Albury Wodonga Beautification Project
Client: Federal Government, Transport NSW, Albury City Council
Overview
In partnership with the Federal Government and Transport NSW, Albury City Council decided to undertake a significant highway beautification program to improve the visual appeal of the city to the 25,000 motorists who pass through every day.
The Council needed a partner contractor who could expertly manage environmental and safety issues involved in planting along high traffic density arteries, to install and maintain the 10,500 plantings scoped for the Hume Highway corridor.
Situation
Following a robust tender process, Summit Open Space Services was selected to manage this large tree planting project on the border of NSW and Victoria.
Project
As the gateway to Albury, it was important to capture the character of the local flood plain. With this in mind, the Summit team took a minimalist approach in order to emphasise the land formation and provide open views along the highway.
Selected to enhance the environment, the plant stock included:
- Weeping Bottlebrush: Callistemon viminalis “Little John”
- Native grasses
- Shrubs
- Groundcover plants
Not only designed to impress motorists with changing, colourful displays across different seasons, the plant stock was also thoughtfully chosen for the purpose of effective bushfire risk mitigation.
To reduce the impact on motorists and prioritise the team’s safety, works were carefully planned to take place during weekday school hours, with single lane closures and reduced speed limits in place throughout work hours.
Outcomes
With zero lost time injuries and minimal disruption to road users, the Summit team was proud to use a varied selection of local, bushfire-resistant trees and grasses to create a striking and environmentally-friendly introduction to Albury for visitors and locals.
For more information, visit:
https://www.alburycity.nsw.gov.au/news/2021/jun/landscaping-to-beautify-highway
