Shraddha is an Infrastructure Engineer at Mount Barker District Council. She completed her Bachelor of Civil and Structural Engineering with Honours at the University of South Australia in 2022 while also serving as President of the UniSA-STEM Society of Engineers. Shraddha is passionate about the need for sustainable green infrastructure based on natural assets and she supports professional development in this field; as Vice Chairperson of Young IPWEA SA she plans and delivers events to extend the knowledge, experience and networks of young engineers. The challenges resulting from the Mount Barker district’s rapid growth and the opportunity to work in its enviable landscapes attracted Shraddha to the team, where her interests in water sensitive urban design, sustainability, and natural assets align well with Council’s and the community’s vision for the region. Since joining the team Shraddha has worked to resolve current engineering issues, to prevent future problems by designing for long-term sustainability, to retain and protect existing trees, and to create planting spaces for new trees. Continuous improvement and progress in the engineering sector is Shraddha’s goal, toward sustainable cities and communities.
Treenet Symposium Speaker
Shraddha Dhungel
Speaker Biography
Session Abstract
Engineered spaces for trees in Mt Barker District Council
In 2010 approximately 1300 hectares of rural land in Mount Barker District Council was rezoned by the state government for residential development. Due to its expansive 595 square kilometre hills location and proximity to Adelaide the district’s population is now growing at 3.5% per year, nearly 7 times the rate of metropolitan Adelaide, and it will become South Australia’s second largest city within a decade. Growth has increased pressure on existing infrastructure across Mt Barker and the district’s other towns, and urbanisation has encroached on large, remnant native trees. Successfully preserving and planting trees during development and infrastructure renewal and upgrading projects demands best practice. This paper presents examples of planning, engineering and urban forestry creative best practice. Design case studies include road alignment to retain remnant trees, public open space provision to preserve trees, street tree planting for traffic calming, and stormwater detention basin design to preserve existing trees and support additional planting. Case studies demonstrating engineering best practice for trees include the use of structural soil, continuous tree trenches, and retrofitting of trial species in traffic calming roundabouts.
