History and Present Condition
The Bremer Catchment Association supported local community members to successfully rehabilitate this critical section of the lower Bremer River. The initial project wound up around 10 years ago and it’s time to bring back the Tiger Street River Action Group and wipe some weeds away.
The plantings and regeneration program has provided a good base of native species as shown in the following table of identified natives taken from a preliminary site report by Natural Bushland Ecology.
Table 1
Native Species List
| Acacia concurrens – Black Wattle | |
| Adiantum hispidulum var. hispidulum – Rough Maidenhair Fern | |
| Agathis robusta – Kauri Pine | |
| Arytera distylis – Twin-Leaved Coogera | |
| Brachychiton acerifolius – Flame Tree | |
| Castanospermum australe – Blackbean | |
| Casuarina cunninghamiana – River Sheoak | |
| Christella dentata – Binung Fern | |
| Crinum pedunculatum – River Lily | |
| Cupaniopsis anacardioides – Tuckeroo | |
| Ecliptica prostrata – Eclipta | |
| Eucalyptus tereticornis – Red Gum | |
| Ficus coronata – Creek Sandpaper Fig | |
| Ficus opposita – Western Sandpaper Fig | |
| Geitonoplesium cymosum – Scrambling Lily | |
| Grevillea robusta – Silky Oak | |
| Hymenosporum flavum – Native Frangipani | |
| Juncus usitatus – Common Sedge | |
| Lomandra confertifolia subsp. pallida – Pale Mat Rush | |
| Lomandra longifolia – Mat Rush | |
| Maclura cochinchinensis – Cockspur | |
| Mallotus phillipensis – Red Kamala | |
| Melaleuca bracteata – Black Paperbark | |
| Melaleuca viminalis – Weeping Bottlebrush | |
| Melia azerderach – White Cedar | |
| Persicaria spp. – a Knotweed | |
| Streblus brunonianus – Whalebone Tree | |
| Typha orientalis – Cumbungi |
Almost a decade after the initial project wound up, the site is faced with the threat of another invasion of Celtis senensis among other numerous and equally invasive environmental weeds.
The immediate concern is to address these weed incursions and replace with selected native species for revegetation plantings. A bush regeneration plan will be developed to effectively protect and restore the site and ultimately create a unique and highly valued asset to the local community.
Regeneration
“Successful Bush Regeneration seeks to understand the vegetation dynamics occurring onsite and enhance these processes through the implementation of a carefully developed site-specific Bush Regeneration Plan. The role of ecology in Bush Regeneration cannot be overstated – the goal of all projects is to utilise the inherent processes of ecology to effectively restore bushland areas. Through the effective control of Target Weed Species and creation of suitable niches for local seedling recruitment, the native vegetation across the site can expand and develop.
Although the site has a recent history of threats and hostilities, the existing mosaic of regrowth mixed native/exotic vegetation and the ecological processes occurring onsite, it has a solid ecological foundation to start from and begin to restore it to its original condition. Active seed and sapling bank movements across the site demonstrate that interactions are occurring. Existing patches of native species can be linked up and connected across the site.” Brendan from Natural Bushland Ecology.
The promise of an inner-city oasis, an abundant and healthy ecosystem and its role as a critical section of the riparian habitat corridor all call for the need for the Tiger Street RAG to be reestablished and to carry on this important work.