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

The project has helped embed sustainability in the wider community in the following 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 High School garden has rescued and rehabilitated what was previously a totally degraded
paddock, and made it aesthetically pleasing, so that it is now incorporated into the school life
and used regularly by students and staff for lunch and socialisation – this is a contribution to
what we might call ‘psychological sustainability’
Delays/Difficulties Encountered
Over the life of the project, there have been some significant difficulties, which as a
consequence have produced delays and modifications in the implementation of the project:
Securing land for the community garden: During 2009, the BCGA worked closely
with staff of the Bellingen Shire Council to identify potential sites on public land for the
establishment of the community garden. One in particular was chosen and a DA
process commenced, but this subsequently had to be withdrawn after a strong
backlash from local residents who felt that the BCGA were ‘alienating public land’ from
existing recreational uses. This was resolved when the High School Principal offered
the site on High School land, however it did cause delays to the project timeframe.
This experience of community opposition on the basis of ‘alienating open space’ is not
uncommon amongst groups attempting to establish community gardens elsewhere in
Australia. In Bellingen it was compounded by the lack of decent public land being set
aside during earlier phases of development in Bellingen
Resistance from some staff at the High School: During the construction phases at
the High School, some of the ground staff were resistant to the idea of the community
garden being located adjacent to the school’s agricultural land, and suspicious of the
organic and permaculture principles being applied. This lingers to some extent, but
over time trust and relationships have been successfully established
Slow-decision making processes – within the school, has caused some delays
Constraints on community involvement – because the garden is in the school, it is
not accessible to community members during school hours; and we don’t always have
someone present in the garden outside school hours (e.g. a 2-hour working bee)
Securing commitment to ongoing involvement from community members – while
a cohort of gardeners and volunteers is developing, this has been a slow process, and
potentially poses a challenge to the long-term sustainability of the garden. To date,
more time has been invested in constructing the garden and developing the site, than
has been possible to invest in engaging with the broader community. There have been
communication and other strategies put in place to address this (leaflets, articles in the
newspaper, Facebook, launch events, social events, message board at the garden,
signage on the street, getting a roster of supervisors for working bees, establishing an
email list), but clearly this challenge still remains. A lot of nearby residents, and
parents – 6-10 people a day – are picking fresh produce from the garden every day.
Our challenge is to get some of these people to commit to becoming regular
volunteers and gardeners, which is a challenge being faced in other community