Community grant boosts green corridor restoration
Mont Albert Village Gardening Group (MAVGG), a registered Landcare group with over 70 registered members, is rehabilitating a corridor of native vegetation with the help of a Yarra Valley Water Community Grant.
The $5,000 Yarra Valley Water community grant has enabled the group to purchase a trailer and tank to cart water to the corridor, supporting a doubling of the density of new plantings along large parts of the corridor.
Other equipment purchased with the grant included a water-efficient trickle irrigation system to maintain a community produce garden next to Mont Albert Village Plaza.
Mont Albert Gardening Group convenor Bruce Harvey said the MAVGG, planned to continue its work establishing appropriate trees, gardens and habitat along the corridor over the next decade.
“We know the area and understand what the native tree species need and when, as the weather demands,” Mr Harvey said. “Yarra Valley Water’s grant has given us the independence we need to cultivate our local environment and help our community flourish.”
Mr Harvey said the grant was crucial in assisting community groups like Mont Albert Village Gardening Group, which includes arborists and horticulturists, to come together to make meaningful change.
Yarra Valley Water’s General Manager of Strategy and Community, Tiffany White, said Mont Albert Village Gardening Group’s dedication and work to improve its local environment was inspiring.
“It’s wonderful to see the community actively working to revitalise their green spaces, fostering pride and a sense of guardianship over its local habitats,” Ms White said.
“It is our privilege to give Mont Albert Village Gardening Group the boost they needed to continue their impactful conservation efforts, and use water wisely with a water-efficient irrigation system,” she said.
For more information about Yarra Valley Water’s Community Grant program, please visit www.yvw.com.au/community-grants