5 years ago a small group of interested amateur gardeners suggested to our local Councillor that our estate could host a community garden. Several submissions, a council sponsored community engagement plan, and then a successful funding application to the NSW State Govt Open Spaces program later, and we had funding for the Botanica Community Garden.
The process had only just begun though. Once the garden construction had been completed in July 2025 and our small group had registered as a community group with not for profit status, we still had to wait another 5 months before we could get our hands dirty, as council finalised the community feedback process. Today in Nov 2025, we now have a fenced garden area with approx 100 square metres of garden beds, a shed and a tap.
Donations of tools and seedlings are slowly filling our little shed as we strategise our plantings over summer just to get the beds "going". We have an eager group of teenagers who are managing some of our digital activities to raise awareness and a roster of members now watering the garden morning & evening as we approach Summer.
Come and hear our story of getting a community garden started, there is a lot more involved than just planting seedlings.