Lismore Community Garden plans more activities, new toilets, seed library after grant win

A dedicated group of volunteers helping to grow hope and healing in Lismore on the back of the record 2022 floods has been given a cash injection for a thriving community garden.

Lismore Community Garden.

A dedicated group of volunteers helping to grow hope and healing in Lismore on the back of the historic 2022 floods has been given a cash injection for a thriving community garden.

Lismore Community Garden on Brewster and Magellan streets is tended to by a group of enthusiastic green thumbs on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

The public space filled with fresh fruits and vegetables and native flora and fauna is always open for the community to visit.

Now, the gardeners have been given $2000 grant by the Greater Bank as part of its Northern Rivers Community Funding Program, which will make a big difference.

Three grants are released monthly and a vote resulted in the garden getting the nod.

Lismore Community Garden volunteers are thrilled about the funding boost.

Avid gardener and volunteer Rhonda Hawkins said: “We’ve been wanting a toilet for the garden for some time.”

She said the lack of a loo has been “a stumbling block” when it comes to hosting “all the big events we can actually hold”.

Not-for-profit Rainbow Region Community Farms manages and operates the garden – which began to take shape in 2009 – under an agreement with Lismore City Council.

The garden hosts dinners and serves up food grown on site to the community for free.

Work on the community garden.

Ms Hawkins said it had been a long two-and-a-half years trying to get the beloved garden back into shape after the devastating 2022 floods.

“A lot of help has come from our volunteers and committee, after a new committee was formed after the floods,” she said.

“Much of our infrastructure including our water tanks and solar panels were lost or destroyed in the flood.

“Our progress is slow, but our aim remains to nourish the community with food, socialising and support.

“The gardens are also used as a venue for community activities and gatherings.”

It’s taken a lot of work to get the garden looking good after the 2022 floods.

Garden volunteers regularly stock up a “sharing table” with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as seedlings for Lismore residents to grow in their own backyards.

Ms Hawkins said “if people have got excess fruit or produce or seedlings, that’s there for all and sundry. People do use it, which is good”.

Plans for the garden now include a watering tank system, as well as a new toilet.

Volunteers are also in the process of developing smarter ways to plant and manage crops.

Volunteers getting stuck in.

The gardeners are also waiting on a new structure to house seeds in, which will be built from recycled parts of flood-ravaged homes. It’s due to be delivered by Living Lab Northern Rivers.

“They’ve picked a builder and we’ve met with him and he’s building a seed library from some of those timbers which is great,” Ms Hawkins said.

The Lismore Community Garden committee is due to hold its annual general meeting in December.

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