Council launches habitat recovery kits

Elsie Lange

Fifty Macedon Ranges residents affected by last year’s storms will be able to apply for an habitat recovery kit to aid them in recovery and restoration of the environment.

At a council meeting on Wednesday, March 23, Macedon Ranges mayor Jennifer Anderson said the initiative, funded by council and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, was an “exciting thing to come out of the storm to help people to recover”.

“It involved some nest boxes, and these have been built by our local Men’s Shed, making use of storm-recycled timber,” Cr Anderson said.

“It also involves the use of planting indigenous stocktube, it will involve a free environmental workshop for participants, and they’ll be provided with kits on native weeds, plants and bird guides.”

Eligible recipients must have experienced damage to trees or habitat on their property from the June storm and must attend a workshop on Saturday, May 28 at the Woodend Community Centre.

Successful recipients will also be given an information kit on local weed, plant and bird guides developed by council, and any residents who enter but are unsuccessful will go into the draw for indigenous plant seedlings.

The Woodend Men’s Shed will provide the nest boxes, recently reported by Star Weekly to be creating habitat out of fallen trees to give back to animals who lost their homes during the storms.

Residents can register for the kits until Monday, April 18 at 5pm, and winners will be chosen through a ballot and emailed with the news.