Narrabri may soon have a community garden to provide a raft of benefits for a range of people - and produce fresh fruit and vegetables into the bargain.
Last meeting of Narrabri Shire Council heard a presentation from Mr Chris Gale and Ms Cigdum Watson who outlined the Narrabri community garden concept.
The group will now draw up and submit a formal proposal to council with the aim of securing a Section 355 committee of council to help oversight the project.
“We are proposing a three hectare community garden in the area in front of the Narrabri Hospital fronting the Creek and adjacent to Cameron Park” Chris and Cigdum told the council.
Cigdum said the Narrabri Community Drug and Alcohol Team (CDAT) had been approached to help launch the project and would provide initial funding to help the venture establish but the aim would be then step back to have a community committee operating the garden.
“Chris Gale has done lot of research to bring the project forward” said Cigdum.
The community garden would have many benefits.
Similar ventures in other towns have been very successful.
The garden would ultimately produce fruit and vegetables, bring people together, develop friendships and inclusiveness and a sharing of time and interests.
A bush tucker component could be part of the project.
A draft layout proposed a hub and spoke garden with bush tucker in the centre, a meeting place.
Potential flooding was taken into account in the design.
ABC gardening guru Costa Georgiadis has been engaged with the project as an interested mentor.
“And we have support from many individuals, businesses and organisations” added Chris.
The feature of similar community garden projects is the level of support, in-kind donations, contributed products and assistance which flow to the ventures.
Contributions of items like fencing material, poly pipe, a pump, fuel, shed, gardening tools and other materials are typically made by outlets where community gardens have been established.
The tangible benefits flow to the people involved with the garden and the community.
“It is about learning and taking home information and getting that gardening information into backyards” said Chris. “It is an opportunity for everyone - individuals, groups, say the Men’s Shed,pensioners, with benefits as support to the juvenile justice system, for mental health, the spectrum of people.”
Produce from the community
garden would go to outlets like Shared Table.
Cigdum and Chris explained that council’s support was needed in several areas including access to the council’s surface water licence, although water usage would be minimal, a lease of the land for a ‘peppercorn’, rent and insurance.
CDAT would step back when the garden is established.
“It will be a true community garden” said Chris.
Cr Ken Flower suggested the group contact Selina Street resident Guy Roth whose group is working on a creek side walk and pathway from Cameron Park.
Cr Robyn Faber suggested the garden could produce trees and shrubs for council plantings. The project needed to have a sound and sustainable plan, Cr Faber said.
The group will prepare a submission to bring back to a future council meeting detailing the proposal.