community garden opportunities in the city of subiaco

8/3/2019 Community Garden Opportunities in the City of Subiaco

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Community Garden Opportunities

in the City of Subiaco

November 2009


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Community Garden Opportunities 2 | P a g e

Contents

Executive Summary .................................................................................................. 3Project and Community Consultation Overview ......................................................... 5Community Garden Concepts ................................................................................... 7

A Brief History ........................................................................................................ 7Community Gardens in Australia ........................................................................... 7Community Gardens in Western Australia ............................................................. 8The Nature and Form of Community Gardens ....................................................... 8

Growing Communities ............................................................................................... 8Educational Environmental and Economic Benefits ............................................... 9Nutrition and Health Benefits ............................................................................... 10

Local Community Garden Perspectives ................................................................... 10Activities .............................................................................................................. 11Management and Governance ............................................................................ 12Access and Tenure .............................................................................................. 13Land and Sites ..................................................................................................... 14Role of the City of Subiaco .................................................................................. 15

Policies and Regulations ......................................................................................... 15Funding Arrangements ............................................................................................ 17Managing Risks ....................................................................................................... 19Selecting Locations for Community Gardens ........................................................... 21


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Executive Summary

Community gardening is an immensely satisfying and enriching experience and this

is one of the main reasons that this social trend is rapidly assuming an important rolein many communities.

The social and community benefits of community gardens synchronise with the 2007City of Subiaco Community Wellbeing Strategy. It is widely acknowledged thatcommunity gardens interact positively with community development initiatives andare particularly effective at strengthening community networks through thedevelopment of collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships.

A comprehensive consultation process was undertaken with the residents to assessthe level of support and aspirations for community gardens in the City. Theseconsultations included the establishment of a community working group to advise theCity and consultants, a community workshop that was attended by 35 residents andan invitation to residents to comment on a community garden discussion paper. Theparticipation and responses received from the community reflected a robust level ofsupport to progress the development of community gardens within the City.

The active engagement of the City of Subiaco is also considered by residents to be acritical success factor. During consultations the following five tasks were identified asrequiring input from the City:

To provide proactive leadership and guidance to the community on the potentiallocations of community gardens in the City and to support the activities ofgardens through advice and resources.

To be an active partner in gardens located on City controlled land and provideadvice and resources to gardens located on private property.

To bring likeminded people together from across the City to establish communitygarden groups with the purpose of creating community garden spaces.

To provide support to facilitate the development of governance structures,policies, guidelines and procedures to guide community garden management.

To provide land, facilities and infrastructure, such as water, water tanks, power,fencing and kerbing.

Subiaco residents indicated that community gardens should be fun and dynamicplaces that inspire participants and the neighbouring community. The main focus forany proposed community gardens in the City is growing vegetables and fruit.


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Residents also enthusiastically embraced the opportunity offered duringconsultations to expand on the traditional community garden concept by creating aCity of Gardens with a diversity of garden options to encourage greaterparticipation. The three community garden options identified by residents andconsidered feasible within the City of Subiaco are:

1. Street Gardens thatuse street verges to create a concentration of allotmentsin a street environment.

2. Private Communal Gardens are gardens established on private property forthe exclusive use of owners and tenants and are often run using existingproperty management structures.

3. Public Communal Gardens are gardens established on public land madeavailable by state or local government authorities. These gardens requireseparate management structures and generally the creation of a not-for-profit

incorporated entity to function.The diversity of gardens approach is an evolution in the concept of communitygardens that acknowledges the benefits of community gardens can be obtainedthrough several methods and is not restricted to the traditional public communalgarden model.

With several options for community gardens open to the residents, the Citys ability toinfluence the selection of sites is limited to those locations that it controls. Tofacilitate the establishment of public communal gardens on City controlled land theCity will need to undertake an audit of existing parks and services and remove fromfurther consideration those locations that are not suitable.

The level and type of funding required to support a community garden is determinedby the activities that will occur and the amount of site works required at thenominated site. The extent to which the City of Subiacos resources may be calledupon is dependent on the location of the garden and the skills of the gardenmanagement committee. Nonetheless, the City should consider allocating a budgetof up to $100,000 in the 2010/11 financial year to cover requests to establish qualitypublic communal gardens on City controlled land and the fund the promotion ofcommunity gardens throughout the City.

