Trend Watch: Ecological Restoration in Uralla Supported by LFA

The Landscape Foundation of Australia (LFA) has provided expertise to help Uralla Shire Council and sustainability group ZNET Uralla to achieve their vision to regenerate a once-overgrazed former racecourse into a significant natural landscape.

The Uralla Racecourse Lagoon was once ringed by the sounds of horses’ hooves and cheers. Today, with the 41-hectare reserve now managed by Uralla Shire Council, restoration efforts aim to restore the local ecology, encourage the return of migratory birds and boost biodiversity.

In 2022 LFA director and landscape architect Noel Corkery worked with council officers to prepare a grant application for the site, securing $150,000 from the NSW Environment Trust in 2023. Corkery prepared revegetation and planting specifications, ensuring a mix of native species that offer shade, light and views as they mature.

Stage 1 began in late 2024, with the Armidale Tree Group planting 3,500 seedlings across 12 hectares, a large-scale effort to restore degraded grassy woodland, improve biodiversity and build climate resilience.

Building on this professional work, in March 2025 more than 25 community volunteers, organised by ZNET Uralla, came together to plant around 200 trees and shrubs in the reserve’s picnic area. 

Looking ahead, Stage 2 in late 2025 will add another 4,000 seedlings, continuing the transformation of Racecourse Lagoon into a flourishing reserve where nature and community thrive together.

Read more about this successful community-driven project.

Photo: Uralla Racecourse Lagoon with birdlife.

Street Furniture Australia is a founding principal partner of LFA.