Coffs Coast Local Food Futures Part A_Final Report - Coffs Harbour ...

Monitoring & Evaluation
Attached separately.
Embedding Sustainability
The Community Garden was established upon a disused corner of a large grassy field of clay
soil. The area was consisted of a small number of weed species of trees and lifeless
stormwater channel choked with weeds and supporting relatively little habitat. The site has
been transformed into an active and productive community garden showcasing concrete and
obtainable sustainability projects that local residents have actively participated in creating.
Visitors to the garden engage in practical workshops and take home skills that they can use
to replicate projects in their own properties.
The project has embedded sustainability practices throughout the community in these ways:
an embodied awareness of the passing of the seasons, and the range of different
seasonal and climate-appropriate foods that are available in our region
enhancing access to local, fresh, seasonal produce
local food is becoming more accepted and more mainstreamed – more normalised;
it’s less of a marginal, ‘alternative’ thing; it’s more valued and appreciated
working on public land makes the activities more visible than they might be if they
were taking place on private land, which makes a significant contribution to
embedding sustainability
through creating pathways to engagement and volunteerism, the project and its
outcomes build a culture of community and sustainability (as opposed to just
entrenching consumerism based on purchasing choices), as well as contributing to
more social justice outcomes
The water harvesting system of the community gardens is a specific example of a concrete
project that raises awareness of sustainable options that residents can employ on their
properties. This low tech system included water capture from neighbouring roof space,
capture of stormwater via swales and water redirection through low cost aquapipe to provide
water for trees and feed the waterway. The waterway itself improves the quality of the water
that reaches our creek system thought the use of endemic reed species readily available in
the local area. Signage (to be erected in September) provides visitors with an educational
tour of the main features of the system.
The Coffs Community Garden is a pioneer project in Coffs Harbour. Its existence has
inspired other community groups to develop plans for further community gardens. The path
for these groups will be easier because he learned skills and knowledge of those involved in
the first project are shared freely with emerging groups and the CRCG is able to support
them with through the initial process of planning and development and with materials and
resources as well. We expect that there will be three more Community Garden Projects in
Coffs Harbour by June 2013.
Our outreach program takes sustainable gardening into the community. CRCG members
have assisted schools (Sandy Beach PS, St Augustines, Sawtell PS) and community centres
(Coffs Community Options, Child Care Centre) to plan and establish gardens through advice
and sharing resources. This will become a larger part of the community garden project as the
main infrastructure has now been completed and members can donate more time to these
activities. The Coffs Youth Centre has invited us to develop a program for young people at
risk of harm and Coffs Harbour Public School will be the first participants in our on site school
gardening program.