21/09/2026
Riverhead Embankment Transformation 🌿
A big project completed out in Riverhead, transforming approximately 900m² of steep, overgrown embankment into a native planted area.
When we first arrived, a large portion of the bank was essentially an overgrown no-man’s-land, covered in w**ds, rubbish, roots and unwanted material. The clients wanted to turn the area into something that would look better, encourage native growth and help with erosion over time, while making use of the less steep section for their septic dispersal field.
There was a fair bit of work involved before any planting could begin. We started by spraying the existing w**ds and cutting everything back with w**d eaters, before bringing the digger in to scrape away the remaining vegetation, roots and rubbish and give us a clean canvas to work with.
The slope made this job especially challenging. With some sections extremely steep, simply moving around the site and getting materials down the bank took a bit of thinking. We used a combination of ropes and pulley systems to move materials where they were needed and worked our way across the site section by section, all while battling some pretty average weather along the way.
Once the site was prepared, planting holes were dug throughout the embankment and the native planting started going in.
Across the steeper sections we installed temporary timber retaining boards along the face of the bank. These help keep the mulch in place rather than allowing it to wash or slide down the slope while the plants are still young. As the natives mature and establish, their roots and growth will increasingly take over that job.
The area was then mulched to finish everything off and give the new planting the best possible start.
A challenging site and plenty of hard work involved, but a huge change from what we started with. It’ll be awesome to watch this one develop over the next few years as the natives establish and the whole embankment fills in. 🌱
Creating Nature Landscapes
Need help with planting, site clearing, retaining, drainage or general landscape work? Send Creating Nature Landscapes a message or call and we’d be happy to have a look.
