THE Sheraton Mirage Resort and Douglas Shire Council have joined forces for a major revegetation project along the famous Four Mile Beach strip.

More than 2000 native plants will replace waste vegetation on the foreshore of the beach and ocean facing side of the iconic resort.

Papillon Landscaping has been contracted to remove coconut debris such as fronds, nuts and seedlings, providing ocean views and breezes for the Sheraton while the replanting will provide screening from the beach.

It’s the first stage to be delivered as part of the 2015/206 Coconut Action Plan.

“This is a fantastic initiative and the Douglas Shire Council should be commended,” project superintendent, Andrew Turnbull, said yesterday.

“They’ve been fantastic to work with and have collected all the plant stock from seed and grown it specifically for this project.

“It will reintroduce a lot of the native maritime plants that have been lost and bring them back to life.”

Mayor Julia Leu said the location was part of a delicate dunal environment that would flourish after the introduction of the native flora. Mature coconuts and large native trees would not be removed as part of the works, which will be completed within a month.

“Council appreciates the contribution of the Sheraton Mirage in this project which will revitalise an important stretch of our foreshore,” Leu said.

“Coconut palms are an iconic species in the Douglas Shire…but by removing the coconut debris it gives the new native vegetation an opportunity to establish itself in an environment it was intended for."

Turnbull said the outcome was a win-win for the community and guests of the iconic resort, which has not completed work to its ocean facing area for more than 30 years.

“We’ve got quite a stringent management process set up with council and there are multiple agencies that we have worked with in order to do something to this area,” Turnbull said.

“That we’re able to open it up ensures people can take advantage of the ocean breezes and the maritime aspect of it.

“We are very conscious of the beach and its management, so when you’re standing on the sand looking up towards the resort you can see that the green interface is preserved.

“So there is still plenty of promontory, we can still revegetate and everyone wins from it.”

After the removal of waste vegetation and replanting is complete, the Sheraton will adopt a Coconut Management Plan for the area as part of the sites ongoing management.