Not all community gardens in the City of Subiaco will require external fundingsources. Private communal gardens may not require external funding to be viable.Street gardens are also unlikely to require significant external funding to be viable as

they are likely to draw on the private funds of landowners and tenants.

This report is structured to provide guidance to the City of Subiaco. It exploresgarden concepts, the role of the City, garden management, funding arrangements,risks and suggests a process for the selection of sites for the establishment of publiccommunal gardens on City controlled land.


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Project and Community Consultation Overview

361 Degrees Stakeholder Management Services (361 Degrees) was engaged by the

City of Subiaco on 5 August 2009 to facilitate the Citys Community Garden WorkingGroup and conduct a feasibility study into opportunities for community food gardensin the City of Subiaco.

This report was compiled following extensive community consultation and a review ofcommunity garden experiences throughout Australia. The final report was presentedto the City on 25 November 2009.

Engagement with residents throughout the studywas maintained through a constant flow ofinformation through multiple communicationchannels. This included two articles in the Talk

about Subi in September and October, fivecommunity notices in the Post newspaper fromAugust to November and two articles in the Postfollowing media statements by the City. Noticesalso appeared in local school newsletters.

In addition to media, the City created anddistributed posters promoting the communityworkshop and distributed approximately 90 copiesof the community public discussion paper at theSubiaco Farmers Market. The Citys CommunityGarden Webpage was also regularly updated and

received 159 visits over a four week period inOctober - November 2009.

Prior to the appointment of 361 Degrees, the City of Subiaco recruited participantsfor a Community Garden Working Group. The group consisted of elected members,community representatives and City staff. Meeting four times between August andNovember 2009, the Community Garden Working Group performed the followingimportant tasks:

Provided guidance in respect of community expectations about communitygardens.

Reviewed materials and provided input to the public discussion paper and adraft of the final report.

Distributed information on community gardens through local networks andpromoted consultation in the local community.

Figure 1 City staff distributingDiscussion Paper - Farmers Market


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Participants in the working group included:

Facilitators Jamie Robertson, ConsultantNigel Chartres, Consultant

ElectedMembers

Mayor Heather Henderson

Councillor Phil Jacobsen

Staff Members Martin Copeman, Manager Gardens and Parks

Janette Spencer, Manager Community Development

Melanie Davies, Coordinator Environmental Projects

Blake Humble, Coordinator Parks Development (proxy)

CommunityRepresentatives

Daniela SimonGabbi Gamblin

Val OToole

Noelene Swain

Kirk Bellerby (proxy)

The Citys sponsorship of resident and working group members participation in theGrowing Communities WA Community Garden Forum (held at Piney Lakes, Melville,between 18 and 20 September 2009) raised the level of understanding of communitygardens in the community. Representatives from the Working Group attended eachof the forums sessions.

The City of Subiaco Community Garden Workshop was facilitated by 361 Degreeson the evening of 4October 2009 at the Palm Centre. Thirty-five residents attendedthis community workshop to discuss five key subject areas including activities,management and governance, access and tenure, land and sites and, the role of theCity of Subiaco. During the workshop individual residents were given the opportunityto provide input into three of the five key subject areas in small groups.

The key themes identified by residents at the workshop were documented andpresented in a public discussion paper that was released for public comment on 3

November 2009 for a two week comment period. Residents were invited to build on

the work commenced at the community workshop by commenting on the key themesidentified by workshop participants.

Seven responses were received from the community. These responses wereanalysed and the feedback integrated into this report prior to its final review by theCommunity Garden Working Group.

This report is the outcome of this consultative process.


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Community Garden Concepts

Community gardening is an immensely satisfying and enriching experience and this

is one of the major reasons that this significant social trend is rapidly assuming animportant role in many communities.

A Brief History

Prior to the Second World War most cities sourced their food supply from local farmsand market gardens, which were often located in outer suburbs. Increasing affluenceand the cheap mass production of food in the post war period however, contributedto a decline in cities producing their own food with many allotment and city gardenslost to urban development.

This trend was not all pervasive. Even today in Australian cities, there are remnantsof this once extensive and important local industry. For example, in Sydney, thereare still excellent market gardens in the suburbs of the Rochdale, Kogarah andRandwick and the urban agricultural industry retains its importance to Sydney,employing approximately 12,000 people. Sydney supplies most of its vegetables,including almost one hundred percent of its Asian vegetables, from small city fringefarms.

