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New Lease of Life for Community Nursery 08/02/2008

A large community garden and plant nursery at Green Point, Bridgewater, has been given a new "lease of life" with the signing of a lease agreement between Brighton Council, the owner of the facility, and STEPS.

The nursery has been in existence for some 15 years and has at times run very successful community garden activities, training and education programs. At different times in its life, a variety of community groups have operated the nursery with varying degrees of success; however, since the demise of the Bridgewater Urban Renewal Program (BURP) around two years ago, the facility has had little use and has fallen into disrepair.

STEPS is leasing the nursery with a view to refurbishing it and making it productive again. Plants will be grown for a variety of applications - urban landscaping, environmental revegetation, and domestic use (sales to local gardeners). STEPS will also provide support and encouragement to local community groups to again use the facility for community garden activities. As well, plans are under way to establish it as a centre for out-of-school-hours art and community activities for children and young people in the area.

An advisory committee of keen locals will help to guide its progress: the committee includes representatives of Brighton Council, Jordan River Services, Brighton Alive!, local schools, and some long-time residents.

Left: Children from local playgroups enjoy growing and harvesting vegetables at the nursery: here they welcome the Mayor, Tony Foster and Advisory Committee members at the signing of the new lease.

To mark its new start, the nursery will be given a new name: the Riverside Community Nursery - to reflect its position beside the river Derwent.

The signing of the new lease was marked on Friday Feb 8 when the Mayor of Brighton, Tony Foster, the General Manager of Brighton Council, Ron Sanderson, and the Chief Executive Officer of STEPS, Ken Langston, met on site to "seal the deal".

Right: Brighton Mayor, Tony Foster; Council GM Ron Sanderson, and STEPS CEO Ken Langston discuss the future of the Riverside Community Nursery with members of the nursery advisory committee and new supervisor Lloyd Griffith (second from left).

Mr Foster and Mr Sanderson welcomed STEPS' involvement in the nursery, and expressed the hope that STEPS would continue to expand its work in supporting local community development in the municipality.

STEPS CEO, Ken Langston, said: " This marks a new stage in STEPS' growing involvement in this area. The nursery will provide a good base from which to develop a range of activities to involve local residents in creating a more vibrant community."

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