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
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Unit on 1800 806 206. Housing
NSW may reuse the provision
o urther housing services to
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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