Community gardens are great places to get outdoors to meet and garden alongside people with similar interests in growing vegetables and plants.  

Across the Northern Beaches, there are currently six active community gardens on Council land at Balgowlah, Seaforth, Freshwater, North Curl Curl, Manly Vale and Newport.

And soon, there will be a seventh one, located within the Annam Road Reserve in Bayview.

After substantial community consultation, Northern Beaches Council will support a proposal to establish a community garden there to be managed by the local garden group, the Bayview Community Garden Group.

The gardening group intends to use the area within the reserve to grow organic produce, flowering plants, promote sustainable lifestyles and to establish a neighbourhood hub.

The original proposal to Council has been amended to take in some concerns from the local community about the impact of the garden on neighbours and the environment.

The garden group hope the space will become a place for sharing knowledge and skills about organic gardening and sustainable living and a place to meet and make friends.

Community gardens have been shown to have a positive impact on physical and mental wellbeing while also engendering a sense of community.

Before the garden begins, Council will work with the Bayview Community Garden Group to establish an agreement on roles and responsibilities for the garden’s development, ongoing maintenance and management and the final garden design.

Like all community gardens, it is intended the community garden group will meet costs to establish, maintain and operate the garden.