Community rolls up sleeves to rejuvenate dunes

With Spinifex and Pigface in hand community members dug deep to help rejuvenate and preserve the dunes at Elliott Heads.

Almost a dozen volunteers rolled up their sleeves to weed and plant new vegetation, in the second dune care activity held as part of the Elliott Heads Dune Weed Management Program.

Spinifex, Goats Foot and Pigface are three of the low growing coastal native species planted during the activity.

Community members Andrea McPherson and Chris Barnett were just two of the local volunteers who gave up their Saturday morning to help create a native habitat to outcompete the weeds and assist in dune stabilisation. 

After attending the initial Elliott Heads Dune Weed Management ​activity in December, Andrea said it was pleasing to see more people turn out to help their community.

“It’s great to have projects where you can assist your community,” Andrea said.

“Elliott Heads is a lovely place to live, so it’s nice to be able to help and improve the area.

“We are only able to ​contribute an hour this morning, but some is better than none.”

Chris said it was the first time he had attended the community activities on the dunes and he was keen to attend future events and encouraged other community members to take part.

Divisional representative Cr Tanya McLoughlin attended the first community weeding activity held in December and said she was pleased to see, as word spread, more attendees taking part.

While pulling the weeds from the dunes at Elliott Heads, Cr McLoughlin said the dune weed management program was not only beneficial to the environment, but it also helped people to learn what was native to the area and what was considered a weed.

“The low growing dune species are good for ground cover and will outcompete the non-native grasses and weeds that were found here,” Cr McLoughlin said.

“This program gives the community a chance to be involved and ​contribute to help the environment.

“And it helps when the community gets involved and learn how to identify the weeds easily and then they can help keep an eye on the environment as time goes by.”

The Elliott Heads Dune Weed Management program is being managed by Bundaberg Regional Council’s natural areas and land protection teams and will continue until at least December 2021.

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