Why Build Sustainable:
Vegetation Conservation

I made contact with Mark Gahan in July 2002. He is an expert on the local vegetation. I advised him that I lived on a property which was predominately wattle, iron bark and lantana. I explained my objective of minimising our impact on our environment, and my need to manage a fire break without introducing any new species into the area.

Mark informed me that our property was in area that was unique for its biodiversity. We lived in a rainforest characterised by its low rainfall and a huge diversity of plants. This was the Bahrs Scrub vine forest.

I was convinced that Mark was not talking about my property. I lived in a rain shadow, where the average rainfall was 800ml per year. Everything was small and struggling in the dust. This was not any form of rain forest that I was familiar with. I had purchased a dry schlerophyll bush with predominately iron barks, black wattle and lantana.

When Mark arrived, he bounce from one plant to another - each confirming his over the phone suspicion. What I believed was natural to the area was regrowth - predominately ironbark and wattles. What I thought was introduced was native - crotyions, hoop pine, coral trees and the crows ash.

The property had been cleared in the 1800's, initially for sugar cane and banana's, then used for dairy cattle. The last time the regrowth was burnt was 25 years ago.

As Mark explained to me how special my property was, I took him to a remnant of regrowth that I had not thought was significant. This area is only 50 metres x 75 metres. Here he identified 200 different species, 10 of these were either rare or vulnerable!

My eyes must have been painted on.

I now feel entrusted with something very special.

We have developed a reforestation plan, which entails initially clearing the lantana from the ridge. Once the lantana is removed, the many native trees that were struggling for water with the lantana, thrive. We will then re-vegetate with plants which are sourced from our area or adjacent valleys. Plants where appropriate will be propagated from seeds collected from these areas. Mark is a great source of seedlings that belong in this area.

A walking path that runs across the contour of the property behaves as large swale. The swale slows down the surface run-off of water from the land during heavy rain, thereby permitting the water to absorb into the soil. Mulch is placed around the plant and over the top of the microswale.

Plants with their own microswales are located adjacent to the paths. This maximises the amount of water available to the plants during their establishment year. Once established, these plants will not need ongoing watering. The selection of plants is site and microclimate specific, ie, plants suitable for the south side of the ridge may not be suitable to the northside of the ridge. The use of microswales and mulching is an effective way of managing the watering requirements of the plants.

