Twelve local projects have received a share of $100,000 in funding to connect with their local communities through the Community Garden Grants Program. 

The program supports the delivery of community gardens across Canberra to enhance community places and spaces. This year, there are two funding streams. Stream One includes $40,000 in funding to improve and enhance existing gardens or to build non-food related gardens. Stream Two includes $60,000 to establish new community food gardens, or for infrastructure to significantly improve food production in existing community food gardens.

The recipients of Round 10 of the Community Garden Grants are: 

Stream 1: 

• Canberra Environment Centre:  $7,835.76 to purchase materials for wicking beds and a new propagation system, as well as a secure tool shed, new seating and an electric whipper-snipper.
• Canberra Organic Growers Society Inc: $2,000 to purchase electric gardening tools including a lawn mower, whipper snipper, leaf blower and a multi-tool with pruning saw attachment for the Charnwood Community Garden.
• Holy Spirit Parish, Gungahlin: $2,641.79 to buy materials for a new garden bed, rodent prevention measures, mulch and to pay for a plumber to connect the garden to mains water.
• The Food Cooperative Shop: $2,872.72 to install infrastructure for vertical growing and to hold composting workshops.
•  Red Hill Primary School P&C: $4,068.65 to buy edible native plants for a bush tucker garden, educational signage, and improve their closed-loop food system.
• Church of Christ Ainslie ACT Inc: $3,922.60 to buy materials for a seed-raising area, trellises, nine raised garden beds and a frog bog.
• Canberra Student Housing Co-operative: $2,239 to convert the Havelock Community Garden into a communal food production space.
• Miles Franklin Primary School P&C: $8,000 to build the Gambara Garden – buy materials for five new garden beds with embedded composting and watering systems, as well as fruit trees and edible native plants. complete with fruit trees and vegetable gardens.
• Scullin Community Group Inc:  $2,832.84 to install an edible sensory hedge at the Scullin Shops Food Forest Garden.

Stream 2: 

• Old Narrabundah Community Council: $18,947 to install a secure fence around the perimeter of the Narrabundah Community Garden.
• Canberra Muslim Community Inc:  $22,000 to establish a new, fenced multicultural community garden next to the Gungahlin Mosque.
• SEE Change Belconnen: $22,470.41 to establish five food gardens on local nature strips in Belconnen and to develop content for their website about verge gardening.

Rebecca Vassarotti, Minister for the Environment, Parks and Land Management, said people who grow their own food are happier, healthier, and more knowledgeable about issues like food waste and the climate impacts of food production. 

“The ACT Government has supported 87 projects through the Community Garden Grants Program since 2015. This program has provided Canberrans the opportunity to learn, share and connect at their local community garden. 

“Community gardens are a great place for the community to come together, connect, and take local climate action. 

“They provide easy access to fresh produce for Canberrans, and increases the resilience of local food production. 

“Congratulations to this year’s recipients. I look forward to seeing the valuable contribution these projects will bring to our city.”