Removals and restoration: what's happening on Mount Eliza Escarpment
Works to remove additional PSHB infested host trees on Mount Eliza Escarpment will take place from August 2024 while restoration continues at Mounts Bay Gardens.
The program of tree removal and pruning is showing real evidence of success. Recent DPIRD surveillance in Kings Park recorded much lower beetle numbers in the first and second quarter of 2024.
Removals will be managed by Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in two stages, beginning in August with trees located adjacent to Kings Tower.
Ongoing surveillance found these trees were heavily infested with PSHB, right down to the lower trunk.
Trees infested by PSHB can become a constant source of beetles that can disperse and impact neighbouring trees. The removals are vital to protect the Western Australian Botanic Garden.
The Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA) continues to work closely with DPIRD in managing the response across Kings Park. Works undertaken to combat PSHB infestations include ongoing surveillance, chemical trials, pruning and selective removals where required.
Pruning has been determined as not an option at the Mount Eliza escarpment location as these trees are too heavily infested.
These tree removals, following on from the thirteen removed from Mounts Bay Gardens in March this year, will see significant landscape changes to Mount Eliza escarpment. But these works are only a chapter in the long history of changes in the area.
Restoration works by Kings Park staff have commenced at Mounts Bay Gardens with a focus on species native to the escarpment.
Nearly 18,000 plants were planted in July 2024.
By applying ecological restoration principles to the site, BGPA aims to not only revegetate the area, but create a self-sustaining ecological community which celebrates the natural biodiversity of the Swan Coastal Plain.
This restoration program will continue over a number of years and be extended to the escarpment area affected by the additional tree removals.
Rockfall risk is being carefully managed through rock catch fencing which will be extended to properties adjacent to the next stage of works.
BGPA is working closely with Traditional Owners to preserve and honour the cultural significance of the area, with a focus on cultural sensitivity and environmental stewardship.
For the latest information on the Mount Eliza Escarpment works visit the project webpage.
