Canberra City Care Operational Manager Danielle Bate with ACT Ministers Mick Gentleman and Shane Rattenbury at the 2017 program launch in August. Photo supplied.
Community gardens will be established at multi-unit developments in Lyneham and Belconnen after receiving funding under an expanded ACT community garden grants program.
The two new community gardens at Hamilton Park in Lyneham and Sentinel Apartments in Belconnen are among nine projects to share in $40,000 of funding announced by the ACT Government this week.
They are eligible to receive grants for the first time after the Government decided to extend the program to cater for Canberrans living in units and townhouses.
Other new community gardens will be established at the Dickson shops, Manning Clarke House in Forrest, and Narrabundah using grants from the program while four current community gardens will be extended or improved.
ACT Minister Shane Rattenbury (middle) speaks with Jhay Mann from Dickson Traders Association and Danielle Bate from Canberra City Care at the announcement of the third round of grants this week. Photo supplied by the ACT Government.
Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Shane Rattenbury, said the third round of grants under the program has awarded funding to owners’ corporations of the Hamilton Park and Sentinel Apartments developments.
“This will be a great addition for these complexes, help build a sense of community for their residents, as well as the potential for multi-unit residents to compost their organic and food waste,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“Community gardens play an increasingly important role in bringing people together and enabling people to grow their own healthy food,” he said.
“The gardens also improve our resilience to climate change and regional food security.”
Mr Rattenbury said that the nine successful projects to receive grants include:
- a new community garden at Hamilton Park in Lyneham
- a new multi-unit development community garden at Sentinel Apartments in Belconnen
- a new shed and tools for the Acton community garden run by the Canberra Environment Centre
- an extension to the irrigation system in the Mitchell community garden
- replacement of worn and unsafe equipment and tools used at the Kingston community garden
- a new Bogong Moth showcase garden in Narrabundah which includes bush tucker and medicinal plants
- a new Dickson Village Traders Association community garden
- a new organic and sustainable garden to teach waste, carpentry and organic gardening methods at Manning Clarke House in Forrest
- extending the community orchard at O’Connor Tocumwal housing precinct.
Mr Rattenbury said there are more than 20 community gardens already established in Canberra.
“The community gardens grants program has been a great success in helping establish and support our community gardens over the past few years with 13 projects previously funded,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“I look forward to seeing these nine new projects take shape over the coming months and encourage interested Canberrans to consider joining their local community garden.”
Do you think community gardens are a good idea? Have you ever worked in one? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below.
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