata)
  15. Broom bitter-pea (Daviesia genistifolia)
  16. Wedge-leaf hop bush (Dodonaea cuneata)
  17. Wedge leaf hopbush (Dodonea viscosa spp cuneata)
  18. Coccid emubush (Eremophila gibbifolia)
  19. Berrigan (Eremophila longifolia)
  20. Bull mallee (Eucalyptus behriana)
  21. Yellow gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon)
  22. Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora)
  23. Grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa)
  24. Red box (Eucalyptus polyanthemos)
  25. Blue mallee (Eucalyptus polybractea)
  26. Green mallee (Eucalyptus viridis)
  27. Rosy baeckea (Euryomyrtus ramosissima)
  28. Small-leaved mallee-pea (Eutaxia microphylla)
  29. Sticky goodenia (Goodenia varia Sticky Goodenia)
  30. Heath teatree (Leptospermum myrsinoides)
  31. Moonah (Melaleuca lanceolata)
  32. Broombush (Melaleuca uncinata)
  33. Fringed heath-myrtle (Micromyrtus ciliata)
  34. Sticky boobialla (Myoporum petiolatum)
  35. Sugarwood (Myoporum platycarpum)
  36. Yam daisy (Myrnong)
  37. Silver daisy-bush (Olearia pannosa subsp. cardiophylla)
  38. Grey everlasting (Ozothamnus obcordatus)
  39. Spiny rice-flower (Pimelea spinescens ssp spinescens)
  40. Weeping pittosporum (Pittosporum angustifolium)
  41. Scarlet mintbush (Prostanthera aspalathoides)
  42. Jagged mintbush (Prostanthera denticulata)
  43. Snowy mintbush (Prostanthera nivea)
  44. Sweet quandong (Santalatum acuminatum)
  45. Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra)
  46. Sticky everlasting (Xerochrysum viscosum)