During the past two decades there has been a growing movement in favour of re-establishing local food supplies, in conjunction with introducing more sustainablesystems for growing and distributing fresh produce. Our current concept ofcommunity gardens are a response to food security, concerns over global warming,the peaking of the global oil supply, water conservation, environmental issues,nutrition and healthy eating. These issues are galvanising growing numbers ofpeople to participate in the expanding community garden movement.

Community Gardens in Australia

The current community garden concept has been traced back to 1977, with theopening of Nunawading Community Garden on local government land in Victoria.Since the opening of this garden, a network, of diverse gardens has beenestablished in all Australian States and Territories. For example, the number ofgardens in Victoria increased from 75 in 2006, to 105 in 2008, a 33% increase in justtwo years.

During the mid 1990s the Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network(ACFCGN) was formed and is now established in all States and Territories. TheACFCGNs role is to facilitate communication between city farmers, communitygardeners, school food garden managers, sustainability education centres and landhousing institutions, such as local government, that support these community basedenterprises.

Today, city farms and community gardens range in size and complexity from small,low cost neighbourhood based gardens, to much larger establishments, such asCollingwood Childrens Farm and the CERES Community Environmental Park inVictoria.


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Community Gardens in Western Australia

In 1994, City Farm Community Garden commenced on an old scrap metal yard andbattery recycling facility in East Perth. City Farm now runs a weekly organic farmersmarket and provides schools with educational services on topics, such as degradedland, rehabilitation, recycling, permaculture gardening, environmental and socialissues.

In Western Australia there are over 15 fully established gardens, including theEarthwise Community Garden in Bagot Road, Subiaco. Another one hundredgardens are currently being actively considered by various community groups aroundWestern Australia.

The Nature and Form of Community Gardens

No two community gardens are identical as each garden is structured to reflect theaspirations of the respective groups who manage and cultivate them.

Each time a community garden is proposed, proponents will usually consider aims,achievements, challenges and learnings from established community gardens.

Understanding this rich background information enables each particular group towork towards designing and establishing a best practice model for meeting theiraspirations, ideas and requirements.

Growing Communities

It is widely acknowledged that community gardens interact positively with communitydevelopment initiatives and are particularly effective at strengthening communitynetworks through the development of collaborative and mutually beneficialrelationships.

The 2007 City of Subiaco Community Wellbeing Strategy considers communitywellbeing to include:

Communities committed to developing activities that support and facilitatecommunity strengthening;

Community members engaged in a network of relationships and interests thatgive meaning to their lives;

Communities where mutual respect, generosity and contribution areexperienced;

Active citizenship and volunteerism; Collaboration, creativity, inclusion and accessibility; Respect for cultural heritage and diversity; Safety and health; and Lifelong learning.


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The social and community benefits of community gardens synchronise with andsupport this strategy as they:

Provide a social system of family friendly, informal meeting places, whichassist in breaking down cultural barriers and promoting cultural exchange;

Foster informal and formal lifelong learning opportunities, which areassociated with practical environmental issues, such as promotingbiodiversity, permaculture, recycling and conservation;

Promote the growing and consumption of fresh, nutritious food; Deliver health benefits, through exercise and people having the opportunities

to contribute, through active citizenship, towards creative, inclusivecommunity events; and

Nurture generosity, mutual respect, accessibility and collaborativevolunteerism networks.

Successful community gardens can easily become a focus for strengthening

community. This occurs through the growing of food and the cooperation needed forplanning, establishing and managing the garden. Community gardens engage thecommunity by encouraging individuals to work together and to contribute to a greatercommon good. The garden and the associated activities draw a diversity of peoplewho share a common sense of purpose.

Anecdotal evidence suggests thatcommunity garden spaces have re-introduced the concept of the villagegreen, where people would congregatefor a common purpose. This is why manycommunity gardens have become the

focal point for a whole range ofcommunity activities, such as artexhibitions, music events, fetes and fairs.

In this context, community gardensemerge as a purposeful common space,connecting with many people and groupsin the wider community.

The associated benefits of this community cohesion can include:

A reduction in crime and vandalism. An increase for community cohesion. Breaking down cultural barriers. Encouraging overall harmony.

Educational Environmental and Economic Benefits

Community gardens foster a renewed interest in lifelong learning, especially in areasassociated with environmental issues and economic concerns. Moreover, theassociated economic benefits of minimising transport costs (food miles) by promotinglocal supply and the savings in healthcare from healthier lifestyles are welldocumented.

