There’s something fitting about an organisation built around community investing in the natural environment that communities depend on.

AXIS Employment, has been inspiring and empowering people through employment for over 30 years, with offices across regional Victoria and South Australia including here in Ballarat. Their mission is a simple but powerful one – to foster social inclusion and give people the tools, support and confidence they need to find meaningful work.

AXIS Employment are proud to support this initiative by contributing to a healthier and more sustainable future for our community. We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Fifteen Trees for their partnership and leadership in making this project possible, and to all the volunteers who generously gave their time and energy. Their enthusiasm and commitment have helped create a lasting positive impact that future generations will enjoy.

Tom Robertson | Regional Manager | Ballarat

This year, AXIS Employment has added another layer to their community commitment by purchasing 100 native trees for planting in the Ballarat district. It’s a gesture that reflects the values at the heart of their organisation –  we include, we achieve, we care  – extended to the landscape they and their participants call home.

Napoleans, VIC | 100 trees | 2026

In the heart of Wadawurrung Country in Central Victoria, at Union Jack Creek, the landscape at Scotchmans Lead Reserve in Napoleons is slowly recovering from decades of gold mining and neglect, thanks to The Napoleons and Enfield Landcare Group. This group has been working this land for over 10 years, patiently restoring the riparian zone – the strip of native vegetation that line our creeks, rivers and wetlands.

Frogs, platypus, rakali, echidnas, koalas, wallabies and possums have returned to a site that once had little to offer them. Dragonflies and bees move through an under-storey that is thickening season by season. Bird species have climbed from just six recorded in 2010 to more than forty today, a clear measure of an ecosystem finding its feet again. Kangaroos graze the reserve. Birds of prey ride the thermals overhead.

The most recent planting of eucalypts, acacias, banksias and hakeas on the overlooking escarpment will anchor the soil, shade the creek, shelter fish and platypus, and buffer the landscape against erosion, flood damage and strong winds as the trees mature.

We also thank Axis for the additional funding for tree guards. These guards help protect the new seedlings and gives them protection from grazers, in particular rabbits and kangaroos. Inside the plastic sleeves, the microclimate created protects the seedlings from harsh UV, drifting sand, frost, and wind. Once the seedlings survive their first summer and get the opportunity to develop a strong taproot, their chances of survival skyrockets.

If you would like to know more about sponsoring community tree planting projects and how we can assist you in becoming a more sustainable business, please contact Colleen at <[email protected]>.

Writer: Colleen B. Filippa

With a background in Environmental Science (Melbourne Uni), Colleen is the Founding Director of Fifteen Trees. In 2009, after 20 years in secondary and tertiary education institutions, Colleen left the classroom to start the company. Fifteen Trees is a social enterprise assisting individuals and companies to reduce their carbon footprint by supporting community groups such as Landcare.