KooyongKoot Alliance was invited by the then member for Higgins, Katie Allen, to apply for the Planting Trees for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Program Federal grant. Working with Boroondara Council and a number of community groups, an application was made and a $20,000 grant was secured.
Now working with the local community, we aim to plant 3,000 trees in the Reserve over two new sites. A focus of the project was to embed community – with a particular focus on involving the 450 or so new social housing residents in the recently constructed Markham Housing Development. Importantly, 10 or so community groups including social support services, sporting clubs and a host of others are actively participating in the program. A big part of our group’s focus is building community through revegetating and caring for our creeks and their surrounds.
As part of this project, we are connecting the following groups ;
- Alamein Neighbourhood and Learning Centre
- The Craig Family Centre
- Ashburton United Soccer Club
- Chadstone and East Malvern Rotary
- Lions Club of Boroondara
- Ashburton Young Cricketers Club
- Friends of Ashburton Forest
- Holmesglen TAFE
- Urban Guerrillas
- 1st Glen Iris Scouts
- KooyongKoot Alliance
- Boroondara Council
- Food Forest Ashburton
- Ashburton Community Garden
- Yarra Riverkeeper
- Melbourne Water
After the KKA won funding of $20,000 from the Australian Government as part of the Planting Trees for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Program, seven commemorative trees were planted at Markham Reserve in the Jubilee year – one for each decade of the Queen’s reign.
In relation to planting a further 3,000 plants in 2023, the following work on the ground has occurred to date:
- The KKA has conducted meetings with some of the ten stakeholders in the Markham Reserve project on managing the revegetation project.
- Mulch has been spread and weeding undertaken.
- Planting is planned for the July – September period.