The first trees have been planted as part of a new project which is establishing bush tucker trees in Roper Gulf Regional Council town parks.
All towns are currently being supplied with young trees and shrubs grown by Greening Australia in Katherine with funding from a Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority Grant. The trees are being grown as source of bush tucker and traditional medicine and will also provide shade and help reduce some of the woody weeds that are choking much of the Top End.
Roper Gulf Regional Council Mayor Tony Jack praised the project saying,
“As well as providing a free source of indigenous fruit, berries and traditional medicine that people can use to supplement daily food or as a treat, it is a also a great way of teaching people about local plant foods. This will strengthen our cultural knowledge of food and medicine sources as the old people did.
We will be sharing the knowledge with the schools who have been involved in planting and letting people know when plants are flowering and fruiting using local radio the remote indigenous broadcasting service.
Those city mob pay plenty for organic native bush tucker, we will have it for the picking”
Secondary school students and RJCP workers planted the first grove recently in Bulman and were rewarded with rain that night which settled the newly planted trees in. “These plants not only are useful but will look good and make our towns greener and better places to live in.” Mayor Jack concluded.
Plantings are now being rolled out across Roper Gulf regional towns. Mayor Jack extended an invitation to residents to volunteer to help in the planting and watering of the plants by contacting their local Council office.
For further details please direct your inquiries to Michael Berto, CEO Roper Gulf Regional Council on 08 8972 9000.
ENDS