Vegetation List

Acacia disparrima ssp.disparrima	Hickory Wattle
Acacia maidenii	Maiden's Wattle
Acacia melanoxylon	Blackwood
Acalypha nemorum	shrub
Acronychia laevis	Glossy Acronychia
Adiantum atoviride	Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum hispidulum var. hispidulum	Rough Maidenhair
Alchornea ilicifolia	Native Holly
Alectryon tomentosus	Hairy Alectryon
Alphitonia excelsa	Soap Tree/Red Ash
Alyxia ruscifolia	Chain Fruit
Arachnorchis cunninghamii	Hoop pine
Asplenium aystralasicum	Birds Nest Fern
Austrosteenisia blackii	Blood vine
Barklya syringifolia	Crown of Gold
Bosistoa pentacocca	Native Almond
Breynia oblongifolia	Breynia
Bridelia exaltata	Bush Ironbark
Brunoniella australis	Blue Trumpet
Caesalpinia subtropica	Corky prickle vine
Caesia pavuflora var. vittata	Herb
Canthium odoratum	Shiney leaved Canthium
Capparis arvorea	Bush caper	Edible
Capparis sarmentosa	Climbing Caper Bush
Carisa ovata	Current Bush
Cassinia laevis	Coughbush
Cassinia quinquefaria
Cassine australias var. australis	Olive Plum
Cassyha glabella	Devil's Twine
Cayratia clematidea	Slender grape
Centaurium spicatum	Spike Centaury, Herb
Choricarpia subargentea	Giant Ironwood
Chrysocephalum apiculatum	Yellow buttons
Cissus opaca	Forest Grape	edible
Citrus australis	Wild Lime
Clematis glycinodes	Headache Vine
Commelina diffusa	Wandering Jew
Cordyline congesta	Palm Lilly
Cordyline rubra	Red-fruited palm lilly
Cordyline petiolaris	Palm Lilly
Corymbia (Eucalyptus) tessellaris	Morton Bay Ash
Croton acronychoides
Croton insularis	Silver Croton
Croton stigmatosus
Cupaniopsis parvifolia	tuckeroo
Cymbopogon refractus	Barb Wire Grass
Desmodium rhytidophyllum	Hairy Trefoil
Denhamia pittosporoides	Veiny Denhamia
Dianella brivipedunculata
Dianella caerulea	Blueberry Lilly
Dianella longifolia	Blue Flax Lilly
Dichondra repens	Kidney Weed, ground cover
Dioscorea transversa	Native Yam
Dissiliaria baloghioides	Lancewood
Dodonaea viscosa ssp. viscosa	Sticky Hop Bush
Drymorphila moorei	Drymophila
Drynaria rigidula	Basket Fern
Drypetes deplanchei	Yellow Tulip
Elaeodendron australe var. australe	Olive Plum
Elattostachys xylocarpa	White Tamarind
Embelia australiana	Embelia
Eremophia debilis	Winter Fruit (Edible Fruit)
Erythrina sp. Croftby	Bat Wing Coral Tree
Erythrina vespertilio	Pine Mt Coral Tree
Eucalyptus crebra	Narrow-Leaved Ironbark
Eucalyptus moluccana	Gum-Topped Box
Eucalyptus propinqua	Small-fruited grey gum
Eucalyptus siderophloia	Grey Ironbark
Eucalyptus tereticormis	Blue Gum
Eustrephus latiforms	Wombat Berry
Everistia vacciniifolia var. nervosa	Small-leaved Canthium
Ficus macrophylla	Morton Bay Fig
Ficus rubiginosa	Rock Fig
Ficus virens White Fig (Edible Fruit)
Flindersia austrlais	Crows Ash
Fortainea venosa	Veiny Fontainea
Gahnia aspera	Saw Sedge
Geitomoplesium cymosum
Glycine marburg
Grevillea hebmsiae	White Yiel-Yiel
Grevillea robusta	Silky Oak
Grewia latifolia	Dog's Balls (edible fruit)
Gymnostachys anceps	Settler's Flax
Hibbertia diffusa
Hibiscus heterophyllus	Native Hibiscus
Hippocratea barbata	Knot Vine
Hodgkinsonia	Hodgkinsonia
Hymenosporum flavum	Native Frangipani
Jagera pseudorbus	Foambark
Lomandra confertifolia
Maclura cochinchinensis	Cockspur Thorn
Mallotus claoxyloides	Green Kamala
Mallotus phillippensis	Red Kamala
Melichrus adpressus	Shrub
Melodinus australis
Melodorum leichardtii	Zigzag vine
	Native Mint
Notelaea johnsonii	Vienless Mock-olive
Notelaea longifolia	Long-leaved Mock-olive
Olea paniculata	Native Olive
Owenia venosa	Rose Almond
Oxalis corniculata	Yellow Wood-Sorrell
Ozothamnus diosmifolius	Sago Flower	***
Pandorea jasminoides	Bower Vine
Pandorea pandorana	Wonga Vine
Parsonia straminea	Monkey Rope Vine
Pentaceras australia	Penta Ash
Peperomia blanda var.floribunda	herb
Pittosporum revolutum	Forest Pittosporum
Plectranthus suaveolens
Polyalthia nitidissima	Canary Beech
Polyscias elegans	Celery Wood
Pouteria eerwah	Red Coondoo
Pseuderanthemum variabile	Love Flower
Psychotria loniceroides	Hairy Psychotria, shrub
Pyrrosia rupestris	Robber Fern
Rapanea variabilis	Muttonwood
Rhodosphaera rhodanthema	Deep Yellowwood
Ripogonum brevifolium	Small-leaved Supplejack
Rostellularia adscendens	herb
Rubus moluccannus	Molucca Rasberry (edible)
Secamone elliptica	Vine
Schoenoplectus mucronatus	Triangular clubrush
Siphomodon australis	Ivorywood
Smilex australis	Barbed Wire Vine
Sophora fraseri
Streblus brunonianus	Whale Bone Tree(edible)
Strychnos psilosperma	Strychine Tree
Tetrastigma nitens
Thermeda triandra	Kangaroo Grass
Toechima tenax	Pitted-leaved steelwood
Trema tomentosa	Poison Peach
Trophis scandens	Burney Vine
Velleia paradosa	herb
Vitex lignum-vitae	Satinwood
Wikstroemia indica	Bootlace Bark
Unknown
Ground Covers

Reference Book: Mangroves to Mountains, A Field Guide to the Native Plants of the Logan-Albert River Catchment. Logan River Branch S.G.A.P. (Qld Region) inc.

The original vegetation list for our property and immediate neighbouring land was compiled by Mark Gahan, this was further expanded by Glenn Leiper and Bill McDonald.

I know little of what I am looking at; I know I have been entrusted with something very special; I have been inspired by the knowledge and passion of experts; I feel a sence of urgency to change the damage to the land we live on.

Fungi and Lichens

	Foam from ironbark tree after rain.

Building to minimize environmental impacts:

- The building site needs to be evaluated from an environmental impact perspective before any design or construction commences. The results from the evaluation will influence the building design, construction practices and implementation methods.

- Any building project effects the environment in 3 dimensions. The building should be designed, constructed and managed in such a way that it has a positive influence on the enviroment in which its in. The building and its occupants could have significant deleterious effects on the micro-environment if inappropriate building practices are used (cut-fill in lieu of elevated platforms) and living strategies are adopted eg, using and disposing of nitrogen/phosporous rich detergents into the soil.

- When conducting a census of fauna in your area, it may be worthwhile engaging an expert in this field to assist you in spotting the tracks of animals that are not easily recognisable. Some animal species, such as birds, may be seasonal and therefore will require 12 months or more to identify. Unintentional or intentional disturbance of a natural habitat can therefore have a deleterious prolonged or permanent impact.

- The building site selected must take into account and manage the following factors: drainage, dams, retaining walls, roads, paths, excavations, access and waste disposal. A protection plan should be written, and the house designed within these guidelines. This plan shall also direct practices during the building phase so that no unnecessary environmental damage occurs.

http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/t_std2.asp?PID=41
http://lamington.nrsm.uq.edu.au/Documents/Plant/drf.htm
http://www.sgapqld.org.au/
http://www.ea.gov.au/epbc/
http://www.nrdcaction.org/
http://www.sgapqld.org.au/bushtucker10.html

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