They were destined for mulch, but instead 3000 native Lomandra plants have made their way to Yellow Rock to help bushfire-affected families rebuild their gardens.
The $70,000 donation by Lend Lease was organised through Winmalee Neighbourhood Centre, Springwood Rotary and Lend Lease's Winmalee worker Matt Moon, with last Thursday the drop-off day at Rotarian Ross Ingram's Yellow Rock property.
Mr Ingram's gardens were one of many affected by the fires. With wife Robin, he opens their gardens each year as a fundraiser for the Royal Institute of Deaf and Blind Children, and it is also the site for their wedding venue business in Purvines Road.
Barry Murphy, Lend Lease project director of Barangaroo Headland Park, said he was delighted to see the plants going to a good cause - the plants had grown too big to be used in that project. "We thought - 'Let's look to the Mountains'," he said.
Winmalee Neighbourhood Centre's Morna Colbran said details were being finalised on distribution of the plants which would transform many gardens that still resembled "a wasteland ... nine months on from the fires".
"We're discussing the logistics with the Uniting Church and Rotary."
Project engineer David Rutter said the plants were "native to Australia and the Mountains, so they're perfect".
The group also commended Coates Hire for donating a forklift to remove the plants from the delivery truck.