Figure 2 Earthwise Community Garden


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The nature of the activities fosters a skills exchange, where people are able to shareideas and consider new ways of doing things. This can include exploring better andcleaner ways of, growing food, recycling, waste minimisation and conservation.

Nutrition and Health Benefits

The growing and consumption of fresh nutritious food promotes good health forcommunity gardeners and the people with whom they share their fresh produce.

The exercise, whilst doing the gardening tasks, also confers direct physical healthbenefits.

The opportunity to contribute, through active citizenship, towards running the gardenand garden based events, improves mental health, whilst nurturing generosity andmutual respect.

The collaborative volunteerism networks, which build up around community gardengroups are also beneficial for the general mental health profile of the community.

Local Community Garden Perspectives

Local community garden perspectives reflect the views and aspirations of theresidents of the City of Subiaco as identified and recorded during the consultativeprocess. These perspectives are broken down into the five key areas that werediscussed with residents during the consultative process:

1. Activities2. Management and governance3. Access and tenure4. Land and sites5. Role of the City of Subiaco

Consultations revealed that residents are keen to expand on the traditionalcommunity garden concept by creating a City of Gardens with a diversity of gardenoptions to encourage greater participation by residents. The three community gardenoptions identified by residents and considered feasible within the City of Subiaco are:

Street Gardens use street verges to create a concentration of allotments in astreet environment.

Private Communal Gardens are gardens established on private property forthe exclusive use of owners and tenants and are often run using existingproperty management structures. An example of a private communal gardenis the garden at St Ives Complex, Hay Street Jolimont or the Earthwisegarden in Bagot Road.

Public Communal Gardens are gardens established on public land madeavailable by state or local government authorities. These gardens requireseparate management structures and generally the creation of a not-for-profit

incorporated entity to function.


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The diversity of gardens approach is an evolution in the concept of communitygardens that acknowledges the benefits of community gardens can be obtainedthrough several methods and is not restricted to the traditional public communalgarden model.

Activities

Community gardens should be fun and dynamic places that inspire those thatparticipate and the neighbouring community. The main focus for any proposedcommunity gardens in the City of Subiaco is growing vegetables and fruit.

Education in sustainability principles is a popular and common ancillary activity. Forexample, an education program in areas of permaculture, garden sustainability,water wise gardening, grey water usage, worm farms and organic gardening.

Once established a community garden could become a demonstration model for the

broader community and encourage greater engagement with specific groups such asschool children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

The precise composition and make-up of the activities for a garden would dependupon the participants interests. These might include specific specialisations, such asan herb garden, a medicinal garden for therapeutic produce, a native food gardenand viticulture.

Concepts, such as a walled garden, a fairy garden, a sense garden and a pond mightalso be included. Local children may also be invited to decorate furniture and gardenbeds. The cooking of produce from the garden is also a possibility subject to facilitiesbeing available and food only being cooked for personal consumption (unless the

necessary licence has been obtained).

Space and venue permitting,community focused events might alsobe arranged. These events couldfocus on promoting the talents of localartists.

The option of growing produce on acommercial basis or to supply

commercial entities is not widelysupported and is inconsistent withaccess to subsided public land.Exploring opportunities with therecently established Subiaco FarmersMarket (not-for-profit entity) for thesale of surplus produce to generate

revenue to meet the costs of the garden could be consistent as long as it compliedwith City regulations.

Figure 3 Subiaco Farmers Market


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Management and Governance

To ensure sustainability and to maintain harmony, private and public communalgardens require governing structures. The development of a management plan isrequired to clarify the practical procedures by which the garden will be establishedand organised.

Generally, these plans, as they currently exist around Australia, include: statement of purpose aims and objectives management structure risk management framework public liability insurance policy regarding access, equity and membership induction process for volunteers

policy for the allocation and management of plot gardens funding model potential partnerships consideration of accessibility to members other matters such as policies on the use of drugs and alcohol sustainable land management

The communitys preferred management model for a proposed City of Subiaco publiccommunal garden is a not-for-profit incorporated body. This could be either anextension to an existing community based organisation, or, a new organisationcreated specifically to run a garden project. A not-for-profit incorporated entity isadvantageous when applying for sponsorship, grants, and funding to assist withoperations and costs.

