While the Yanchep Rail Extension awaits the appointment of its major contractor, our environmental team have been busy collecting seeds, from native flora within the rail corridor.

 Our seed collectors were careful to choose seeds from a range of healthy native plants along the Yanchep Rail Extension alignment, including;
1.    Banksia attenuata (Slender Banksia) 
2.    Banksia grandis (Bull Banksia) 
3.    Banksia menziesii (Firewood or Menzie's Banksia) 
4.    Eucalyptus gomphocephala (Tuart) 
5.    Hakea prostrata (Harsh Hakea) 
6.    Hakea trifurcata (Two-leaved Hakea)   

Once collected the seed is cleaned, dried, packaged, and stored in a climate controlled storage facility here in Perth, which is one of the biggest native seed banks in Australia. Collected seeds can remain in a healthy state for hundreds of years in specialist storage facilities, ready for use in the project area in the future. 

The stored seeds can be planted directly onto slopes along the alignment or in landscaping around the future stations, or can be used to grow seedlings for future planting.

Local flora species have adapted to the local climate, soils, and other environmental factors which means their seeds produce strong plants with better survival and growth rates. Another benefit of collecting these seeds is that local animals can feed from, or shelter in them once they mature, including Carnaby’s cockatoos. 

Storage conditions are dependent on the species and the seed itself. Hard seeds can often be stored at cool room temperature, whilst soft seeds would only last a few weeks outside of refrigerated storage.

Did you know the biggest seed store in the world is in Norway and houses close to 1 million seed samples? 

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