TasNetworks staff dig deep as part of Australia’s largest restoration project

TasNetwork team members at Island Ark employee planting day

TasNetworks and Greening Australia joined forces on Friday the 19th of August to help deliver Tasmania’s largest landscape restoration program, Island Ark.

“Six enthusiastic TasNetworks team members helped Greening Australia plant 1,200 native plants at Ross – that’s more than one tree for each of the organisation’s 1,000 employees,” said Greening Australia’s Tasmanian Director of Conservation, Sebastian Burgess.

In December 2015, Greening Australia entered into the partnership with TasNetworks to give their employees a Christmas gift that will help reconnect remnant habitats in the Northern Midlands, and support its vision to ‘…deliver today and create a better tomorrow’.

Sebastian Burgess said the key to successfully restoring landscapes on a large scale is to involve farmers, communities, government and businesses in the effort.

“TasNetworks has recognised the broad support for Island Ark that’s reconnecting remnant habitats, and the company has found a really unique way to get involved and engage their employees in the program.

“Like many organisations, TasNetworks gave employees Christmas cards, and through the agreement with Greening Australia the cards gave team members the opportunity to plant their own Tasmanian native ‘Christmas tree’ as part of the Island Ark project.

TasNetworks CEO Lance Balcombe added, “We are one of the few businesses that directly impact on the quality of life of the entire population of Tasmania on a daily basis. In the course of doing business, TasNetworks has a number of impacts, both realised and potential, in the areas of cost of living, reliable electricity supply, vegetation, wildlife and the visual landscape. That is why partnerships like this are so important to us.

“The tree planting day was an opportunity for our team members to get their hands dirty, and be part of ensuring our vision of creating a better tomorrow is realised.”

The organisation’s involvement in Island Ark is a small, but significant gesture. 

“The tree planting day represents the coming together of the Tasmanian farming community, not-for-profit and business sectors, to achieve important outcomes for the environment and our community more broadly.” Mr Balcombe said.