The not-for-profit entity wouldneed to develop a constitution,which includes the aims, rulesof operation, membership, feesand dispute resolution.

The entity would also need amanaging committee made upof individuals who would beresponsible for the overall

running of the garden. Thiscommittee could include keypeople from organisations thatcontribute funds and in-kindsupport and includerepresentatives elected eachyear from the gardens

membership.

Where possible, the exercise of governance should be informal and adaptive to thechanging needs and aspirations of the participants.

Figure 4 Working Bee, Jolimont Seniors CommunityGarden 2009


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During the past two decades several community garden support networks havedeveloped guidelines to assist management committees. These guidelines include:

Work in support of the gardens aims, objectives and vision. Include representation from a range of stakeholders. Be well informed about the workings and activities in the garden. Secure good support from the community garden membership. Target key people with key interests, skills and networks to fill roles. Respect and rely upon agreed meeting and decision making procedures. Run friendly efficient and facilitated meetings. Provide appropriate and adequate training and mentoring for committee

members. Provide effective communications between the committee and the total

membership of the community garden.

To promote the effective running of a public or private communal garden, attention

should be given to arrangements which support the gardens ongoing management.These include designing and implementing good administrative and record keepingsystems, formulating appropriate and adequate health and safety systems andrunning effective maintenance systems.

Access and Tenure

A mix of allotment style plots and communal style arrangements is considered agood combination by prospective community gardeners in the City of Subiaco. Awell developed and articulated set of guidelines would be required for the smoothoperation of both options.

Allotments require a system of managementfor the purposes of allocation, monitoring ofuse and fee payment. In particular, thereneeds to be rules for usage and a process tomanage situations where people do notadequately maintain their allotment.

Communal spaces are ideal for fruit trees, butissues with communal style spaces can ariseif individuals do not adhere to agreedarrangements for joint effort towards the

maintenance of shared spaces.

Guidelines are required for:

membership; roles and responsibilities; rates, fees and concessions; waiting list management; size and allocation of allotment

places; and use of produce, including individual

consumption, trade and sharing.

Figure 5 Art, Earthwise Community Garden


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A potential annual membership fee for public communal garden participation of $120per year was identified by the community, however, it was also recognised thatconcessional memberships should also be available.

The managing committee would need to develop approaches for attracting new

members and these would need to include consideration of aspects such as:

Having an attractive design for the garden. Ensuring that the vision and objectives are clear and easily communicated. Advising local volunteer networks about the garden. Publicising events, such as working bees. Inviting the involvement of schools, local residents and friends.

Land and Sites

Garden sites should be readily accessible for participants, preferably by walking orpublic transport. There also needs to be an adequate water supply, power, toilets,and storage for basic equipment that is kept on site.

Fencing is preferred to protect the garden but the decision to lock access pointswould need to be determined by the management committee. Sourcing Citycontrolled land to create public communal gardens in the City is also preferred. Landsourced from the City should only be provided to a properly constituted not-for-profitentity to manage. Any other arrangement may require the City to levy appropriatecommercial leasing fees which may make the garden financially unsustainable. Careshould also be taken by the management committee to ensure that private

commercial operations, such as local cafes, do not directly or indirectly benefit fromproduce grown on subsidised land.

A range of generic options have been considered as locations for communitygardens. These include the potential for multiple sites and niche areas, such asverges, streetscapes, laneways, roof tops and private houses. Also, railway reservesare viewed as a potential option for establishing allotments, as they are ribbons ofgreen, usually with some shade tree coverage.

Schools, playgroup areas and road verges could also be considered for inclusion.The advantage of some of these suggestions is that irrigation infrastructure mayalready be installed.

While the community identified several sites for consideration, such as NicholsonRoad Reserve which has existing facilities and good public transport the communityis seeking leadership from the City in identifying locations suitable for transformationinto public communal garden spaces. This is a process whereby the City will need toundertake an audit of existing parks and services to determine if the environmental,infrastructure and existing usage is compatible with the establishment of a communalgarden.

One location in the City, Lake Jualbup in Shenton Park, was previously assessed bythe City as unsuitable for a community garden based on environmentalconsiderations. Environmental concerns aside, submissions from residents adjacent

to the Lake expressing their opposition to the creation of a public communal gardensuggest a garden at this location is unlikely to succeed.


