Park goes back to grassroots

3rd December 2009

THERE is no doubting Wide Bay Water’s sincerity with its environmentally friendly ambitions.

Shane Hensler from Grassroots Landscaping with new dune plants.

Alistair Brightman

THERE is no doubting Wide Bay Water’s sincerity with its environmentally friendly ambitions.

Trees along the Pialba foreshore were removed in March when building on WetSide began but many more will take their place.

And the corporation’s Christina Maynes assures every effort is being made to protect the vegetation at the site.

Wooden boardwalks stop park-goers from trampling recently planted grasses and vines native to the Fraser Coast and thick groupings of dune species deters people accessing WetSide from the beach.

Grassroots Landscaping director Shane Hensler and his Hervey Bay team worked their magic on the park after weeds and introduced species were removed.

“The concept behind the design was to revegetate it back to what it was like 70 to 100 years ago,” Mr Hensler said.

Species that grow naturally along Queensland’s east coast have been planted, pandanus palms from the original roundabout have been relocated in the park and Moreton Bay figs have been left in their places and built around.

Various other trees have had limbs pruned for safety, while soil conditioner TerraCottem has been used to ensure a balance in the soil.

Ms Maynes said Cottonwood trees would also be planted on the dune near TotSide.

Wide Bay Water Corporation will plant 100 trees for every one removed ahead of building, Ms Maynes said. That totals 5200 new trees for Hervey Bay; 108 of which have been planted at WetSide.

The park also harvests rainwater from the Pialba stormwater system. That water goes into a 500,000-litre tank under the oval car park and is pumped into a continuous micro-filtration unit (the “clean machine”), ridding it of impurities and chlorinating it to swimming pool standards.

A 200,000-litre tank under the main play area recycles the water gushing through the fountains while also re-cleaning and re-chlorinating it.

WetSide will be officially opened by Premier Anna Bligh on Sunday.