Macedon Ranges Council is upcycling trees felled by the June 2021 storm, milling them into stakes to boost council planting programs.
The council uses stakes in botanic gardens, parks, reserves, and street tree planting programs to help newly planted trees grow by giving them support and protection, leading to a greater chance of survival into maturity.
Shane Walden, council’s director of assets and operations, said stakes were a vital element for any tree planting program.
Usually, each stake costs about $4.10; therefore for every 1000 stakes milled from the storm’s green waste, there is a savings of $4100 for the council.
“This saving means the council can redirect funds into other areas of recovery and restoration. As well as helping us rebuild the natural environment, by creating stakes from storm waste, there is a financial benefit for the community,” he said.
Council’s flagship facility in Romsey, run in partnership with Bushfire Recovery Victoria, continues to process green waste from storms and turn it into usable products.
“The Romsey facility has allowed us to not only process storm waste faster, and on an enormous scale, it also enables the up-cycling of waste into products that create a benefit for our community,” Mr Walden said.
As well stakes for its tree-planting program, Macedon Ranges Shire Council has delivered stakes to the City of Greater Bendigo and Mitchell Shire Council.
