The Malinauskas Labor Government is committed to revegetating an area of the Hope Valley Reservoir Reserve which was decimated by Giant Pine Scale (GPS).
Approximately 500 pine trees were infected with GPS at the reserve and had to be cut down.
These felled trees have since been mulched, stockpiled and treated with a disinfectant and will remain on the site for 12 months to minimise the risk of any further spread. Mulched, infected trees from other nearby public and private blocks are also currently stockpiled at Hope Valley.
A rehabilitation plan is already underway with a focus on replacing the pine trees with native vegetation, which is consistent with SA Water's wider land management program.
The section of the reserve affected by the scale is in an area currently not accessible to the public but in a major win for the local community, a walking trail will now be created through this specific area.
Originally, a walking trail would have required some of the pine trees to be cut down, but given they have already been removed the trail can be easily constructed with minimal impact on the environment.
Consultation will open shortly on this trail which will be funded under the Open Space Grant Program.
Work on the walking trail will begin after the quarantine period, with replanting to occur from mid to late 2025.
Native to the eastern Mediterranean region, GPS is an insect that sucks the sap of pine trees and poses a threat to Australia's softwood plantation industry, as it can cause severe dehydration and dieback of branches, leading to tree death in some cases.
Importantly, GPS does not pose a risk to the local community, or to water quality in the reservoir.
The exotic pest has infested thousands of pine trees in Victoria and poses a serious threat to the state's $1.4 billion forest industry and Australia's softwood plantation industry.
PIRSA continues to inspect pine trees in the area for GPS, including both private and public land surrounding the Hope Valley Reservoir Reserve.
As put by Clare Scriven
It is vital that we protect important South Australian Industries such as sustainable forestry, which unfortunately can be badly affected by Giant Pine Scale.
I look forward to seeing the revegetation of the area with trees that are not susceptible to GPS in the future.
As put by Nick Champion
Despite Liberal scaremongering, I want to assure the community, trees will be replanted in the Hope Valley Reservoir Reserve.
We must wait 12 months for the quarantine period to elapse before we can go in there and start revegetating the area.
But we're not wasting this time, instead we're going to make the most of the unfortunate circumstances and create a walking trail for the local community.
I expect a wide range of native plants suitable for the local environment will then be planted from winter next year when conditions are best for the specific species.
As put by Olivia Savvas
Residents in my community have been disappointed to see the full impact of Great Pine Scale at our beloved Hope Valley Reservoir Reserve.
I am pleased to reassure our community that our Government will be replanting at the reserve when appropriate to do so.
Local residents will well remember the commitments made and later abandoned at the site by the former Liberal Government.
I have sought community feedback and advocated for an extension of the walking trail to be included as part of the revegetation project.
