A $500,000-plus community garden that would be the envy of many a town finally opened at Queenstown’s Hanley’s Farm last Saturday, four years after a local resident first planted the seed.
Designed and built by developer RCL Group, the Southdown Rd garden boasts a collection of raised garden beds, two green houses, a tool store, picnic tables and potting table.
Fruit and nut trees have been planted around the perimeter.
And the piece de resistance is a state-of-the-art composter, powered by solar panels, which can process up to 25kg of organic waste a day.
RCL’s also looking at how it can not only handle green waste generated by the garden but also waste from Hanley’s Farm households generally.
The developer’s now handed over the garden to a residents’ association which intends to hold working bees and also get the local school involved.
CEO David Wightman says ‘‘giving back to the environment as well as our community is something we are passionate about for Hanley’s Farm’’.
‘‘The garden offers residents a way to foster a sense of community, and provides an environmentally-friendly outlet.’’
Meanwhile, RCL’s also building a new park with an adventure playground on Howden Dr which will open later this year.
It’ll have many features for the young ones including climbing structures and multiple swings, and it’s been designed with the council’s disability policy in mind.
The park will also feature BBQ and seating facilities.
