Nsp 1 plant

A community garden for Altona

Altona locals need a place to come together and grow!

Project details

Suggested by: Adeline

Project partner: 3000 acres

Budget

$135,710.00

Votes

115 votes received

This project did not receive enough votes to be successful.

We want to build a community garden where locals can meet, swap skills, learn and grow fresh, nutritious food. We are committed to working together to create a welcoming space for all which supports physical, social and mental wellbeing. In the garden there will be vegetables, fruit trees and a composting system to help reduce household waste. We will have regular get togethers for people to learn about growing food. In this way we hope our project will improve health outcomes, help those who struggle to pay for groceries, support sustainability and create a beautiful place that everyone appreciates.

We’re a group of locals who’ve been working since 2015 to establish the first community garden in Altona. As our population grows, more people live in properties where they have no space to grow food and we are often isolated from our neighbours. On top of that, many people struggle to afford nutritious food, or, are unable to access food grown in their home-country. This open garden can provide a space for all of us to come together, learn and grow as a community. The food we produce will make households around Altona healthier and more sustainable.

Project details

Suggested by: Adeline

Project partner: 3000 acres

Budget

$135,710.00

Votes

115 votes received

This project did not receive enough votes to be successful.

Comments

Comments closed

Jan Anne

22 Aug 2018

With Altona's old 1/4 acre blocks being subdivided and multiple units/apartments being built, Altona residents are definitely in need of a Community Garden.

miffy

15 Aug 2018

I don’t understand - the community garden is already supported by Council. So what are the specifics of what is being requested through this process? There are no details in the description.

Kcods > miffy

16 Aug 2018

I think it’s too get money for the project Miffy.

Shotaro

15 Aug 2018

We are living in community garden world already as we are lived by nature and we try to live with it. Unfortunately we are likely to forget it in such a busy life now a days. I believe the community garden can be a great opportunity to remind people about living with nature, and to learn and be familiar with skills and knowledge what we can do for the earth in individual aspects. There are so many beautiful community garden existing in the world and they all grow up with not only members also with local community residents and other communities. I vote yes to support them to be successful community garden and I believe it makes all residents happy:)

Jakeb

14 Aug 2018

Choose another location away from houses. The current gonvernment needs to remember the issues at the community gardens at eco ville park, tarneit. They were a disaster and the local residents are still dealing with it. Coming up to an election I don’t think it is a good look

Mattski > Jakeb

19 Aug 2018

If it doesn't work and becomes a huge social and financial black hole the council could bulldoze the lot and let the grass grow once more.
You are trying to scare me with scenarios that hold no great fears for me.

Jakeb > Jakeb

20 Aug 2018

There are plenty of other open spaces in altona that would be great for the community gardens. A.H FORD reserve isnt one. It is a lovely open space parked used by local families. Families who live in clise walking distance to the park. Families who bought their properties because of what the park currently offers. Not families wanting to smell rotting compost, fertilisers and desking with vermon as a result of a select few who want a community garden. If you want a veggie garden, build it in your own backyard. The council shouldnt have to worry about paying when it goes bad!

Jakeb

14 Aug 2018

No, I think it’s a terrible idea. They look terrible, they take up precious open space that the whole community could be using. The gardens have historically attracted rats and mice. Recent community gardens in the western suburbs have failed and attracted disengaged youth who drink, steal from the gardens and cause damage. I don’t want to attract issues to the beautiful park. All the other plans from council look great, the veggie garden and toilets are a disaster waiting to happen. Contact the local Police for their opinion!

Mattski > Jakeb

19 Aug 2018

I did contact the local police and they don't share your concerns. They seemed bewildered by the claims you make, here.

Seems you're just seeking any excuse to avoid having anything change in your backyard. That's not an uncommon response to community initiatives but it ignores that everything that went toward making our community what it is involved change.

Further, you ignore that the disengaged youth might be engaged by community projects. A community garden might not be the solution to the problem you cite but your proposed retention of the status quo doesn't do anything about that, either, other than nominally keeping any change off your patch.

I'm not finding disengaged youth a particularly big problem in Altona overall and wonder if you might be inventing boogie-men of convenience. Certainly your call on others to ask local police for their opinion seems a disengenuous attempt at creating a narrative the facts don't support.

Jakeb > Jakeb

20 Aug 2018

I am all for change... i love most of the ideas the council has proposed, except the community gardens. They exclude the use of areas within the park for the enjoyment of a few people who would have use of the area exclusively. Hardly seems fair... find another location for it and enjoy your time doing what you do. As local residents will enjoy the A.H FORD reserve, without having to pay a membership fee to use it.

DDau

14 Aug 2018

What a great opportunity for the whole community of Hobsons Bay.

Margaret

13 Aug 2018

Great for the whole community

Petepat

13 Aug 2018

A wonderful open space that could be utilised for the good of all of the local community

Kcods > Petepat

16 Aug 2018

Not for the local residents who’s houses back onto the oval!!

Kcods

13 Aug 2018

I vote NO

Kcods

13 Aug 2018

We do not want a community garden in the proposed ford reserve, it is too close to local residents & it brings many issues which residents will be left to deal with! There are plenty of open spaces in Altona ie. cherry lake and other parks that are away from residents that they could use!!

Adeline > Kcods

13 Aug 2018

This has been looked into. The soil and water there is contaminated so it is not a suitable site.

Kcods > Kcods

16 Aug 2018

Well I’m sure there are plenty of other spaces away from residents backyards!! We would like to keep our beautiful quiet park that way with upgrades to the play equipment. We don’t want the community gardens or upgrades to the toilets there, they attract homeless, druggies etc. and thieves!!

Mattski > Kcods

19 Aug 2018

Somehow Kcods and Jakeb seem to think it's only vegetables that attract drug addled homeless youth but in my experience they're more likely to congregate in playgrounds. You can't have it both ways. Arguing that a garden will attract people you don't want there but that improved playground equipment will not doesn't convince me that you're arguing from a firm footing of evidence and reasoning, but rather from "anywhere but near me" syndrome.
If you come up with compelling reasons we should not have a community garden there I will heed them, but you're not doing a good job on that front and simply come across as whining entitlement junkies.
You didn't buy the land near your home and while you do deserve a say in how that land is used, you are not the only people with a stake in this. Please treat the subject with the honesty and integrity you expect of others and stop trying to scare up a community response based on fear. Whether you sincerely hold those fears is irrelevant. What matters is whether or not those fears are rational and based on evidence.

Greengirl

13 Aug 2018

Wonderful way to bring community together

frankie63er

13 Aug 2018

Great project and much needed in the area

PeteW

13 Aug 2018

yes - as a suburb with so much open space this is a must