Coffee Bush Removal Tuesday 14^th October

Rapid Creek Landcare Group’s lobbying throughout 2025 to remove an infestation of coffee bush behind Alawa Oval has paid off. In October, City of Darwin contracted CivilX company’s positrack machines to uproot and mulch stands of coffee bush (Leucaena leucocephala) and African mahogany (Khaya senegalensisas). Funding was obtained through a grant from the Darwin Harbour Catchment Waterways Project. Although RCLG members had previously tagged any desirable native trees that we wished to preserve, it was not always possible for the machine to avoid these.

Prior to this the group had worked with Lance Mudgeway of Mulloon Consulting who was contracted to carry out Erosion Hydrology Site along the four creeks leading into Darwin Harbour. We liaised with him at two sites: The Spit and the Alawa Oval site. At Alawa Oval our concerns were with scoping out the removal of coffee bush trees.

Alawa Oval Regeneration Site: Post-Cyclone Fina clean-up

Following Cyclone Fina that hit Darwin on 22^nd November, Rapid Creek Landcare Group members counted 25 trees that had been uprooted at our Alawa Oval regeneration site. Using a second grant from the Darwin Harbour Catchment Waterways Project, CivilX contractors were tasked by City of Darwin with removing and chipping theses fallen trees. A crane was needed to retrieve inaccessible trees, particularly those that had fallen into the drain. There was some discussion that the previous removal of coffee bush on 14^th October had unfortunately left the remaining native trees unprotected from the wind.