An exciting community garden and green space project is taking shape in the town of Maffra. This provides a fantastic opportunity for local residents to build community connections, while learning about, growing and enjoying healthy food.
Situated between Maffra Secondary School and Maffra District Hospital, the Maffra Community Garden and Greenspace Project will develop as a sustainable community hub, bringing together people from a range of ages, backgrounds, abilities and interests. This largely vacant site is a currently a green canvass. Building out from a community garden zone, the site will ultimately expand to include public social spaces, recreational areas, native vegetation and pathways.
We all know how valuable social contact and recreational spaces are, in maintaining positive wellbeing and good physical health. Lily Tatterson, Health Promotion Officer with Central Gippsland Health, has been hard at work behind the scenes, bringing together local organisations and community members to realise this goal in the local community.
With a health and wellbeing focus underpinning this project, the Maffra Community Garden will provide a fantastic green oasis for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy being outdoors. Promoting healthy eating, physical activity, positive mental health and social connection, the project brings good health to the forefront of community life. Aiming to reduce chronic disease and enhance community wellbeing, this approach brings health and community together in a way that it easy to access, fun and most importantly, community driven.
The project will not just increase green spaces in Maffra. The Community Garden will promote social connection and recreation in a relaxed atmosphere. It will bringing local people together to share gardening knowledge and practical experience in growing healthy local produce, with harvesting of fresh food a regular bonus. The community garden will feature a growing space that uses sustainable design principles. This will provide a great introduction to successful home gardening techniques and the growing of fresh produce.
This project is well underway and steadily gaining momentum, with many already volunteering their time, support and skills. Maffra Community Garden and Greenspace Project has a growing Facebook page of over 200 members, ready to ensure that people in Maffra will be healthier, happier and more socially connected, with easy access to a vibrant and attractive local greenspace hub.
There are also plans to include information about Maffra’s local flora and fauna and history. This may take the form of signed walking paths, showcasing edible or useful plants from the local area, or feature local stories. Landcare is poised to revegetate areas with a range of local plants, attracting native birds and wildlife.
With detailed plans for the Community Garden now completed, initial work is focused on the establishment of a community garden space. A growing band of supporters and residents are keen to create and develop a dynamic community greenspace and generate ideas. Interested residents are encouraged to get involved, join the Facebook page, or partner with some of the many local groups now getting behind this great initiative.
MAFFRA GREENSPACE AND GARDEN PROJECT
