Bush+regeneration+management+plan


 * Aquinas College Revegetation Management Plan 2011 **

**Aquinas community involvement **

The revegetation works comes out of a need to involve the Aquinas community in a positive action plan for improvement in biodiversity in the college. It will involve close working relationship between the grounds maintenance team employed by the College, students and teaching staff implementing teaching programs around environmental issues.

**Revegetation sites **

Works to be carried out each year should be determined by discussion between the maintenance team and the Environment and Sustainability Co-ordinator to determine the priorities for the year. Each site should be examined each school term to determine progress and the status of works.

**Revegetation Works **

Revegetation works will be carried out on an annual basis, as follows:

**Preparatory Works **

Weed removal will include a combination of non-residual weedicide application and hand grubbing. Initial spraying with herbicide (glyphosate) around existing vegetation at a time that is likely to maximise effectiveness. Plants should be actively growing and be healthy to maximise the effect of the herbicide and the soil should be moist. Use of black plastic sheeting for solarisation in selected areas prior to placement of mulch. This is likely to be most effective in areas completely lacking any native grasses some of which do occur along the western boundary of the College. This is an activity that can be managed through the environmental science classes and will form part of a learning task comparing weed treatment procedures. Selected tree limbs can be used to secure the plastic as it performs its solarisation task. Plastic will need to be in place long enough to kill existing grasses which largely consists of kikuyu couch, annual rye grass and panic veldt grass. This is likely to be a minimum of 4 weeks.

**Vegetation off cuts and tree limbs **

The use of vegetation offcuts and tree limbs on site should be incorporated into the revegetation works and mulching areas.

**Mulching ** Bush mulch has been sourced and should be added to the weeded areas after weeding treatments have occurred. Usually a period of one week will be required after the weeds have been sprayed to determine the effectiveness of the spray. Mulch will be added around sprayed areas as is needed. Off cut vegetation and tree limbs can be used to overlay the bush mulch and consideration should be given not to use offcuts containing weed seeds. This is likely to include boneseed and sweet pittosporum. These weed plants will need to be monitored because they are present in the bushland next to Aquinas. Council should be contacted and a maintenance request put in place to have any of the major weeds removed that are in close proximity of the College eg along the western boundary fence line

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Pre planting into non mulched areas ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;">Slashing existing grassed areas to minimise grass cover at the time of planting. Areas for the plants should then be sprayed. After spraying has been successful plants should be planted as soon as possible and mulch placed around the plant to discourage weeds.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Plants ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 37.4pt;">Plants will be sourced from CRISP nursery. These works will aim to maximize the diversity of plant species,. Plants will be tubestock size and will use plants recommended by staff at the nursery.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Planting Times ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 37.4pt; text-indent: -37.45pt;">Actual planting works should commence in autumn and at a time when existing soil moisture levels are high.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Planting Works **

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">- <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">All plants should be tubestock from local indigenous sources eg CRISP or Operation Revegetation <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;">- An application of non-residual weedicide will be applied to any grass cover within 400 mm radius of the planting hole prior to be placement of weedmat or mulch and planting. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">- <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">A slow release fertiliser tablet and water crystals will be placed at the base of each hole prior to planting. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">- <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Plants will be planted at a rate of one (1) plant per 2 m 2. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">- <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Plant species will be mixed to maximize the diversity of planting generally. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">- <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">In the event that planting takes place in less than optimal soil moisture conditions, all plants will receive a minimum five (5) litres of water at the time of planting. The actual quantity of water will be subject to existing weather conditions.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maintenance Works **

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18.65pt; text-indent: -18.7pt;">All revegetation works will be maintained annually from the time of planting. //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maintenance works will be undertaken so as to //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">: 􀁹 <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Optimise the health and growth rate of planted plants. 􀁹 <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">To minimise the growth of grass and weed. //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maintenance works shall include but will not be limited to //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">: 􀁹 <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Watering to sustain optimal levels of plant growth. Watering will largely be dictated by prevailing weather conditions but, in times of low rainfall, will comprise a fortnightly application of two (2) litres per plant for at least the first six (6) months of plant establishment. 􀁹 <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maintaining low grass and weed levels between plants by slashing a minimum three (3) times annually. 􀁹 <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Replacement of dead or dying plants after six (6) months of initial planting works. 􀁹 <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Replacement of dead and dying plants on a 12 monthly interval thereafter.

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