8/3/2019 Community Gardens Fact Sheet - New South Wales

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It is illegal or an ofcer o

Housing NSW to ask or money

or avours or other benefts o

any kind in exchange or helping

you with your housing needs.

It is also illegal or you or anyone

else to oer money or avours

or other benefts o any kind to

an ofcer o Housing NSW inexchange or helping you. I you

have any inormation regarding

this, please contact Housing

NSWs Business Assurance

Unit on 1800 806 206. Housing

NSW may reuse the provision

o urther housing services to

anyone who has engaged or

sought to engage in corrupt or

illegal conduct.

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Community GardensJuly 2008

Fact Sheet

In recent years, many hectareso land on NSW social housingareas have been devoted tocommunity gardening.

Over 20,000 residents have participated

in the scheme, sharing valuable skills

and riendships as they work to improvetheir local environment. All over NSW,

abandoned back-lots, wasteland and

balconies have been converted into areas

growing vegetables, ruit and owers.

The gardens orm part o the Housing

NSWs community renewal program. This

program aims to build saer and stronger

communities, and encourage tenants to

play an active role in local decision making.

Housing NSW is working with a range

o partners to ensure the best possible

services and outcomes or people in socialhousing.

A range o organisations, including The

Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney Water,

the Department o Commerce, University

o NSW, local government, and private

sponsors, have provided support or the

community gardening scheme.

Growing communitiesThe gardens have boosted community

lie in social housing areas. By providing

a range o activities and attracting strongcommunity involvement, the gardens have:

increasedtenantinvolvementin

community lie

encouragedgreaterinteractionand

stronger communication between

tenants o diverse ages and

backgrounds

providedanoutletforhealthyexercise

and an equally healthy ood source

allowedtenantstoacquirearangeof

vocational skills in gardening, planning,

teamwork, resource allocation and

decision making

giventenants(someofwhomhadnever

gardened beore) a genuine sense

o pride and achievement rom their

accomplishments

improvedpeoplesunderstanding

and appreciation o their physical

environment.

This initiative unites communities and buildsconfdence and social interaction amongst

social housing tenants.

Greening areasOver 130 gardening communities are now

involved in gardening projects. There are

95 community gardens on or near NSW

social housing areas rom Toongabbie to

Taree.

CommunitygardensatWaterloo,ahigh-

density public housing estate in inner-city

Sydney, have revitalised community lieand improved the local environment. The

raised garden beds in Solander allow

older and less mobile people to garden.

Waterloosdiversepopulation,(including

people o Russian, Vietnamese and

Indonesian backgrounds) have grown

a range o vegetables rom beetroot to

bok choy.

Thepopularcommunitygardensin

Riverwood in South Sydney have

attracted broad public recognition.

Tenants have won gardening awards,

and are known or their strong

cooperation on the gardens.

BidwillcommunitygardensinWestern

Sydney have used old railway sleepers

to raise garden beds to a height which

enables less mobile people to garden.

Compost bins are used to recycle waste.

InMintoinsouth-westSydney,the

community gardens are also used or

social events such as barbeques and

annual celebrations. Vegetables areplucked resh rom the gardens and put

straight on the fre. These communal

gatherings boost the sense o community

in the area.

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Community GardensJuly 2008

Communitygardensinregional

areas, including Windale and Taree,

are a ocal point or people to share

valuable gardening skills, produce and

riendships.

The Road AheadHousing NSW is committed to Community

Greening, a partnership between HousingNSW and the Botanic Gardens Trust, that

aimstoprovidesupportandexpertiseto

housing tenants who wish to establish their

own owerbeds and vegetable plots on

vacant, common land. In uture years it will:

developorextendcommunitygardens

in public housing areas with particular

ocus on each o the priority locations

identiedbyHousingNSW(Claymore,

MacquarieFields,MountDruitt,Killarney

Vale/Bateau Bay/Tumbi Umbi, Bathurst/

Orange and Dubbo)

focusoncommunitygardensinrural

areas

expandexistingcommunitygardens

to meet the demand rom tenants or

additional allotments, and to encourage

more tenants to get involved

developstrategiesforthegardensto

become sel-sustaining over time

continuetobuildpartnershipswithother

service providers

betterlinkcommunitygardensto

Housing NSWs tenant employment and

training programs.

Contributors to Community Greening

include

Yates and Co

Department o Commerce

FriendsoftheGardens

Eden Gardens and Garden Centre

Andreasens Green

Oasis HorticultureNorthcote Pottery

Hickmans Nursery Taree

Blacktown Council

Campbelltown Council

Canterbury Council

FaireldCouncil

Holyroyd Council

Liverpool Council

MuswellbrookCouncil

Parramatta Council

Penrith Council

Randwick CouncilTaree Council

South Sydney Council

Sydney City Council

Wyong Council

Arthur Phillip High School

Auburn North Public School

Brier Rd Public School

Cabramatta Public School

Claymore Public School

Cleveland St Intensive English High School

Currens Public SchoolEastlakes Public School

Granville South High School

Guise Public School

MaroubraBayPublicSchool

MarrickvilleWestPublicSchool

Redern Public School

Samuel Terry Public School

Sarah Redern High School

Telopea Public School

Thomas Acres Public School

Toongabbie West Public School

Tregear Public SchoolWillmot Public School

Youth o the Streets Schools at Surry Hills

andMerrylands

Interpreter Services

I you have difculty understanding

English, contact the Translating

and Interpreting Service (TIS) on

131 450.

The Translating and Interpreting

Service will telephone Housing

NSW or you at no cost.

I you are hearing impaired, please

contact the TTY Service on 1800

628 310.

Arabic

Chinese

Russian

Spanish

Vietnamese