Wollondilly Shire Council soon will decide...

The Ordinary Meeting of the Wollondilly Council of May 21 2012 gave unanimous support for the motion presented by Deputy Mayor, Mr Benn Banasik on behalf of over 320 Wollondilly Shire residents who signed the Petition for a Bargo Community Garden.

So we are profoundly grateful for the leadership and perseverance, of Mr Benn Banasik!

In fact, it is wonderful!

Cr Benn Banasik got unanimous support for his motion! So the Council has accepted the petition signed by residents of Bargo requesting a Community Garden at the Radnor Road Reserve in Bargo. And the Council also will investigate the viability of Community Gardens in Bargo and in all the other Villages of the Shire and possible gardening joint ventures with the community.

Well! This is much more than what we were expecting!

Draft Concept Plan

So - in the words of Mr Benn Banasik - "what this means is that Council staff can now act towards making the Bargo Community Garden happen".

And next, following an executive meeting which will happen soon, the Manager for Facilities will get in contact with Mr Benn Banasik so that they can meet with the staff to get 'things' moving!

This is great news for all those people who want a Community Garden in Bargo!

Now we are aware that the Council has commenced investigating the viability of the Community Garden at 14 Radnor Road, that is in the Municipal Park or Reserve.

Decision time is approaching!

We are hopeful that Bargo residents will agree with us:

• this is an ideal place for a Community Garden;
• a Community Garden is a good asset for Bargo;
• a Community Garden not only will help promote organic gardening skills and awareness of healthy eating, but also will have a number of other benefits as we have been stressing in this Blog.

Soon our Council may say YES to a  Bargo Community Garden at Radnor Rd!

Let us keep our fingers crossed!

Wollondilly Council Deputy Mayor supports our Garden!

Please, answer our Poll below - at the end of the page!

Draft Concept Plan

Are you in favour of a Bargo Community Garden? A not for profit Association, owned in trust by the Wollondilly Shire Council and open to the public in terms of access, functioning and management?
Some Bargo residents met twice with Deputy Mayor, Mr Benn Banasik, Bargo Chamber of Commerce Secretary - Ms Jodie Dench and Bargo Progress Association Secretary - Mr Bob Rogers seeking support and Council permission for such a Community Garden in Bargo at 14 Radnor Road, that is in the Municipal Park or Reserve where the Sydney Water Reservoir and the Kids Playground also are.
It is an ideal place for a Community Garden for it:
 - is large and it is available now;
 - offers excellent access by foot, car, bus, train;
 - is close to shops, schools and residential area.

Mr Benn Banasik listening to Bargo residents.

Such closeness is important in attracting and securing Membership.

Trusting that our Council will approve a Community Garden in that site, a Working Group was set up to get started and manage the initial operations of our Garden. We have in our team the expertise of two TAFE qualified Horticulturalists, and one of them, Mr Geoff Duggan, who is also a Landscape Architect produced the Draft Concept Plan which can be seen on the image published above.

So we have good grounds to hope that we will be able of planning, designing and implementing a good Project.

We would like to see in Bargo a vibrant recreational, social and educational resource to encourage sustainable gardening, social inclusion and contribute to food security!
Our Petition to the Wollondilly Council is getting good support among Bargo residents.

Bargo Progress Association Members support our Garden.

As an encouraging example, the Bargo Progress Association Members, in their last meeting, declared full support for our Garden and signed the Petition.
If you also support a Bargo Community Garden in that location, then please send your message to the Wollondilly Shire Council by signing our Petition to Council. It is a valuable contribution!
Hopefuly, before the end of May we will get Council permission so that we can start working on the site.
Deputy Mayor Mr Benn Banasik has been presented with a Petition signed by many Bargo Parents who regularly take their kids to the Radnor Road Park Kids Playground. Those Parents want it to stay in that Park! We fully support them!

Please, answer our Poll below!