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Role of the City of Subiaco

The active engagement of the City of Subiaco is viewed by residents as critical to thesuccess of community gardens in the City. During consultations the following fivetasks were identified as requiring input from the City:

To provide proactive leadership and guidance to the community on the potentiallocations of community gardens in the City and to support the activities of thegarden through advice and resources.

To be an active partner in gardens located on City controlled land and provideadvice and resources to gardens located on private property.

To bring likeminded people together from across the City to establish communitygarden groups with the purpose of creating community garden spaces.

To provide support to facilitate the development of governance structures,policies, guidelines and procedures to guide community garden management.

To provide land, facilities and infrastructure, such as water, water tanks, power,fencing and kerbing.

The provision of information and advice isan important task the City will need toundertake. Detailed garden establishmentand management information andresources are available from Australian CityFarms and Community Gardens Network.

Where the City does provide information,

this should be readily accessible throughmultiple mediums and promoted to increaselocal interest in community gardens. As aminimum, information should include thetypes of gardens endorsed by the City, the

regulations that may apply to these gardens, funding and resources that may beavailable from the City and referral to expert websites and organisations withinformation on creating and sustaining gardens. Information should be available inboth electronic format (from the Citys website) and in hard copy for distributionthrough libraries, civic centres and at events.

Policies and Regulations

The City of Subiaco has several policies and regulations that will require the Citysinvolvement to ensure the gardens activities comply with legislation, regulation andpolicies. These include:

1. Zoning: Where a public communal garden is established on a reserve zoned asopen space, the community purpose provisions of the Town Planning Schemepermit community garden activities

Figure 6 Building raised beds at JolimontSeniors Community Garden


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The Town Planning Scheme however, does not permit community purposes onland zoned residential. Where a private communal garden is created on landzoned residential, participation in the garden is restricted to the owners or tenantsthat occupy the land and cannot be shared with neighbouring property owners orvisitors.

The establishment of street gardens using the street verge is governed by theCitys Street Verges Policy. Verge gardens require the approval of the City toensure compliance with the Policy.

2. Selling of Produce: If a community garden intends to sell fresh produce (eitherwithin or outside of its membership) the governing entity must apply for atemporary or permanent registration as a Food Business under the Food Act2008 (WA) and comply with the requirements of the Australian New ZealandFood Standards Code.

The City of Subiaco registers and monitors Food Businesses within the City andthe garden entity would need to apply to the City for registration.

3. Housing Animals: If the garden intends to house poultry (includes fowl, ducksand other domestic fowls) a maximum of 12 birds is permitted under the City ofSubiaco Health Local Laws 1999. A rooster, goose, gander, turkey, peacock orpeahen is not permitted.

The garden must also ensure its activities prevent the harbourage of rodents andaccept responsibility for their destruction where they exist.

Bee keeping is not permitted within the City of Subiaco, unless approval to do so

has been given by Council. Should any bees or approved beehives cause anuisance, the garden can be directed to remove them.

4. Provision of Manure/Mulch: If manure or mulch is provided by the managementcommittee to participants (that have paid a membership fee), the garden musthave the appropriate safe handling information displayed where the mulch ormanure is maintained.

5. Art Exhibitions or Concerts: If the garden intends to host local art exhibitions orsimilar artistic related activities that take more than 48 hours to construct, presentand dismantle, the garden will need to seek planning approval.

All events at the garden will need to comply with noise restrictions, ensureadequate toilet facilities for visitors, and limit the number of visitors whererestrictions apply.

6. Construction Activities: The erection of buildings and columns for shade sailsmay require planning approval and the issuing of a building licence.

7. Fencing: Internal fencing does not require City approval however externalfencing, particularly non-standard fencing, is likely to require planning approval.

If there is only a single entry and exit point at the garden, a maximum of 50individuals are permitted in the garden at any single time. The provision of

multiple entry and exit points increases the number of people permitted in thegarden.


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Funding Arrangements

The level and type of funding required to support a community garden is determined

by the activities that will occur and the amount of site works required at thenominated site.

Not all community gardens in the City of Subiaco will require external funding

sources. Private communal gardens may not require external funding to be viable.

Street gardens are also unlikely to require significant external funding to be viable as

they are likely to draw on the private funds of landowners and tenants.

The City of Subiaco has access to a variety of expertise and resources that areuseful in establishing and maintaining public communal gardens. The City forexample has skilled staff in horticultural management, irrigation, marketing andadministration and, access to heavy machinery.

