Written by
19 July 2021
The leafy green streets and beautiful bushland corridors synonymous with Ellendale have long been admired by residents – and now they have earned our Upper Kedron community a major award.
Ellendale has been recognised at the prestigious 2021 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Awards for Land Management following its entry by Ellendale landscape architects Place Design Group.
Shaun Egan, Project Director of Place Design Group said Ellendale has many standout features that helped earn the coveted accolade, from green open spaces through to enhanced local biodiversity that provides a long-term habitat for fauna.
Green open space and bushland corridors
The environment is integral to the unique setting of Ellendale as it offers the opportunity for a village lifestyle just 12 kilometres from Brisbane CBD.
Cedar Woods made a commitment from the beginning to retain and rehabilitate 40 per cent of the site as green space, which equates to 91 hectares of natural and open areas within the community.
These spaces feature the highest ecological value to enhance local biodiversity, provide long term habitat and encourage natural fauna movement.
Natural topography
The urban design of Ellendale nestles on the existing, sloping topography of the land, at the foothills of the spectacular D’Aguilar Range.
The design process began by identifying important natural features that provide ecological and aesthetic value prior to development.
“The slope was incorporated as a lifestyle feature, with the lots planned to preserve significant elements of the site and maximise views to them,” Cathy Dibden, Place Project Lead said.
Rehabilitation
In the past five years, more than 25,000 trees have been planted throughout the community as part of rehabilitation works.
This has included transplanting key species from other areas within the community.
50 Xanthorrea, or grass trees, from within stage three were moved to the adjacent stage two corridor, where they continue to grow and maintain the species diversity of the site.
“Likewise, pockets of Macrozamia Lucida, or Pineapple Zamia, were identified and relocated into adjacent corridors, and smaller plants systematically rescued, temporarily stored, and planted into rehabilitation areas,” Cathy Dibden said.
Local fauna
Another central design component of the Ellendale community is the creation and maintenance of habitat for local fauna.
Linkages have been established between vegetation corridors in completed stages, both above and below ground.
This includes glider poles to facilitate aerial movement, while under road crossing points with crawl bars enable fauna to cross under the road corridor. The result can be seen in the diversity of fauna at Ellendale, including koalas, squirrel gliders, possums, bats, owls, and other bird life.
Regular maintenance
The Ellendale team continues to undertake ongoing maintenance, including additional supplementary planting. Both the landscape design team and revegetation contractor regularly walk through the corridors to assess and respond to any changing needs.
This has also provided more opportunities to maximise the site’s growing resources, with seeds collected and propagated for rehabilitation areas.
The above environmental enhancements not only provide immediate benefits for the community, such as a green, leafy neighborhood, but also build a strong foundation for Ellendale, its flora and fauna to continue to thrive into the future.
This outstanding achievement is a testament to the high standards of collaboration and planning with key project partners Place Design Group, Evolve Environmental Solutions, Shadforth Civil Contractors, 28 South, Peak Urban and Brisbane City Council.
