The Ormeau Bottle Tree is a critically endangered rainforest tree only found in a one square kilometre area of the Upper Ormeau Valley on the northern Gold Coast.
Boral became aware of the presence of this unique tree on our Ormeau Quarry land through Bob and Sue Durance of the Northeast Albert Landcare Group, while working together on quarry buffer land alongside the Pimpama catchment. Boral has since undertaken extensive vegetation assessments and mapping, to better understand the distribution and diversity of the tree on the quarry site. This information is now being used to support a long-term staged revegetation program.
Almost three decades ago, Boral engaged with local stakeholders who were forming the Pimpama River Revegetation Partnership in collaboration with the City of Gold Coast Council and Northeast Albert Landcare Group. This partnership helps support the Ormeau Bottle Tree Project which is protecting this rare species of tree.
When it comes to stakeholder engagement, Boral has been a recognised leader in the industry for a long time for the importance we place on understanding and working together with the community.
Many actions have been taken by Boral to protect the Ormeau Bottle Tree, including extensive and diverse plantings within the Boral Environmental Reserve, on quarry buffer land, and the restoration of rainforest along Pimpama Creek. We estimate to have planted about 100,000 native trees of varying rainforest species over the years.
This work has improved the habitat of the Ormeau Bottle Tree by:
- Restoring rainforest and keeping down weeds around existing bottle trees and reinstating many additional trees through plantings
- Ensuring that all natural and planted specimens are retained and protected as part of Boral's ongoing operations
- The establishment of a 77 hectare Environmental Offset at a nearby Boral site in Ormeau, to enhance the measures already committed to as part of our quarry approvals. The offset is legally binding and involves an Offset Management Plan which will positively contribute to the valley's ecological values and protect the tree’s habitat.
Steps were also taken to protect the bottle tree during the redesign of our new quarry entry. We sought to avoid destroying a single sapling of the bottle tree that was identified during the design process. Those re-design costs alone were more than $50,000.
Unfortunately to this day, the area suffers from trespassing by four-wheel drivers, causing environmental damage such as erosion along the creek which threatens the habitat of the Ormeau Bottle Tree.
However, Boral and our neighbours have been working together to keep trespassers out by erecting fencing and bollards, gates and signs. Council is also exploring further measures to reduce trespassing with the assistance of local industry.
We are proud of our long-term partnership with Landcare and the local community and what we have achieved together along the Pimpama catchment, reiterating Boral's focus on safety, environment, sustainability and people.
Boral's hope for the future of the Ormeau Bottle Tree is to continue to support Landcare in its conservation work to ensure the survival of this amazing species.