In late 2026 Rapid Creek Landcare Group’s site behind the Alawa Oval presents a conundrum: how to revegetate with native plants while suppressing emergent weeds at the same time. The main activity at our Alawa site during 2025 was the successful removal of mature seed-bearing Coffee Bush trees (Leucaena leucocephala). Because this left a Coffee Bush seed-bank in the soil we were advised to delay any native revegetation while we focused on having a contractor spray the emerging Coffee Bush seedlings.

On 15^th September 2026 six stakeholders gathered to plan how to proceed. The group decided that some sections could be left to regenerate naturally, while some areas would need to be revegetated. Based on the experience of City of Darwin’s East Point revegetation plots, it was suggested that applying a thick layer of mulch could suppress emergent Coffee Bush seedlings. Natives could then be planted into this mulch. Large scale irrigation would be needed, although this would need to be able to survive the attention of vandals.

The image shows: Louise Harrison RCLG member, Allan Warchot Medical Entomologist NT Department of Health, Pranesh Shrestha Civil Engineer City of Darwin, Jon Schatz Restoration Officer Landcare NT, Peter O’Hagan Secretary RCLG. RCLG member Lon Wallis was behind the camera