Hope for the future after removal of historic trees at Perth’s Kings Park

ABC NEWS (Australia)

One of Western Australia's most important landmarks, Kings Park, looks dramatically different after the forced destruction of 42 historic trees. The trees were over 100 years old but had to be removed to try and stop the invasive shot hole borer infesting more of the park. But the Kings Park Authority has found a silver lining, using the bare escarpment to plant 60,000 new plants and trees.

Transcript

00:00This might look like a bit of a mess, but it's work that could future-proof WA's number

00:08one tourist destination.

00:11Here on the Kings Park escarpment, 42 big 100-year-old trees had to be removed because

00:16of the shothole borer, but the park is using it as an opportunity.

00:20That project is a combination of reprofiling works, restoration works and drainage improvements

00:27to manage the kind of increased risks that we might have associated with land slip resulting

00:31from the tree removals.

00:33Up at the top of the hill, special drainage cells are being installed underground to slow

00:37the infiltration of water and stop it running off the slope causing a land slip.

00:42It also keeps the water available to the plants and trees.

00:45We know with climate change, drying climate, more irregular rainfall patterns, these kind

00:49of improvements are really important to the ongoing resilience of our collections.

00:53It's also a chance to rehabilitate the area.

00:56This year we've got 20,000, just over 20,000 plants to put back in, which is a great achievement.

01:01Last year we did 20,000 in another location.

01:04And then going forward we're looking at doing potentially 30,000 per year the next few years.

01:09These seedlings have been propagated from seeds and cuttings collected from plants naturally

01:14growing along the escarpment.

01:15I've got some scovolas, similar to the malaleuca's, really great for that soil binding.

01:21It's planting day, and once it's finished the trails will all be reopened to the public.

01:26Botanists expect it to be a huge success.

01:30Much like this section just up the road, which has only been in for a year but is already

01:34thriving.

01:35We're seeing fauna returning into the area that we hadn't seen in there before.

01:39Native species for the wind.

01:40We're seeing fauna returning into the area that we hadn't seen in there before.

01:42Native species for the wind.

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