Brimbank City Council has received a prize at the Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria Sustainable Cities Awards 2013.
The council’s Collection and Genetic Rescue of Dianella Species project won the Gift Fund Prize at a recent ceremony.
The Arching Flax Lily is a key species in Western Plains Grassland and Grassy Woodland.
The lily is on the list of nationally-threatened species and its future is under threat in the urban growth corridor of Melbourne.
In Brimbank, a seed orchard is being established to help address the problem.
The program is a collaboration between community groups, the council, landholders and the Department of Environment and Primary Industries.
Residents also assisted with identifying sites where the lily grows.
The project aims to ensure a high level of genetic diversity and provide a long-term seed source for large regional projects such as the Western Grassland Reserve.
The Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria Sustainable Cities Aawards, now in their ninth year, are reserved for those councils that can demonstrate achievements in 10 categories, including active schools, litter prevention, community action, cultural heritage, resource recovery and waste management.
