Grow it Local

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-127010

Hansard session: Fifty-Seventh Parliament, First Session (57-1)

Grow it Local

Mr MARK COURE (OatleyMinister for Multiculturalism, and Minister for Seniors)

——Speaker, I recently met with the Grow it Local group to discuss some of the fantastic garden initiatives they are implementing within my community, as well as other communities across the State. Starting as a 'crowd farming' concept in 2012, Grow it Local is a grass-roots organisation that encourages community members to 'put their patch on the map,' opening their community gardens to other like-minded locals. Participants can share knowledge, skills and tools, creating a wonderful community atmosphere where all are welcome. Currently, there are 12 locations located within the Georges River Council, providing locals with opportunities to grow, share and eat fresh food in the comfort of their own backyards. We discussed many ways in which we could work together to make gardening more inclusive of multicultural Australians and seniors, encouraging more people across the State to get involved in this fantastic initiative. Local produce is so important, helping to keep the community fit and healthy, whilst also mitigating potential environmental impacts from imported fruits and veggies. I commend Grow it Local on their fantastic work and I enjoyed our meeting thoroughly. I look forward to seeing all the great work that Grow it Local will continue to do in my community.