In late 2022 the embankment at Fairhaven subsided following heavy rain and the removal of vegetation by Forest Fire Management Victoria. In November the shire completed remediation works on the embankment, reshaping the hillside and installing a new drainage system. The embankment has been sprayed with hydro mulch that contains native grass seeds.
The shire has provided the following information about the hydro mulch saying it consists of two parts. To quickly establish vegetation cover growth, Rye Corn & Annual Rye Grass was applied in addition to the hydro mulching products at time of installation. The Rye Corn will take off quickly and when it dies off in January, the Annual Rye Grass will take over to assist with growth cover, dying off in late summer. In late summer / early autumn, the native seeds in the hydro mulch will begin to germinate. In addition to this, any existing seed stock within the topsoil will begin to germinate. The hydro mulch also consists of a fibre & straw mix to act as a soil replacement and help control erosion. The fibre will also protect the native seeds.
The native seed species are Austrostipa scabra (Rough Spear Grass), Microlaena stipoides (wildharvested Weeping Grass), Poa labillardieri (Tussock Grass), Rytidosperma geniculatum (Oxley Wallaby Grass) and Themeda triandra (Kangaroo Grass) seed.
We look forward to the embankment taking on a more natural appearance.
Charlotte Allen