23rd March 2025
When Cyclone Alfred finally hit the mainland on March 8, 2025, after lingering in the Coral Sea for weeks, we knew we were in for a tough clean-up. Even though it had weakened by the time it reached us, the cyclone still dumped over 700mm of rain in some areas, causing flooding, downed trees,
and widespread power outages. Even our Envite staff had some interested personal stories to tell about the experience. But once the worst had passed, it was time to get to work.
Our Gold Coast bush regeneration team was called in to help the City of Gold Coast restore tracks and public space, by reporting and removing fallen trees and branches. Fallen trees and heavy branches were everywhere, restricting access. Many of the sites had to be made safe before accessing further on foot and vehicle.
One of the biggest challenges was the beachside sites. The cyclone had completely reshaped the landscape – thousands of cubic meters of sand had been washed away, and the vegetation we’d worked so hard to restore had been ripped up. Seeing it was heartbreaking, but we knew we had to focus on public safety first.
Until those areas could be stabilized, we had to shift our work to other locations.
We became the eyes and ears for our client, documenting everything we encountered with GPS-tagged photos. Every day, we cleared what we could and reported what we couldn’t.
The work was exhausting, but it was rewarding to see spaces slowly becoming accessible again. After the public spaces are made safe and accessible, we could turn our focus back to restoring the bushland.
The weather is powerful. Nature dynamic and the environment is resilient. So are we. Our team is out there every day, doing our best to improve the environment we live in.
This work is ongoing, and we’ll continue until our reserves and parklands are thriving once more.
Check out some of the photos of our clean-up efforts—our team in action, making a difference!
