invest in research
Model partnership restoring banksia woodland Dr Jason Stevens Research Scientist Dr Alison Ritchie Research Scientist
The target - to restore a functioning banksia woodland after disturbance. Photo: Carole Elliott
I
n 1995, Hanson Heidelberg Cement Group (formerly Rocla Quarry Products) approached the Kings Park Science Directorate with the ambitious plan of returning mined sites to an ecosystem closely resembling the species composition of naturally occurring banksia woodland. Hanson’s aim was to develop international leading practice for the integrated restoration of previously mined sites. Such an approach had not been attempted for an ecosystem in a biodiversity hotspot. Over the past 26 years Kings Park Science has been working in a mutually driven partnership with Hanson to tackle the complex restoration and conservation needs of banksia woodland communities. By linking Kings Park’s scientific research programs to Hanson’s restoration projects after sand extraction activities, the partnership has successfully achieved much-needed restoration on a large scale. The on-ground restoration outcomes have been extremely successful, with the sites now boasting some of the highest levels of species and plant reinstatement per unit area of post-mined restoration in the resources sector, matching that of natural bushland systems. The restoration research is focused on learning from what site treatments promote the best outcomes, using innovative approaches to deliver seed and novel ways of understanding plant function in restoration through remote sensing.
Large scale banksia woodland restoration post-mining at Hanson’s Perth operations. Photo: Lauren Svejcar
24
For People & Plants | Special Issue | Spring 2021
