Community Garden at Bellarine Community Health Service, Point Lonsdale

Vision

The vision for the Community Garden at Point Lonsdale Community Health Service is to establish a community driven, continually evolving garden. It will contain a productive veggie patch and variety of drought resistant plants, plus possible art work and sculptures. The garden is to be utilised by the wider community of the Borough of Queenscliff.

Aims

To provide a space that engages the whole of community to promote “health and well being” and social connectedness.

Stakeholders

1. Bellarine Community Health Service (including the Planned Activity Group (PAG), Coorabin Nursing Home, health promotion coordinator, dietitians, gardener and management support)
2. Borough of Queenscliff (Community Development Manager)
3. Community members from the Borough of Queenscliff
4. Horticulturist TBD
5. St Aloyisuis Primary School, Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff Primary Schools
6. Clifton Springs, Point Lonsdale and Portarlington Garden Club

1. Karen Oliver, Families and Communities Manager, Bellarine Community Health service
2. Chris Fogaty, Asset Development & Maintenance Coordinator, Bellarine Community Health service
3. Louise van Herwerden, Health Promotion Coordinator, Bellarine Community Health service
4. Debbie Humphreys, Community Participation officer, Bellarine Community Health service
5. Debbie Brearley
6. Katie Gillett, Community Garden Co-ordinater

During 2006 staff at BCH began discussions with the local community of Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff about the establishment of a community garden in the grounds of the health service at Point Lonsdale. These discussions lead to a community consultation process, with a barbecue that was attended by 30 community members who provided input in to the development of the community garden. There was adequate interest to progress to the development stage, however water restrictions and staff turnover meant the project had to be postponed.

In November 2008 a Community Garden Co-ordinater was hired and work recommenced to develop the community garden. There was interest from across the community and is considered a community strengthening initiative by BCH, providing an environment where all members of the community can meet. The garden will provide a space for community to come together, to learn about the environment and develop skills in cultivating vegetables and herbs.

The process to develop the garden commenced, with a reference committee with key stakeholders informing the design and plan of the community garden design. The planning and design of the community garden was completed by a community garden co-ordinater. The draft design of the site, stages of community consultation and estimated costs associated with developing the community garden have been developed.

Green Corp will be doing the major landscaping works. The Green Corps work will be achieved during the Green Corp volunteers work in January-February 2009. Additional work by volunteers can be completed only once the basic landscaping as required are completed.

Volunteer interest forms have been sent out amongst the community to gather people to help continue the running and development of the garden. Three local primary schools, Queenscliff, St Aloysius and Point Lonsdale have agreed to help with the artworks and maintenance of the garden.

Community Consultation Summary

The Community Garden project has been devised with input from community members via an initial community consultation. A total of 29 community members attended (5 children, 2 youth, 10 adults and 12 elders over 55 yrs). Feedback indicated:

1. the most common time suitable to use the community garden appears to be afternoons or mornings
2. the garden is likely to be used by children, youth, adults on the weekend and by elders weekdays
3. most respondents stated they would bring other people to the community garden (93%)

Community member’s feedback indicated they would like following from the community garden:

1. fruit and vegetables
2. meet new people and make new friends
3. a place to have picnics and children’s parties
4. learn and share new ideas and gardening skills
5. grow native vegetation
6. sense of community

What community members would like to see in the garden in order of property is:

1. Vegetables
2. Herbs
3. Natives
4. Fruit flowers
5. Composting
6. Propagations

Garden design theme community members would like to see in the garden in order of property is:

1. Indigenous/bush food garden
2. Sensory garden
3. Artistic theme spiritual theme
4. Cottage garden
5. Fairy garden

Garden Design

The Point Lonsdale Community Garden will highlight three main areas, productive, contemplative and entertainment. The productive area will feature several vegetable plots that will be maintained by local community groups. There will also be several raised beds of various heights that can be used by users of the health centre such as the Physical Activities Group (PAG). Espaliered fruit trees will be placed around the executive centre trained on wires and posts, a climbing fruiting vine will be grown over the water tank.

There will be a BBQ and entertainment area along the front, featuring an electric BBQ and tables and benches. There will be a quieter contemplative area around the back that will feature a bush food raised bed that will include plants used by the Wathaurong people. They will be artworks in this area completed by the local primary schools, including mosaic paving slabs, signage and scarecrows. There will be numerous benches around the site. There will also be a compost and worm farm area that will also be used by local schools as an educative recourse.