GRAND HOOP PINE AVENUE TO MARK QUEEN’S JUBILEE

A grand avenue of Hoop Pines will be planted near the Brooloo Trailhead of the Mary Valley Rail Trail to mark the Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 

Federal Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien said he was pleased to announce the Mary Valley Rail Trail Association Inc had achieved a $6000 grant to create a Hoop Pine “entry statement” on the relatively sparse Brooloo section of trail.

“The Planting Trees for The Queen’s Jubilee program, an initiative of the former Morrison-Joyce Coalition Government, puts up to $15.1 million on the table to community-based tree plantings,” Mr O’Brien said.

“This new Hoop Pine avenue at Brooloo will be about 16,433 km from the first Jubilee tree planted on the grounds of Windsor Castle in March to mark the launch of the Queen’s Green Canopy in the United Kingdom.”

Mr O’Brien said the program would create a legacy of tree planting nationwide, increasing the canopy, while celebrating Her Majesty’s Jubilee.

Mary Valley Rail Trail president Craig Thomson said the Hoop Pine avenue would provide shade for hikers, cyclists and horse riders and new habitat for native fauna in an area that is currently lacking canopy cover. 

“An avenue of advanced Hoop Pines will act as a key landmark for the area and will signify the importance of this iconic native species to the traditional custodians of the area, and of their value to European timber-getters,” Mr Thomson said. 

Mr Thomson said commemorative signage would create awareness of The Queen’s Jubilee, while people taking in the scenery or stopping for a drink or a picnic near the trailhead entrance would benefit from the shade cover.

Mr O’Brien said the world’s first hoop pine and bunya pine plantation was established at Imbil near the Mary Valley Railway Line on ground that was cleared in 1917, and the Wide Bay region had provided wood to help build Australia ever since. 

“We are proud of our rich industrial history and achievements. I look forward to seeing an avenue of Hoop Pines, back where they once stood, and this time providing shade and a beautiful landmark for a fast-growing tourism destination,” he said. 

Mr O’Brien congratulated the Mary Valley Rail Trail Association Inc for proposing the project to benefit the wider community.

ENDS