Erskineville Community Garden: Clover Moore, Kerryn Phelps enter stoush

A storm is brewing in an inner city suburb as battle lines are drawn over the use of a community veggie garden as neighbours trade insults.

The Erskineville gardeners, pictured, are fighting to keep their veggie patch in a now firey debate. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Residents fighting to keep an inner-city veggie garden out of the hands of developers are questioning a proposal which they say has been shrouded in secrecy.

The Erskineville Community Garden is not formally recognised by the City of Sydney, who last week voted against saving the patch on Erskineville Rd, but is considered a vital part of the area by locals.

The suburban stoush has pitted neighbours against neighbours after insults were thrown back and forth on social media.

Some have claimed the group of local greenthumbs planted themselves on the site in 2013 after it was listed to for development and are “anti-social housing”.

Andrew Chuter, Bek Clayton and Julie Moffat in the Erskineville garden. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Others have suggested they have been squatting on the land and are generally seen as “Trojan horse nimbies”.

The City of Sydney refused to recognise it as an official community garden in 2013 because it was considered “an eyesore”.

Last Monday the City again voted against saving it from being concreted over for future development 5-5, with Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s vote deciding the motion.

“Affordable housing is vital in cities so that the key workers who keep our city going, such as childcare workers, nurses and hospitality staff, can afford to live close to their place of work,” the Lord Mayor said.

“It is our policy to work with community housing providers to create as much affordable housing as possible.

“One of the sites identified is 54-56 Erskineville Road, Erskineville, where the Erskineville Community Garden is currently operated. It is zoned for residential development.

“Representatives from the City of Sydney met with community members for a preliminary discussion about the possibility of relocating the garden to a nearby site.

“Each garden is unique and we would like to support more in our area, but we must balance the needs of our growing community and put public land to its best use.

“If 54-36 Erskineville Road is assessed as suitable for affordable housing, a proposal will be developed and put to Council for consideration. If approved by Council, it would then be presented to the community for their feedback.

It is fantastic that local residents are embracing sustainable living in the heart of the city and sharing the experience with others. Our city’s community gardens are a great way for people to work together to green our city and grow their own produce.

So far no plans have been lodged to build affordable housing on the site.

“Clover used her casting vote to eliminate the possibility of this being retained as green space and that’s just tragic,” independent councillor Kerryn Phelps said.

Dr Phelps has been campaigning on behalf of the residents. Picture: Christian Gilles

Dr Phelps is one of a number of councillors pushing for the Erskineville garden to be the city’s 25th recognised community green patch.

“They are laying a trap by saying if you are not for this then you are against social housing,” she added.

Friends of Erskineville president Andrew Chuter said the group supported keeping the garden in place but questioned why the City wanted to clear the way for development with no proposal currently lodged.

“The amendment proposed was ‘could we please have the info about the offer on the site’,” he said.

“Give us a package of information if they want to weigh it up … exactly who the owner would be and how much land would remain as green space.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s vote decided the motion.

Mr Chuter previously ran as a public housing advocacy candidate in the 2012 City of Sydney Council elections and is one of many supporting the garden who reject being labelled “anti-social housing”.

“Given the growing need for affordable housing in the local area, the City of Sydney is investigating sites it owns for possible affordable housing development,” a City spokeswoman said earlier this month.

“One of the sites identified is 54-56 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville.

“While the site is being assessed for affordable housing use, representatives from the City met with community members for a preliminary discussion about the possibility of relocating the garden to a nearby site.

“The City has identified space at multiple different nearby locations that the community garden could be moved to.”

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