A new outdoor recreation hub is to be established in the ACT’s south with more than half a million trees to be planted at Ingledene Forest near Tharwa.
Announcing the inititaive, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Mick Gentleman said Ingledene was formerly a pine plantation but was destroyed in the 2003 bushfires.
“It will now be transformed with 500,000 pine trees and thousands of native yellow box, red gum and apple box trees being planted to create an outdoor recreation area similar to Kowen Forest,” Mr Gentleman said.
“The ACT’s valuable forested areas offer outdoor activities such as trail walking, mountain bike riding and orienteering. We will work with the Canberra community over the coming years to help shape recreational uses for the area.”
He said the plantation would accumulate an estimated 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over the next 25 years, helping to achieve the ACT’s target of zero carbon emission by 2045.
“Preparations will begin at Ingledene at the end of the year with planting to begin in the western sector in 2020-2021, and the eastern sector in 2021-2022,” Mr Gentleman said.
“The replanting will create an estimated 20 new jobs for the region and will complement the ACT’s softwood plantation estate by providing around 280,000 tonnes of renewable timber.”
