The garden is now a few years old and already one of the very best community gardens in NSW.
It now has an extensive nursery facility, composting toilet, and a large undercover meeting space with stand alone solar power. Two large rainwater collection tanks reduce reliance on town water. The subtropical and warm temperate food forests contai well over 50 different fruit and nut trees. There is a children’s play area with swings, sand pit, and strawberry patch, and a revegetated water course. The gardens incude 30 privately leased plots withextensive composting and liquid fertilizer production areas.
Coffs Regional Community Gardens (CRCG) is a not-for-profit organisation of volunteers working to establish productive, well-managed community gardens in our region. There is potential to expand the gardens at Combine Street, or establish new community gardens or micro gardens in Coffs Harbour. Our members are local residents from a wide cross-section of the community, including representatives from community groups and individuals with a passion for local food and sustainable living.
We encourage you to join the Association to help build capacity to support our future educational, food and social needs. Our Management Committee meet regularly to plan and organise events tailored to the needs and interests of our members and the wider community.
Everyone is welcome to attend these meetings and participate in the workshops.
CRCG became an Incorporated Association in early 2010. The Association is sponsored and supported by the NSW Environmental Trust, Connect Australia Foundation and the Coffs Coast Local Food Alliance.
Aims & Values
We are driven by a simple ethic which includes:
■ Care of people
■ Care of the Earth
■ Sharing our surplus
Our aims are to:
■ Establish and maintain sustainable community gardens throughout our region
■ Develop community knowledge and practical skills around local food
■ Raise awareness of the benefits of home gardening, organic food and self-sufficiency
■ Foster opportunities for community engagement and cultural exchange
■ Develop strong partnerships with other community organisations
■ Showcase sustainable living solutions
Our vision
■ Sustainable living examples for the whole community
■ Promotion of healthy eating, waste reduction and recycling
■ Pesticide-free vegetable gardens
■ Food mile concept
■ Local food abundance
■ Learning hub for residents of all ages
■ Multicultural exchange
■ Links with Aboriginal community
Benefits of Community Gardens
■ Access to fresh, nutritious local produce
■ Opportunities for informal exchange of ideas, knowledge and skills
■ Fosters intergenerational and intercultural relationships
■ Waste reduction / recycling promotion
■ Cultivating community
■ Minimises carbon footprint by reducing food miles
■ Positive image for our city
■ Low impact physical activity for healthy lives
■ Provides habitat for urban wildlife
Acknowledgements:
To the Gumbaynggirr nation, elder’s past, present and emerging who have taken care of country over thousands of years.
To all the volunteers who work in the garden, to maintain and develop it.
To all the garden members and committee members who are committed to the care of the earth, care of people and fair share of resources, and the day-to-day organisation and function of the garden
To all the sponsors and financial donors to the garden and the Coffs city council sustainability program which has supported the garden with Living Lightly workshops and with funding.
To the Woolgoolga and South Coffs community gardens who support and collaborate with our garden in sharing the Living Lightly workshops.
To all the organisations that use the garden for the people they work with in contributing to promoting their health and wellbeing.
Relationship with community groups:
Apart from members and garden plot holders, there are several community groups utilising the Coffs community garden including disability groups, employment agencies, pre -schools and play groups, who are all members of the garden, and the interest is growing.
The Settlement Services International (SSI) is an important agency member to provide access to the garden for refugee families and those from diverse cultures and a connection to the Earth and traditional crops.
Our Partners
We would not have such a wonderful community garden growing in Coffs Harbour today without the help of all the lovely people who have been involved in the project since it started in 2009.
We would like to thank all funding bodies, sponsors and contributors that have donated funds, materials or time to the garden (and continue to do so on regular basis). Their inspiring contributions, continued partnership and support are making a difference everyday for our garden and our community.
A big thank you to all of you (including the ones we may have forgotten to mention here) for making our community garden possible…
If you’d like to help us too, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Funding Support:
So far, we have received grants from:
- Coffs Harbour City Council
- NSW Environmental Trust
- Connect Australia Foundation
- Landcare (Be Natural grant)
- Volunteers grant -Commonwealth Government
- Coffs Lions
- Mega Watt Power/ Si Clean Energy
- NSW Premier’s Department
- Transgrid NSW
- Coffs Harbour Landscape Supplies
- NRMA
- Department of Social Services(Federal)
- NSW Cancer Council
- Advanced Pumping and Irrigation
- ETC (Enterprise and Training Company
- Biomass Solutions
- Bunnings
- Bob the Builder Fencing
- Coffs Coast Local Food Alliance
- WHILD (Wild Harvest Integrated Landscape Design)
- Community Care Options
- Anglicare North Coast
- C.R.O.P.O (Coffs Regional Organic Producers Organisation
A special thanks to City of Coffs Harbour council for ongoing support, to the Coffs Lions Club for their donation of homemade outdoor furniture, and to $350 of Bunnings vouchers for gardening equipment.