Tree life has returned to the median strip of Northbourne Avenue in central Canberra, in what’s being called a “major milestone” for the city’s light rail project.
ACT transport and city services minister Meegan Fitzharris said the tree planting, on April 6, marked the beginning of the transformation of Canberra’s northern gateway.
“Light rail is not just a transport project,” Fitzharris said. “It will transform Northbourne Avenue and revitalise this important gateway to the nation’s capital. Today marks an important milestone, with the first Eucalyptus mannifera being planted on Northbourne Avenue.”
The first plantings kick off a program which includes over 1,000 trees, and more than one million plants in total, planned for the Canberra Metro light rail route, including trees, native wildflowers, herbs, forbs and grasses.
Under the project’s Light Rail Landscape Plan, the northern parts of the corridor will feature a grassland landscape, which will transition to a more formal grand boulevard design along Northbourne Avenue. Plant types were selected after community consultation and discussions with the National Capital Authority.
The first tree, a five-metre gum, was planted between Elouera and Girrawheen Streets.
“These gums are considered an impressive species which have featured in other landscaping projects around Canberra over the past 50 years, creating beautiful native boulevards,” Fitzharris said.
“Importantly, today’s planting of Eucalypts begins the replacement of all the trees removed during construction,” the minister added. “I know these trees were special to many people across Canberra, and I hope the new gums we are planting here today will be too.”