The extent to which these resources may be called upon is dependent on thelocation of the garden and the skills of the garden management committee. The Cityshould consider how it will respond to requests for assistance with:

technical (horticultural related) advice; selecting a location for a garden; seed funding; in-kind funding such as earthworks and construction of garden beds using

City resources; regulation and compliance;

water storage and irrigation; participation on management committees; marketing; and dispute resolution

As a general rule, access to a diversity of funding streams increases the financial

sustainability of community gardens by reducing dependency on a single or limited

source of funding. It is therefore important that the City ensure that it is not the sole

source of funding and that a proposed garden has a sufficiently diverse funding base

to support its ongoing operations.

1. The City of Subiaco currently has a Community Development Grants program

of up to $5,000 for incorporated entities and $1,000 for unincorporated

entities to progress community development projects within the City. A $1,000

grant has already been successfully accessed by residents seeking to

establish community gardens on private property and has been used to

construct raised garden beds at an aged residential complex. The City has

also contributed funding for specific activities at the Earthwise Community

Garden on Bagot Road.


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2. The City of Subiaco has a Verge Development Assistance Scheme that

includes native plant subsidies and up to $100 landscaping advice for

property owners. While this Scheme is focused on water conservation and

biodiversity, it is feasible and within the objectives of the Scheme to broadenthe scope to include assistance with street food gardens.

3. It is likely the City of Subiaco will be approached by residents to establish a

public communal garden on City controlled land. Given the likely scale of this

venture, significant costs may be incurred to establish a garden. The

suitability of the location and the proposed activities are major determining

factors in the establishment costs. Earthworks and retaining on an uneven

site can easily exceed $10,000.

A funding allocation from the City of up to$100,000 should be considered in the 2010/11financial year budget. This allocation willanticipate requests to establish quality publiccommunal gardens on City controlled land andpromote the establishment of community gardensthroughout the City. This budget allocation alignswith the Commonwealth GovernmentsStephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden NationalProgram allocation of up to $60,000 for a PrimarySchool to establish a Kitchen Garden. A budgetallocation of up to $100,000 will allow the City to

contribute to the establishment of publiccommunal gardens in the City, and provide forthe promotion of community gardens andcreation of supporting literature to guidegardeners.

Smaller budget allocations have been made inother local government areas. A smaller

allocation however, is unlikely to produce a garden of the quality and ascetic appealto complement the Citys street scapes while also funding the leadership role thecommunity expects the City to perform.

The actual amount the City would allocate to a specific project would be determinedby the location and proposed activities. The City may also facilitate an early

application for additional funding from Lotterywest once the garden concept has been

agreed.

Experience has shown that access to staff and city resources can significantly

reduce the establishment and ongoing cost of community gardens. Therefore,

potential staffing requirements and the level of in-kind resources need to be

considered in structuring the Citys policy and funding arrangements.

From a logistics, planning and cost perspective, it may be more effective for the City

to prepare a specific site based on an agreed garden design, and then hand this overrather than present the community with an unprepared site.

Figure 7 Verge garden, Hamersley Rd


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The garden management committee will need to make a concerted effort to monitor

and access sources of grants and funding to maintain and improve the garden. There

are several funding sources open to community gardens. These include, but are not

limited to:

membership fees; donations (visitor donations, wishing wells, bequests); grants from Lotterywest, Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden National

Program (up to $60K for schools) and State Government Departments wherethe garden is connected to achieving an outcome of a broader program;

sponsorship from local business; revenue earned from selling produce at the Subiaco Farmers Market; hosting education events (where sufficient facilities exist); and special events such as art exhibitions or performances by local artists.

It is also possible to offer supporting membership fees as an option for people whowish to make a contribution but can are unable to actively participate in managementor gardening activities.

There a number of publications and websites available that identify grants andfunding that may be available to support community development projects. Thisincludes Our Community (www.ourcommunity.com.au) who produces acomprehensive monthly consolidated grants information service available via emailto community organisations for a small annual fee.

Managing Risks

The management committee needs to assess their particular garden against genericrisks and then risks which pertain to their specific situation.

In broad terms generic risks comprise:

Aesthetics, which are often a cause for community concerns and complaints. Objections from residents in the immediate locality. Lack of community involvement. Antisocial behaviour and its potential to cause disruption. Liability, such as who is responsible for what and insurance matters.

