Nest Box Corporate Working Bee

AusNet and Zinfra team up with Up2Us Landcare Alliance to build vital wildlife homes for bushfire recovery

Mansfield-based Up2Us Landcare Alliance has partnered with AusNet and Zinfra to construct habitat boxes for native wildlife recovering from bushfire devastation, with all completed boxes to be donated to the Biodiversity Recovery Alliance for installation throughout fire-affected areas in the Longwood and Ruffy regions.

The project forms part of a broader catchment-wide effort that will see 1,000 habitat homes built and installed across fire-affected areas — and we're proud to be playing our part.

A community working bee with real purpose

Up2Us Landcare Alliance recently teamed up with AusNet and Zinfra for a corporate working bee, where teams from both organisations joined the Up2Us crew to build and paint 160 habitat boxes. These are part of more than 205 nest boxes that will be donated to the Biodiversity Recovery Alliance from the Mansfield region.

AusNet and Zinfra provided generous financial donations for the purchase of nest box materials, helping bring this stage of the project to life. The boxes themselves were cut and flat-packed by Men's and Women's Sheds from across the catchment, before being assembled and painted ready for installation, a true community effort from start to finish.

Why this project matters

For those living in the bushfire-affected area, the impact of losing hollow-bearing trees is felt every day. These old trees take decades, sometimes centuries, to develop the hollows that so many native species depend on for shelter and breeding. When fire sweeps through and takes them, it takes those homes with them.

That's exactly the gap this project is working to fill. Once complete, the habitat boxes will be installed in locations identified by local conservationists, volunteers and ecologists as offering the greatest benefit to wildlife recovery, giving possums, gliders, birds and other native species a real chance to find shelter and start rebuilding.

What our partners are saying

James Quigley, General Manager, One Distribution and Growth at Zinfra, said supporting local communities was a core part of the company's values:

"Supporting the communities where we work is really important to everyone at Zinfra. Working alongside AusNet and Landcare to build much-needed habitat boxes for wildlife recovering from the devastation of bushfires has been a great opportunity for our people to give something back. It's a simple but meaningful way we can support the local environment and play a role in its recovery."

Andrew Linnie, AusNet Executive General Manager Distribution, said the project reflected the value of working together across sectors:

"As a company that lives and works in regional Victoria, AusNet is committed to supporting the communities we serve. This work demonstrates the power of collaboration, bringing together community groups, volunteers and corporate partners to create lasting environmental benefits and help native wildlife recover from the impacts of bushfire."

Kim Magnay, Landcare Facilitator at Up2Us Landcare Alliance, said the project had drawn strong support from across the community:

"It's great to have the support we've received from AusNet and Zinfra for this project. We really appreciate the donations and the time given by the teams building and painting nest boxes to make this project possible. This project has generated so much interest from all demographics of the community, including the Men's and Women's Sheds across the catchment, local schools and the broader community. All boxes will be donated to the Biodiversity Recovery Alliance for installation in areas surveyed by local conservationists, volunteers and ecologists, and deemed most beneficial to local wildlife."

Jess Robinson, Project Officer at Up2Us Landcare Alliance, said the loss of hollow-bearing trees in the fire-affected area made the project especially important:

"Living in the bushfire-affected area, I've seen firsthand just how many hollow-bearing trees we've lost, and with them, the homes so many of our native species rely on. That's what makes this nest box project so important. With the support of AusNet and Zinfra, we will be able to donate over 270 nest boxes to the Biodiversity Recovery Alliance to distribute across the fire area, giving local wildlife a real chance to recover and thrive again."

Part of something bigger

Up2Us Landcare Alliance is proud to be one of the community groups contributing to this catchment-wide effort, working alongside corporate partners like AusNet and Zinfra to help deliver 1,000 much-needed habitat homes to fire-affected areas across the region.

It's a project that's brought together corporate partners, local sheds, schools and everyday community members, all pulling in the same direction to give our native wildlife a fighting chance at recovery. We couldn't be more grateful for the support, and we can't wait to see these boxes installed and doing their job out in the bush.

Want to get involved in this project? Join us on the 9th of September at the MACE sheds from 10:30am-4pm.