Green light for community garden at Gibson

A community garden at Padbury’s Gibson Park will soon become a reality after Joondalup Council supported a proposal for the City to enter a Memorandum of Understanding with Padbury Community Garden (PCG) Inc.

A community garden is an outdoor space that is used to grow fruits, vegetables and other plants in a collaborative manner.

The MOU will outline the requirements and conditions of approval for the group to manage and maintain the garden over a three-year period.

The proposed site for the garden is a small area of the park between the Gibson Park Community Centre car park, a fenced drainage reserve and a Western Power substation.

Padbury Community Garden Inc has been working on the proposal for a number of years. While waiting for approval, the association has been hosting community activities and workshops.

The PCG committee and its members were delighted with the Council’s unanimous support of the project.

“We are working to reduce the loneliness and isolation felt by so many people throughout the community, especially since the pandemic,” the group said in a statement.

“We are already collaborating with many other charities and organisations with the aim to improve the mental health of the residents in the community by providing opportunities to come together and engage in activities, regardless of age, ability, gender, sex, religious belief, or cultural background.

“Having a physical community garden to function out of will be a dream come true and an asset for the community for years to come.”

Joondalup Mayor Albert Jacob said the Council had been impressed by the professionalism of the PCG submission and members’ passion to see the project come to fruition.

“The City is a big supporter of sustainability and community gardens have become increasingly popular places for residents to grow fruits and vegetables and to interact with the environment and fellow community members,” he said.

“These are highly effective spaces where like-minded individuals share knowledge, learn new skills and develop friendships and connections to the community.

“Community gardens promote positive mental health and physical wellbeing and I am confident this garden will be a success and the City will house more of these types of gardens in the future.”