Holden and Landcare Australia’s partnership drives local projects

Removing non-native weeds in Melbourne’s Westgate Park, upgrading a koala enclosure, and revegetation with more than 2,500 plants in South Australia and Victoria, are some of the activities funded through Holden’s partnership with Landcare Australia this year.

Over $22,000 will be delivered to four organisations to build on previously funded projects and undertake new works.

Friends of Westgate Park

Friends of Westgate Park is an active community-based landcare group with the vision of revegetating Melbourne’s Westgate Park using indigenous plants. The group will remove non-indigenous vegetation and weeds from a section of the park, replacing them with native vegetation.  Planting days with Holden employee and community volunteers will improve the biodiversity at the site.

Wildhaven Wildlife Shelter

Wildhaven was established in 1998 to continue and expand the volunteer work dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of orphaned and injured wildlife. A small area attached to the current Koala enclosure will be constructed, allowing for the safe release of animals on the verge of re-introduction to the wild improving the koala’s chance of survival.

City of Salisbury

The City of Salisbury is a local Government organisation, located 25km north of Adelaide with a population of over 137,000 residents. The project will be an extension of the work previously funded by Holden, and will include the planting of 600 new plants across the City’s open spaces and the maintenance of previous planting sites.

Bass Coast Landcare Network

The Bass Valley Landcare Group in Victoria was formed in 1988 with its primary issues being soil erosion, native vegetation decline, pest plants and animals and declining water quality.  The group will work with Holden employees to implement the Vegetation Management Plan at the Holden Proving Ground as well as planting 2,000 indigenous plants in the Bass River Catchment.

Holden has been a partner of Landcare Australia since 2002 and has funded projects in and around their testing and manufacturing facilities, as well as undertaking employee volunteering and providing vehicles for use by the Landcare community.