Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation’s community garden is looking fresher than ever thanks to the construction of new greenhouses and a decking area funded by a grant from the 2023 NSW Ports Community Grants Program.
Administration Manager Kristy “Lil” Thomas said the garden was used as part of Coomaditchie’s alternative learning program for local students who are suspended or at risk of expulsion, while the big picture plan is to start a farmer’s market for local community gardens.
“The garden is all about healthy initiatives. Both for the students, but also with the cost of living going up, having a farmer’s market with affordale fresh produce will help not only our local Aboriginal community, but also the broader community,” Ms Thomas said.
“Over the last three years Aunty Donna Castagna, Rick Teodo, Robert Fox and a number of other volunteers have got the garden moving again just on small donations and fundraising, but with this grant from NSW Ports, it has really taken off.”
NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas said Coomaditchie’s garden was a great example of how a contribution from the grants program can support the hard work of volunteers to benefit the broader community.
Completing this project comes as the application window for the 2024 NSW Ports Community Grants Program draws to a close with applications closing at 5pm on Sunday 28 April.
“The volunteers at Coomaditchie have been working tirelessly to revamp the community garden and provide opportunities for more community members to enjoy its produce,” Ms Calfas said.
“We’re proud to support this work through the NSW Ports Community Grants Program and I encourage any other community groups running projects or programs that benefit the local area to submit an application for this year’s grants program.”
The one-off grants of up to $25,000 are available to not-for-profit organisations, community groups or schools with innovative project ideas, programs or initiatives that deliver positive outcomes for communities living in close proximity to NSW Ports’ operations at Port Botany, Port Kembla, Enfield Intermodal Logistics Centre and Cooks River Intermodal Terminal.
The program supports projects that deliver positive outcomes across the areas of education, health, economic development, the environment, arts and culture, social welfare and emergency support.
To apply for the NSW Ports 2024 Community Grants Program, or for more information, visit: www.nswports.com.au/grants. Applications close at 5pm this Sunday 28 April 2024.