Introduction A brief stroll through the gardens Affiliated bodies Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network Community Gardens Officer, South Sydney Council But what does it all mean?? Footnotes

South Sydney Council’s Community Gardens Officer (CGO) is employed within the Council’s Waste Department on a three month project. The position was a result of a recommendation in a report commissioned by SSC in 1998 13. Her role involves the initiation, support and development of community gardens under SSC’s jurisdiction. This involves provision of training to gardeners, liaison with bodies such as SSWB and in the case of the Department of Housing gardens, attending committee meetings and assisting the overall function of the garden groups. This occurs in collaboration with the Waterloo Redfern Community Development Officer and a Russian interpreter. The CGO aims to devolve coordination and mediation to the garden groups or committee. This position is involved in the promotion and documentation of the gardens through local newsletters, although this is contingent upon the space requirements of other articles in each issue. The CGO’s position regarding the DoH gardens is one of mediation. The officer claimed that many gardens are reasonably self-sufficient in terms of community and so gardeners felt no need to interact with ACFCGN. The officer, however, relies heavily on ACFCGN as a source of training, advice and information, so represents an indirect link between ACFCGN and the gardens. However, there was interest in other gardens expressed by DoH gardeners, as documented above. The 1998 report focussed on community gardens as a means of alleviating food poverty, building on an earlier study into this by the Smith Family and issues raised in SSC’s Local Food Policy 14. This focus is reflected in the four key priorities identified in the report 15. Despite this focus, the CGO’s position is funded as a waste management initiative. Thus, the officer presents the gardens’ benefits to Council in waste reduction terms, while working towards the many objectives and benefits of community gardens highlighted by the report. A significant issue arising from the report is the gardens’ need to be recognised as a valid land use. Currently, SSC’s Generic Open Space Plan of Management is the policy guiding the allocation of open space and does not identify this land use 16. The report’s focus on food related poverty alleviation may provide useful leverage for the Macdonaldtown group in negotiations with the SRA.

Contents Preface Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Appendix I Appendix II References << email:lcrabtre@*SPAMBINGLER*els.mq.edu.au >> NOTE: Remember to delete the expression *SPAMBINGLER* from the address before sending the email. << honours index >> << phd index >> << home >> << to top of page >>