Safety and concerns about potential physical harm to participants andvisitors. Provision of adequate materials. Water costs and water management. Poor management.

With due care and consideration each generic risk can be addressed within a riskmanagement plan.

In building a risk management plan it is useful to group related risks, as these mightbe addressed by one stream of action.
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Aesthetics, Objections from Residents and Lack of Community Involvement

These three generic risks can be effectively addressed with a community

engagement plan, in conjunction with good design. A community engagement planshould include an effective communications plan, which promotes the garden and itsbenefits to the community. Key elements of a community engagement plan mayinclude:

Good onsite signage, so that people are aware of its presence. Publication and distribution of information brochures to places where people

are likely to read about it, such as local libraries. The establishment of an effective website, with links to other local websites. Providing t-shirts and hats to gardeners, which when worn promote the

garden. Running information stalls at local shopping centres and other community

places. Running advertised community events and celebrations at the garden. Consideration of engaging a part time publicity officer. Developing a policy of proactive consultation with the community at regular

intervals so that any potential problems are identified and dealt with promptly. How to get in contact with a representative from the garden.

The presentation of the garden must be congruent with how the benefits arepromoted in the broader community. For example, the garden should be a welcomingplace, which incorporates aspects of beauty. Also, the garden infrastructure needs tobe safe, orderly and well maintained.

Public Liability

The managing committee should develop a charter where roles and responsibilitiesare clear to ensure no liability risks are inadvertently overlooked. This charter existsin conjunction with appropriate and adequate public liability insurance.

Health and Safety Issues

The managing committee, in conjunction with community garden members, shouldformulate an appropriate and adequate health and safety process, which covers allaspects of recognised health and safety issues pertaining to the particular site.

Provision of Materials

All materials, which are delivered to and used in the community garden, must complywith appropriate industry and safety standards. For example, good quality tools needto be purchased and used, so as to minimise any usage risks to users.

Water Management

The managing committee should inform itself of local water usage guidelines andimplement appropriate water conservation models, such as installing good waterstorage tank and irrigation systems. In addition to these measures, soils should beimproved in order to maximise their water retention capacities.


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Garden Management

The managing committee need to comprise a group of individuals who have theappropriate motivation, background and expertise, necessary to effectively managethe establishment and operations of the community garden.

Appropriate Behaviour

The rules and regulations, which are developed to guide the roles andresponsibilities of gardeners, will need to provide advice regarding the need to avoidany inappropriate behaviour and the consequences regarding situations where thisoccurs.

Selecting Locations for Community Gardens

With several options for community gardens open to the residents, the Citys ability toinfluence the selection of sites is limited to those locations that it controls. A decisionby local residents to establish a private communal garden in a retirement village or ablock of flats for example, does not require the Citys intervention to proceed.Nonetheless, a garden that is not on City controlled land must still comply with locallaws and regulations.

The establishment of street gardens is governed by the City of Subiacos StreetVerges Policy. This policy requires applicants to apply in writing to the City toestablish a verge garden. The application is assessed by City staff using the thirteencriteria in the policy.

A process is required to facilitate community access to City controlled land toestablish a public communal garden. This process should be transparent and assessthe risks and benefits of each location. In undertaking this assessment, the Cityshould consider a locations environmental characteristics, the presence of existingincompatible infrastructure, public amenity and safety, community support, thesustainability of a garden and the resource implications.

To facilitate the establishment of public communal gardens on City controlled landthe City will need to undertake an audit of existing parks and services and removefrom further consideration those locations that are not suitable.

Once the assessments are complete, those sites considered suitable should be

presented to the Council for its consideration. Once endorsed, these locations shouldbe widely advertised as a part of a promotional campaign to encourage participationin community gardens. Residents that prefer a public over a street or private gardenshould be invited to express their interests in establishing and participating in a publiccommunal garden at a the location identified by the City.


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Figure 8 Process Overview

Promotion ofthree community

garden concepts

City identifies

suitable parks and

reserves

Communityencouraged to

create gardens on

private property

Community invited

to apply to useverges

City assessmentof application

List of suitable

locationspresented to the

community

City and residentsestablish

management

committee

Street Garden Public CommunalPrivate Communal

City provides

advice andinformation on

funding

Residents

express their

interest in

participating

City works with the

managementcommittee to

implement thecommunitys

vision

community garden opportunities in the city of subiaco

Documents