Internationally-recognised landscape architects, Place Design Group, won the Landscape Architecture Award for Land Management for our environment-led design solutions at Ellendale.
The jury described our masterplanned community as an ‘exemplar project’, saying it was impressed with the value placed on retaining topography and existing vegetation and the commitment to rehabilitation of identified park linkages.
Our team worked closely with Place Design Group from the start on Ellendale’s masterplan, which includes preserving more than 40 per cent of the site as green space — 91 hectares in total. Almost 60 hectares of this has already been dedicated to Brisbane City Council.
The focus has always been to retain, rehabilitate and enhance key corridors within the site, providing environmental benefits for the broader community. To do this, we worked in with the natural slope and features of the land to retain corridors of the highest ecological value in order to enhance biodiversity, provide long term habitat and encourage fauna movement.
The rehabilitation works include an extensive five-year planting program totalling 189,000 trees, shrubs, ground covers and fauna connections, and will continue until 2026. Place Design Group’s Project Lead, Cathy Dibden, says a key aspect of the rehabilitation works includes transplanting key species from other areas within the community.
“The rehabilitation work preserved plants with the most ecological value and a number of species were systematically rescued, temporarily stored and planted into the natural bushland corridors to promote biodiversity,” says Cathy. These plant species include Xanthorrea (grass trees) and Macrozamia Lucia (Pineapple Zamia).
“We continually assess and respond to any changing needs by regularly walking the environmental corridors, which also allows us to maximise the site’s growing resources by collecting and propagating seeds for future planting.”
Our love of our native animal neighbours also got a nod from the jury, with our fauna management, rehabilitation and future measures celebrated as ‘commendable’. The enhanced habitat created supports locally and nationally significant species — including koalas, squirrel gliders, possums and owls. So far, we have 64 squirrel glider poles, 320 nesting boxes and 120 metres of fauna underpasses established here at Ellendale.
We’ve built more than 440 homesites since work started in 2016. And this extensive program of preserving and enhancing natural bushland corridors through planning and revegetation means our residents enjoy a community truly nestled amongst nature.
Are you ready for a ‘green change’? Find the charm of village living and a bushland setting here at Ellendale Upper Kedron, with all the conveniences of Brisbane CBD just 12 kilometres away. Register your interest by visiting the Ellendale Sales Centre, Saturday to Wednesday from 11am to 4pm, or call 1300 720 858.