Wongan Hills Community Garden 

Community gardens and increasingly being recognised as a tool to facilitate educational opportunities, as well as promoting community spirit through the sharing of knowledge, skills and resources. The community gardens were established in July 2018 being funded by the Department of Communities. 

Before: The old 'Sheep Saleyards'

After: A Community Garden Plot

The Shire's Objectives with facilitating a community garden were:

• The garden will be a place that everyone will be encouraged to be involved in, whether it be through the use of a garden plot, volunteering their time to help others, gardening in the communal spaces, or even just by donating resources such as garden tools, garden clippings for compost or kitchen scraps.
• Learning – by creating opportunities for people to share their skills with others through sharing the space and having areas that people can get together and share ideas and knowledge. The school has been approached and offered use of the facilities to cover curriculum that they cannot do so at the school. Providing access to workshops and events on a range of gardening issues.
• Environment – environmentally sound gardening practices will be promoted by providing an area for people to make communal compost and mulch. The garden is being designed to accommodate solar panels to be able to run pumps and all other power needs.
• Accessibility – the garden will be designed in a way that everyone will be able to access the plots and other areas amongst the garden no matter the age or ability of a person.
• Social and Cultural Diversity – the garden will be a place where all individuals, diverse in age, cultural backgrounds and economic status can mix and work together to form friendships which works towards a sense of community.

Before: The levelled site	After: A Community Garden Plot. In the background are other plots sown with Lupins as a nitrogen fixing mulch.
Before: The site after the Shire ripped the garden beds and installed the water tank and reticulation	After: The group's brand new sign with the now serviceable kiosk and ablution blocks in the background

The Wongan Hills Community Gardens are managed by an independent committee group. Please visit them on Facebook or contact Rae Sumataluck (President) on 0457 945 278.for more information.