Recipients for the 2024 Community Garden Grants announced
22 Aug 2024
Community Garden Grants fund projects to create new or enhance existing community gardens in the ACT. These public spaces are beneficial for people, our urban landscape and the environment.
Now in its tenth year, the grants program has helped many Canberrans establish and maintain gardens across the ACT for our community to enjoy.
With $100,000 available, 12 projects were awarded funds in Round 10 of the grants program.
The projects that received funding in Round 10 of the grants are:
| Organisation | Project title | Project description | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canberra Environment Centre | Improving the resilience of Canberra Environment Centre’s Teaching and Learning Community Garden | In 2023, the Canberra Environment Centre moved into new premises at Gungaderra Homestead. There, they have established a Teaching and Learning Community Garden. Their vision is to make it a closed-loop, no-waste, water-efficient garden system. The grant will pay for materials to make wicking beds and a new propagation system to help achieve that aim. It will also pay for a secure tool shed, new seating and an electric whipper-snipper. The new garden setup will allow for best practise organic food production to take place. It will also increase food production capacity and be more resilient to the impacts of climate change. The garden improvements will attract more people and benefit the whole community. The garden will continue to be a place where people can come together to learn food production skills and connect with each other and the natural world. | $7,835.76 |
| Canberra Organic Growers Society Inc (COGS) | Zero emissions power tools for Charnwood Community Garden | The Charnwood COGS Community Garden will replace their fossil-fuelled tools with electric ones. They aim to build awareness about how electric tools eliminate the need for fossil fuels. They will buy a lawn mower, whipper snipper, leaf blower and a multi-tool with pruning saw attachment. They will explain to garden members the new tools, their benefits, and how to use them. They will share their story with the wider COGS community via the quarterly magazine. More gardeners will be able to help with maintenance because the new tools are easier to operate. | $2,000.00 |
| Holy Spirit Parish, Gungahlin | Enhancements to the Holy Spirit Parish community garden | The Holy Spirit Parish community garden has thrived since it was re-established in 2022. Now, they are aiming to further increase their productivity and sustainability. They will use grant funding to buy materials for a new garden bed and mulch to lay down throughout the garden. They will improve access to water for the garden which is currently irrigated with rainwater from two tanks. They will hire a plumber to connect to mains water. They will install a solar powered light on the equipment shed to improve security. They will also install chicken wire to keep rabbits and rodents out of the garden. The garden expansion will allow them to share even more produce with the community. They prioritise sharing with people who have difficulty accessing fresh food. | $2,641.79 |
| The Food Cooperative Shop | Grow with the community | The Food Cooperative Shop aims to increase food production from their rooftop garden. The Co-op will use grant funding to install infrastructure for vertical growing, allowing more and different foods to be grown. They also aim to grow community engagement with the garden and the workshops that take place there. Inclusion and wellbeing are at the heart of the rooftop garden initiative. It welcomes volunteers from different cultures and demographics. The garden benefits people including Co-op members, building occupants and the wider community. The garden is a place for them to experience and learn about eco-friendly gardens. | $2,872.72 |
| Red Hill Primary School P&C | Red Hill Primary School Student/community garden booster | Red Hill Primary School will improve their community garden and create opportunities for community to take part. They will continue to develop a closed-loop food system. They will grow Indigenous plants and install educational signage. They will also hold Bush Tucker Awareness sessions in the garden. They will invite nearby early childhood and aged care centres to take part in gardening sessions. Red Hill Primary School will invite parents and students to weekend working bees. The project will culminate in the creation of a community cultural recipe book. | $4,068.65 |
| Church of Christ Ainslie ACT Inc | Improving seed-raising and food growing capacity of Gardening@Limestone community garden. | The Church of Christ Ainslie is home to the Gardening@Limestone community garden. The garden has 21 raised beds, shared plantings of fruit and berries, and communal composting. Grant funding will help them to increase their seed-raising and food production capacity. They will convert a shed into a seed-raising area, install vertical trellises in the communal plot, and add nine raised garden beds. They will use some of the funding to improve biodiversity by planting native plants and making a frog pond. Gardeners donate surplus from a large communal plot to the Ainslie Community Pantry. | $3,922.60 |
| Canberra Student Housing Co-operative (CSHC) | CSHC Community Garden Renewal | The Canberra Student Housing Co-operative will revitalise the Havelock Community Garden. They will convert part of the co-operative’s outdoor area into a communal food production garden. The grant will fund materials and soil improvements for the garden beds. It will also fund measures to protect the garden from rabbits and possums. The garden will become a place where people can connect with each other and learn about gardening. | $2,239.00 |
| Miles Franklin Primary School P&C | Miles Franklin Preschool Gambara Garden Project | Gambara means 'flower' in Ngunnawal language. The Gambara Garden celebrates the connection between growth and Country. The Garden is a special place for Miles Franklin preschool children, their families and the wider school community. It fosters belonging, interaction and curiosity for the natural world. There, they will establish five new garden beds with embedded composting and watering systems. This will make a resilient garden for growing seasonal produce. They will also plant fruit trees and edible native plants. The project will culminate in the creation of a community cookbook. | $8,000.00 |
| Scullin Community Group Inc | Scullin Shops Food Forest Garden | The Scullin Community Group will install a sensory hedge at the Scullin Shops Food Forest Garden. The sensory hedge will improve the visual and social appeal of the area. It will promote a sense of community and belonging. The Scullin Shops Food Forest Garden is a food-production hub with many benefits for the community. Pollinator plants and habitat will support local wildlife. Improved soil and composting will increase carbon sequestration. | $2,832.84 |
| Old Narrabundah Community Council | Secure fencing for Narrabundah Community Garden | The Old Narrabundah Community Council will install a secure fence around the perimeter of the Narrabundah Community Garden. The fence will protect the garden from theft of produce and equipment. It will protect the 30 raised beds created by NCG volunteers and local residents. | $18,947.00 |
| Canberra Muslim Community Inc | Gungahlin Mosque Multicultural Community Garden | The Canberra Muslim Community Inc will establish a Multicultural Community Garden next to the Gungahlin Mosque. They hope the garden will build social connections and community resilience. They envision the garden as a space for cultural exchange. The garden will support the physical and mental wellbeing of community members. They have designed the garden for food production, composting, growing herbs and spices from around the world. It will support sustainable garden practices and pollination. A secure fence will enclose eleven garden beds. | $22,000.00 |
| SEE Change Belconnen | Demonstration verge garden network | SEE Change Belconnen will establish five food gardens on local nature strips in Belconnen. They want to inspire Canberrans to use their verges for growing food and processing organic waste. The verge gardens will promote community connection through sharing skills and knowledge. Verge garden ‘Champions’ will host a demonstration garden across four growing seasons. Verge gardeners will encourage neighbours to volunteer, donate their food scraps and share the produce. The SEE Change website will provide information for Canberra residents looking to start their own verge garden. | $22,470.41 |
Find out more about Community Garden Grants.
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Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.