Community gardens are a place where people can come together to grow and share food, to learn, relax, reflect and make friends.
Community gardens provide a range of social, physical and environmental benefits including:
To help community groups establish community gardens on Council owned and managed land, we have developed a Community Gardens Policy.
Community groups must complete the following steps to establish a community-driven community garden on Council owned or managed land:
- Form a community garden group
Residents form a community garden group and actively recruit new members via local promotion (such as flyers in school newsletters), identify potential sites for a community garden and meet with Council's Community Development Officer to discuss proposal.
- Site identification
Key Council staff meet to discuss site selection, provide provisional approval for current location or suggest other potential sites, and discuss and permits required.
- Application
Residents complete planning permit application process (if required). Residents consult with local community surrounding potential site and document feedback.
- Assessment
Application is assessed by relevant internal officers. Please note, applications will not be assessed until planning permits have been approved.
- Outcome
Successful applicants are notified and a lease agreement is drawn. Unsuccessful applicants are provided with written feedback and encouraged to re-apply.
- Monitoring and support
Successful applicants sign lease agreement with Council and will be supported to explore other internal and external grant opportunities and relevant partnerships.
Eligible groups
Community groups looking to establish a community garden on Council owned and managed land, must:
- be an incorporated group with current public liability insurance of up to $5 million or have a partnership with an auspice body that holds current public liability insurance of up to $5 million
- be a not for profit group, located within the City of Whittlesea
If your group is interested in becoming incorporated, grants of up to $1000 are available through our Community Development Grants.
Conditions
The group is responsible for all associated costs arising from:
- permit applications
- connection and usage of water
- infrastructure
- establishments costs (e.g. soil testing)
- insurances
- annual lease fees
The lease agreement may be revoked or not renewed if:
- the group does not comply with the conditions in the lease agreement
- the garden is not maintained or the group ceases to function
- appropriate insurances are not maintained
- the auspice body no longer wishes to partner with the community group.
To establish a community garden on private land, you will need to contact the land holder directly. Privately owned or managed land falls outside this process.
For more information or to lodge an Expression of Interest please contact sustainability.planning@whittlesea.vic.gov.au