The BIG Plant

Tamar NRM and the City of Launceston would like to warmly thank everyone who was able to join the 775 other community participants to plant 3,723 trees plant at the Launceston Waste Centre site between 28-31 July 2022.

We planted a whopping 74% of our 5,000 tree target, and any trees not planted during the event will continue to be planted at the site.

By participating, you contributed to the work needed to increase our local bushland and provide additional habitat for the local wildlife. These trees also contribute to the drawing down of carbon from the atmosphere - a small, but not unimportant, response to global warming caused by greenhouse gases.

We sensed from participants an appetite to ‘do something' in response to the environmental challenges being faced. We hope this event provided an opportunity for you to be part of a positive, ‘hands-on’ action.

Thanks again - your energy and enthusiasm made this a fun event.

Special thanks to the following schools, community groups and businesses:

• TasTAFE

• St Thomas More's Christian School

• Newstead College

• St Finn Barr's Catholic School

• Australian Christian College

• Launceston Christian Grammar School - Junior

• Launceston Christian Grammar School - Senior

• Launceston Preparatory School

• John Calvin School

• West Launceston Primary School

• Scotch Oakburn College

• St Anthony's Primary School

• Glen Dhu Primary School

• Big Picture School

• Trevallyn Primary School

• Horticultural Finesse

• Tassie Artificial Turf

• Golden Brown Tasmania

• Bunnings North Launceston

• Becks Hardware Launceston

• HR+ Tasmania

• The Body Shop

• Wholesome Horticulture

• Michelle Jane Beauty

• Ramble Folk

• Transition Tamar

• Tamar Bicycle Users Group

• Bass Greens

• Newstead Baptist and Summerhill Scout Groups

• Soroptimist International, Launceston

• Launceston Field Naturalist Club

• Pilgrim Uniting Church, Launceston

• Australian Plant Society of Tasmania (North)

• Wise Employment - Social group

• Rotary Club of Central Launceston

• West Tamar Council

• The Launceston Muslim Community

Project Background

The BIG Plant is one of several commitments in the City Of Launceston's environmental management plan for the Launceston Waste Centre.  Its primary aim is to improve the visual amenity of the site and to provide a vegetation buffer to the neighbouring communities in the event of future landfill development.

The City of Launceston's commitments includes progressive revegetation within the existing native vegetation with an even spread of plants at various heights and ages across the 83,568m2 of land identified for revegetation. Stage 1 will see 10,000 native species planted with 5,000 of these set aside to be planted by the community. The planting site provides participants views of the active landfill and composting facility to see firsthand the challenges faced by landfilling but also the diversion opportunities that things like the compost facility provide the community.

The BIG Plant will also help mitigate the impacts of landfill operations by improving biodiversity and the natural values of the area by enhancing vegetation and habitat quality and reducing the likelihood of weeds.

As part of the City of Launceston's Sustainability action plan 2022-2030, The BIG Plant contributes to the following actions:

Natural Capital - (Value, protect and promote our natural capital)

• 5.15 Support revegetation projects to reduce fragmentation of native vegetation and improve connectivity for fauna populations that have become isolated due to land clearing

• 5.17 Improve environmental awareness among our employees

• 5.20 Establish engagement programs with local schools to improve the understanding of our natural capital and ecosystem services

The full plan can be viewed on the City of Launceston website.