Released 10/08/2017
Individuals, community groups and owners corporations are invited to apply for their share of $40,000 in funding available under an expanded Community Garden grants program, Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury announced today.
“With increasing numbers of Canberrans now living in units and townhouses, we have widened eligibility for this third round of community garden grants to include owner corporations in multi-unit developments,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“This provides an excellent opportunity for residents of multi-unit developments to develop a community garden together. This has the potential to help create social links as well as support opportunities for healthy lifestyles.
“The grant program has been a great success over the past few years and has supported 13 projects across Canberra. I am really pleased to see this continued interest in community gardens - when we help people learn to garden, it doesn’t just benefit those individuals but the whole community. Projects like community gardens assist Canberra to become more resilient in relation to ACT and regional food security.
“I encourage interested owners corporations, residents and groups to apply. Funding is available for projects that meet ACT Government priority areas including healthy living, social inclusion and community engagement.
“Examples of previously funded projects include the Canberra City Care community garden in Charnwood which used funding to build raised beds and provide water tanks for growing vegetables for distribution in the ‘Hands Up’ program. The program provides healthy food for distribution to low income families.
“Another previous grant recipient was Youth with a Mission who established a community garden to provide healthy food to clients of The Pantry, which provides low cost groceries to disadvantaged families.”
Steve Watts, Manager, Youth with a Mission, said the grant was of great benefit in establishing the garden given the volunteer organisation depends on gifts and grants to fund special projects.
“The grant allowed us to define the space with fencing as well as to build a greenhouse so we could propagate plants over the Winter period ready for planting in Spring. When the fencing was complete it also gave us a greater profile amongst our local community, with several locals donating materials to help us continue the gardens development,” Mr Watts said.
Applications for funding can be submitted until Friday 8 September 2017. A maximum of $10,000 is available for individual projects. For more information visit http://www.environment.act.gov.au
- Statement ends -
Shane Rattenbury, MLA | Media Releases
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