Group hopes garden concept bears fruit

A GROUP of Newtown residents hope to create a sustainable, community-focused garden in a Newtown park, under a planning application presently before the City of Greater Geelong.

Chilwell Community Garden Inc. (CCG) has formed to devise and try to develop a garden of the same name in part of the city-owned Claremont Park in Mervyn Street.

In his application letter to the city, CCG vice president Alan Andrews said the residents were “keen to develop a strong sense of community connection and inclusion through the enhancement of Claremont Park”.

“With a sustainability focus, the proposed community garden offers the local residents a place to connect, learn, share knowledge and create a sense of attachment to our community through our shared interest in gardening.

“The CCG will contain communal and individual growing areas and, eventually, a covered meeting space with cooking and storage facilities.”

He said his group was striving to build strong relationships with groups that would benefit from the garden, such as local schools, seniors groups and organisations that shared CCG Inc’s vision of the garden as a socially connected, inclusive, healthy and sustainable community garden with a focus on sustainable practices and a living example and experiment in green living.

“With sufficient community interest, the CCG will be developed on both sides of the gently winding path that links Mervyn Street to the larger area of Claremont Park, on to Percy Street.

“Our dream is to achieve an attractive garden area with an abundance of healthy plants including colourful vegetables, fruit trees and flowering companion plants.

“As people wander along the main pedestrian pathways alongside areas of the community garden, they may be attracted to stop and watch CCG members quietly working away on the vegetable plots and fruit trees.

“They may be inspired to engage with similar activities, either at home or as a member of this community garden.

“We believe the successful development of this community garden will have a positive effect on the amenity of Claremont Park social interaction with increased use of the existing playground and basketball court.”

The garden would also contain associated fencing and signage.

CCG Inc. estimates the development of the garden would cost $99,000.