Coconut fibre is a natural, biodegradable material used in erosion control, soil stabilisation, and revegetation across Australia.

If you have searched for coconut fibre online, you have probably seen it called coir, coco fibre, or coconut husk fibre. They all refer to the same thing: the tough, fibrous layer between a coconut shell and its outer husk.

This guide covers the different coconut fibre products available, where each one works best, and how to pick the right option for your project. Whether you are stabilising a slope after earthworks or protecting a creek bank from washout, there is a coir product built for it.

What Is Coconut Fibre?

Coconut fibre is extracted from the mesocarp, the thick husk surrounding a coconut shell. The fibres are separated, cleaned, and processed into rolls, logs, blankets, and loose fill for commercial and environmental use. Coir has a high lignin content, which makes it stronger and slower to break down than most other natural fibres like jute or straw.

In Australia, coconut fibre products are primarily used in civil and landscaping applications rather than indoor decor. The material holds moisture without rotting quickly, which makes it well suited to revegetation and sediment control.

• Composition: 45% lignin, 44% cellulose, giving it a 2 to 5 year breakdown life depending on product weight
• Water absorption: Holds up to 10 times its own weight in moisture
• pH neutral: Will not alter soil chemistry when it breaks down
• Fully biodegradable: Leaves no synthetic residue in the ground

Because coir decomposes slowly compared to straw or hessian, it stays intact long enough for vegetation to establish. That is the main reason it has become the go-to material for erosion control on Australian worksites.

Which Coconut Fibre Products Work for Erosion Control?

Coconut fibre comes in several product forms, and each one suits a different site condition. Picking the wrong format wastes money and time. A coir log will not help on a flat, exposed slope, and coir matting is overkill for a narrow drainage channel. The table below breaks down when to use each product type.

For most residential and small commercial projects, you will use either coir logs or coir matting. The erosion control product guide covers how to match conditions to the right product.

Coconut Fibre Logs vs Coconut Fibre Matting

This is the most common question landscapers and site managers ask: should I use coir logs or coir matting? The answer depends on water flow and slope angle. Coir logs are three-dimensional barriers designed to slow water flow along a defined path. Coir matting lies flat over a surface to protect exposed soil and encourage seed germination underneath.

On a steep batter after a cut-and-fill job, coir matting pinned to the surface will hold soil in place while grass seed establishes. Along a creek bank or stormwater channel, coir log silt berms trap sediment and reduce flow velocity.

• Use coir logs when: You need to slow or redirect water flow, create sediment traps, or stabilise the toe of a slope
• Use coir matting when: You need to protect a broad area of exposed soil, support revegetation, or prevent rain splash erosion
• Use both together when: A site has steep slopes with concentrated water flow at the base, common on construction sites and road cuttings

Not sure which one fits your site? Read the detailed comparison in jute matting vs coir matting or three benefits of coir matting for more on matting performance.

How to Install Coconut Fibre on Site

Installation method varies by product type, but the fundamentals are the same across all coconut fibre products. Prepare the surface first, secure the product with steel or biodegradable pins, and overlap seams by at least 150mm. Skipping the overlap is the single biggest installation mistake, and it leads to undermining and product failure.

Installing coir matting

1. Clear the slope of loose rocks, debris, and existing vegetation stumps
2. Spread seed or hydromulch over the bare soil before laying the matting
3. Roll the coir matting from the top of the slope downward, not upward
4. Anchor the top edge in a 150mm trench and backfill, then pin the mat every 1m with steel fastening pins
5. Overlap adjacent rolls by at least 150mm and pin the overlaps

For step-by-step detail, read how to install coir matting.

Installing coir logs

1. Dig a shallow trench along the contour or drainage line
2. Lay the coir log into the trench so the bottom third sits below ground level
3. Drive hardwood stakes or steel pins through the log at 1m intervals
4. Backfill behind the log to prevent water flowing underneath
5. Plant vegetation into and around the log for long-term stability

Is Coconut Fibre Better Than Synthetic Alternatives?

Synthetic erosion control products like plastic mesh and geotextile fabric last longer than coconut fibre, but longevity is not always the goal. On revegetation projects, you want the erosion control layer to break down as the plants take over. A permanent plastic mesh buried under a revegetated slope creates problems years later when roots interact with non-degradable material.

Coconut fibre sits in a middle ground: tougher than straw or hessian, but fully biodegradable within 2 to 5 years. The Australian Department of the Environment recommends biodegradable erosion control for sensitive waterways and areas near native vegetation.

• Coconut fibre wins when: The site needs temporary protection while vegetation establishes, or when the project is near waterways where synthetic fragments would cause pollution
• Synthetic wins when: The application is permanent (retaining walls, drainage systems) or the site will never be vegetated
• Jute is an alternative when: Budget is tight and the erosion risk is low to moderate, though jute breaks down faster than coir

For a direct material comparison, read is jute good for erosion control and comparing silt fencing with other methods.

Common Coconut Fibre Applications in Australia

Coconut fibre is used across a wider range of projects than most people realise. While erosion control is the primary application in Australia, coir products also appear in horticulture, civil construction, and environmental rehabilitation. Here are the most common uses on Australian sites.

• Road and rail cuttings: Coir matting pinned to freshly cut batters to prevent soil loss before grass establishes
• Creek and waterway restoration: Coir logs placed along eroded banks to trap sediment and support riparian planting
• Construction site sediment control: Coir log check dams in drainage channels to meet EPA sediment control requirements
• Mine site rehabilitation: Large-scale coir blanket installation over tailings and disturbed land, following guidelines from DCCEEW mine rehabilitation standards
• Residential landscaping: Coir matting on garden slopes and retaining wall batters where soil washout is a recurring problem
• Council and government revegetation: Coir products specified in tender documents for parks, reserves, and stormwater infrastructure

All Stake Supply has been supplying coconut fibre products to landscapers, councils, and civil contractors across Australia since 1976. The full coir range is available at the erosion control category page.

How to Choose the Right Coconut Fibre Weight

Coir matting comes in different weights measured in grams per square metre (gsm). Heavier matting lasts longer and handles steeper slopes, but costs more per roll. Picking the right weight avoids overspending on flat sites or under-specifying on steep ones.

If you are unsure which weight to order, go one step heavier than you think you need. The price difference between 400gsm and 700gsm is small compared to the cost of replacing failed matting and re-seeding a slope.

Where to Buy Coconut Fibre Products in Australia

All Stake Supply stocks coir logs, coir matting, and fastening accessories at their St Marys, NSW warehouse, with delivery anywhere in Australia. Every order ships complete. No split deliveries, no waiting for back-ordered items to trickle in weeks later.

That complete delivery guarantee matters on site. A landscaper waiting for a second pallet of coir matting cannot finish pinning a slope before the next rainfall event. One order, one delivery, job done.

• Coir Log 150mm x 3m for drainage lines and small creek banks
• Coir Log 200mm x 3m for standard sediment barriers and slope stabilisation
• Coir Log 300mm x 3m for high-flow channels and large-scale erosion control
• Coir Matting 400gsm for residential slopes and garden revegetation
• Coir Matting 900gsm for steep cuttings and heavy-duty applications

Browse the full product range or contact the team for trade pricing and bulk orders.