Melbourne - 23 June 2004 - The Green Wedge in South East Melbourne has received a boost with Sandhurst Club today announcing its re-vegetation and wetlands program to re-establish the environmental values in the area are on track.

Wetlands on the North Course at Sandhurst Club

Sandhurst Club, the Victorian showcase of recycled water at Skye, is a lifestyle golfing residential development which is being developed on 320 hectares of degraded grazing land.

The project will feature around 1800 residences and two eighteen hole golf courses.

Mr Stephen Head, Managing Director of the Links Group said, "Over 50,000 trees and shrubs had been planted in the first stage of the environmental program."

"We have created new vistas of trees along areas such as Thompsons Road and throughout the project itself to complement the Red River Gum trees, some of which are over five hundred years old."

Golf cart path through the wetlands at Sandhurst Club

"The use of native grasses and the development of several wetlands throughout the project are now able to flourish with the removal of cattle off the site."

"The formation of a number of lakes to complement the wetlands and the storm water management plan are all part of the water management system on the project, these have also provided an attraction to the increasing birdlife."

One surprise arrival has been a lone Cape Barren Goose usually located on Bass Strait Islands has taken up residence near the Clubhouse.

Mr Head said that the recycled water program at Sandhurst Club, the first major one of its type in Victoria, has enabled the Links Group to undertake the successful building of an international standard golf course and environmentally sustainable environment in the middle of a drought and water restrictions.

The success of Sandhurst Club and the multi award winning Sanctuary Lakes Resort at Point Cook which earlier this year was identified as Australia's most outstanding environmental residential project, clearly demonstrated the role golfing residential developments could play in the long term protection of green wedge areas securing the open space and environment permanently, Mr Head said.

Media Enquiries:
Stephen Head Managing Director Links Group 0411 103 030
Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications 0417 329 201