Page 2830 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 17 August 2005
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trees to be planted. As I just indicated, it is expected that those additional 5,000 will be planted in the next few weeks.
The second area, and a major area, is the eastern side of Mount Stromlo. Those plantings commenced in the past two weeks. They will be completed towards the end of September or October. Approximately 180 hectares of Mount Stromlo will be planted, the entire eastern face, the side facing towards Canberra. In the order of 150,000 trees will be planted in that area. Over the past week or so, 3,000 have been planted. Pines are being planted along forest trail verges and along routes being developed within that area.
The plantings of pines are in strips, recognition of the need for fire abatement. The strips will be 12 metres wide and constitute about four rows of pines. In the order of about 40,000 pines trees will be planted in that way, essentially as shade trees for those who walk, run, jog or use the trails throughout the area. The remainder of that area will be planted to smooth-bark eucalypts. They were selected in consultation with the CSIRO. Because of bushfire considerations two species have been chosen, recommended by the CSIRO, and they will constitute more than 120,000 trees that will be planted on the east face.
The goal of the work being done is to provide a major recreational area for ACT residents. It will contain significant new facilities for the ACT in the form of a criterion track that has been designed by Stephen Hodge and a running track designed by Robert de Castella. There are plans for a significant upgrade of Holden’s Creek, which is a small stream that runs through that part of Mount Stromlo. To date, heritage surveys have been completed and a land survey has been completed.
MR SPEAKER: Order! The minister’s time has expired.
MS MacDONALD: I have a supplementary question. Will the minister further provide information on what progress has been made on the bushfire memorial being established within Stromlo Forest Park?
MR STANHOPE: Just to complete the answer I was previously giving, before I move on to that important issue of the bushfire memorial, development applications for many of the projects proposed for Mount Stromlo are currently being worked through with ACTPLA. As I was saying, those projects include a criterion track, a running track and other walking, riding and equestrian trails as well as the bushfire memorial itself and a design for the upgrade of Holden’s Creek. So, work is well advanced in relation to a number of the projects.
Most specifically, going to the supplementary question, the development of the ACT bushfire memorial has commenced. As members will be aware, Mr Quinlan announced the winning design for a bushfire memorial. The design provides for significant contributions from the community, for instance in the supply of bricks for a commemorative wall, including inscribed bricks to record matters of importance to individuals, photos for inclusion in the glass sculptures to record people’s memories of living in the areas before the fires and community involvement in the landscape plantings that will surround the key elements of the memorial’s design.
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