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Published: 09 Apr 2021

Council's popular Free Native Plant Program is returning this month with more opportunities for ratepayers to collect their plants.

The first nursery open days of the year will be held on Friday, April 16, from 9am to 3pm, and Saturday, April 17, from 9am to noon, at the Mackay Natural Environment Centre, which is located at 6 Swayne Street, North Mackay.

Residents who can’t make it to the open days will have the opportunity to place their order online.

Mayor Greg Williamson said last year’s click and collect format proved so successful that the Mackay Natural Environment Centre had decided to make it a weekly occurrence.

“We had such a tremendous uptake on the click and collect orders last year that we decided to make this option available weekly so that residents have more opportunities to collect their plants on a date that suits them,” Mayor Williamson said.

“The Free Native Plant Program gives ratepayers the opportunity to collect four free plants each calendar year,” he said.

“There are a range of climbers, ground covers, shrubs and trees to choose from.

“It’s great to see so many locals getting behind this program as local native plants thrive in our climate and require less water than many non-native species.”

Click and collect orders will be available for pick-up each Thursday morning between 9am and 11am from April 22 until December 9. The nursery will not be open for browsing at this time.

All click and collect orders must be placed by midnight on Tuesdays and can be collected from as early as the Thursday of the same week the order was placed. Collection dates will be available up to four weeks in advance.

Council will also be holding another nursery open day on Friday, August 20, from 9am to 3pm, and Saturday, August 21, from 9am to noon, for those who want to browse the plant collection.

To collect your plants at the open days, bring along your most recent rates notice and your own bag or box to take your plants home in.  Remember, only four free plants can be collected each calendar year.

The Free Native Plant Program is available to ratepayers only. However, non-ratepayers can purchase plants for $2.80 each at open days or by emailing a list of the plants they want to purchase to nursery@mackay.qld.gov.au. Payment can be made by EFTPOS only.

To learn more visit the MNEC page and place your click and collect order on the customer portal.