CHRL has been Rehabilitating Old Banana Lands across the Coffs Harbour LGA for the last 18 months as part of a NSW Environmental Trust Restoration and Rehabilitation Grant.

Coffs Harbour is famous for its bananas and once the hillsides were covered in banana plantations producing almost all of the nation’s crop. However in recent times, as north Queensland began to increase production, Coffs Harbour’s production has dropped to just a few percent. In the 1980’s soaring real estate prices were an incentive to sell plantation land most of which had highly sought after views to the coast. As banana production has decreased more of this steep land, mostly unsuitable for other crops (even though blueberries have replaced bananas at many locations) has become available to purchase for residential and lifestyle properties.

Banana growing has had a major impact on the health of the land. Native vegetation was cleared completely to allow for banana planting and any groundcover was suppressed as part of the plantation management. This resulted in significant top soil loss over time.  Since being retired from cropping many of these ex banana lands have been left with little ongoing management for 20-30 years resulting in extensive weed invasion. Most are not regenerating naturally back to bush because of the history of high disturbance, loss of fertile top soil, suppressing weeds and lack of seed source from native vegetation nearby. As these properties often occur in clusters, they form large gaps in potential vegetation corridors and habitat areas.   Due to the steep nature of their properties many of the current landholders find it beyond their capacity to manage these lands successfully. CHRL regularly receives calls from these landowners asking for advice and assistance.

In 2019 CHRL was successful in applying for a NSW Environmental Trust Restoration and Rehabilitation Grant. This 3 year project aims to restore a number of old banana properties through weed control to promote natural regeneration or where this is not viable to carry out revegetation to improve biodiversity.  Revegetation will be targeted if possible to link into existing native vegetation providing opportunity for wildlife such as koalas to move across this fragmented landscape. A total of 12ha of land will undergo weed control and 1500 plants planted. Workshops will be held to engage and educate landholders on how to manage their steep land.

Project planting on ex banana land at Woolgoolga

Through this project we have engaged with 6 landholders who have ex banana properties, with properties located at Crossmaglen, Park Beach, Korora Basin, Sapphire Beach and Woolgoolga. We have developed site plans for each property which outline the issues on the property and include a plan for the on ground works that will take place. Weed control has begun on all 6 properties and 4 properties have had some planting with local native species. Creating a native canopy also helps to suppress many of the sun loving weeds such as grasses which are currently growing rampant. All the landholders involved in this project are interested in biodiversity and habitat values and are committed to restoring their land for these reasons. This project will continue to improve these old banana lands for the 12 months and will hopefully provide the landholders with some of the tools to more confidently manage their lands.

Proudly supported by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust.