Revegetation works start at Cooke Point Dune
The boys from Marapikurrinya Pty Ltd in front of the erosion matting that they established on the dune.
On Saturday August 11, Greening Australia (WA) and Care for Hedland Environmental Association started planting native coastal dune plant species at the top of the dune system at Cooke Point.
The revegetation of the dunes is the next phase of a larger rehabilitation project that has been carried out by the Town of Port Hedland and Greening Australia with the support of BHP Billiton Iron Ore.
BHP Billtion Iron Ore is also the principal partner with Greening Australia’s Pilbara Conservation Program which supports community conservation and land management right across the Pilbara.
The project aims to stabilise the actively eroding coastal dune system which over time has been severely damaged from a combination of cyclones, storms, strong prevailing winds, tidal surges and uncontrolled recreation vehicle use.
The resulting disappearing flat back turtle nesting habitat, sand drift into local homes and siltation of the adjacent creek mouth required urgent action.
The stabilisation process will use a combination of erosion matting, native coastal plant revegetation and gain the support of local Indigenous and landcare groups, the general community, industry and local government involvement.
Greening Australia will supervise all the revegetation activities.
To date, a revegetation plan has been completed by Greening Australia (WA) for the TOPH and council have engaged Marapikurrinya Pty Ltd, a local Indigenous company, to establish the erosion matting on the main section of the eroded dune.
Roger Richardson, whose residence abuts the dune has been diligently planting some native creepers and has kindly offered to water the seedlings planted on Saturday.
Two local businesses BGC and Holcim (Turner River Quarry) have kindly donated and delivered 60 tonne of rock for the project.
This is to be placed at the base of the dune to displace wave energy, provide a platform for sand build up and to cease undermining of the dune by the tides, storms, cyclones and prevailing winds.
Greening Australia is seeking further resourcing for the revegetation of the whole dune system and a temporary irrigation system with the aim of achieving a dense vegetative cover for maximum protection against the elements.
Tags: Cooke Point Dune, Echo, Greening Austraila, News, pilbaranews, Port Hedland
