About the Garden

  KIAMA COMMUNITY GARDEN


Planning for this garden’s design and management began when 60 community members attended a public meeting  on 29th July 2009. The first plantings were made in October 2010 and implementation of the original plans continues today.

We do not have individually managed beds.  Rather, the garden is worked as a whole. Our combined effort has enabled very efficient development of the whole site.

The shared garden allows each crop to be planted with reference to the drainage, shelter and shading that differ on each level. It also enables us to use crop rotation to help control disease and insects.

We share all of the work and all of the harvest.



Our Fair Share policy allows working members to draw from any harvest made during a working bee, and also allows harvest for personal use when needed.  At present helping in the garden is the only membership fee, yet this arrangement is under review.

The garden is being grown as an Organic Garden, so no chemically derived sprays or fertilisers are used.
An essential factor in growing healthy plants is growing them in healthy soil. To nurture our soil we regularly build up the garden beds by using layers of compostable nutrients according to no dig principles.

Garden Members contribute their own skills and understanding as they learn more about natural gardening techniques, composting and worm farming.

Garden working bees are held on most Saturdays, for information see http://kiamagardens.blogspot.com/
Meetings are each Wednesday from 4.30pm.  Active members are advised of key events by email.


Kiama Community Garden.                        Membership Induction  - summary

Membership of the Community Garden is open to all those with an interest in the Garden and a willingness to accept the Garden philosophy and practices.
A detailed statement of the Garden’s history and philosophy is available on the Garden blog at  http://kiamagardensblogspot.com/

Acceptance of these Induction Statements provides qualification for membership.

  • Our basic mission is:  to grow a sustainable organic garden, that is one growing without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, one that also provides  a creative learning space and inspires a sense of community.
  •  Our practice is founded on the permaculture ethics of Care for earth, Care for people and Fair share for all. Healthy plants grow in healthy soil, thus key approaches to our gardening involve: Building healthy soils, Biological pest control, Companion planting and Crop rotation.
  •  We do not have individually managed beds, rather the garden is worked as a whole.  We share all of the work and all of the harvest.  Gardening is what brings us together as community.
  • Morning tea is an essential element of every working bee, it is a social gathering to which gardeners contribute and which they enjoy.
  • We observe health and safety precautions including sun protection and use of gloves, glasses and protective cover when appropriate. Gardeners wear sturdy covered footwear,  We ensure maintenance of the garden and of gardening tools to provide safe conditions at all times.  Any injury must be reported and given immediate attention.
  •  Membership of the Garden is open to all and offers the opportunity to learn about gardens. Activities are available for those physically fit and for those with some constraint, whether you have little gardening experience or come with a long lifetime of gardening, you are equally welcome.
  •  Membership is divided into two key groups.
-        Friends of the Garden; those who might occasionally join in Garden activities.
-        Active Members; those who have agreed to the Induction Statement, attend on a regular basis               and participate in group activities.
  • Management of Garden matters is the responsibility of the GOVERNANCE GROUP. Elected at the Annual General Meeting held each year in October, this group of seven members includes five Office bearers.
  •  All users of the Garden have a right to an environment free of discrimination. Any conflict is to be referred to a member of the Governance Group.
  •  Members are expected to:
-        Participate in at least six working bees per year
-        Attend and participate in the Annual General Meeting
-        Respect each other and the purpose of the Garden
-        Discuss any key gardening change with the Governance Group
-        Dispose of waste appropriately
-        Attend planning meetings and other group activities
-        Sign the Register at each visit to ensure insurance cover
  • Garden activities are recorded on the garden blog.  Members are encouraged to become active blog contributors.
  • Visitors to the Garden are the responsibility of the member inviting them to the Garden. Children are welcome in the Garden under the supervision of their guardians.
  • The Garden does not allow dogs and is a non smoking area. Respecting our neighbours, we keep noise to a minimum.
  • Cars are to be parked in the area between the Leisure Centre and the Playing Fields.

I  AGREE TO FOLLOW THESE PRACTICES -

                                                  Signature         ……………………………………….



Kiama Community Garden Induction Kit
Information for new and existing gardeners  Version: September, 2012

Table of Contents

OUR GARDEN ....................................................................................................................... 1
History ................................................................................................................................................ 1
Philosophy & Ethics ............................................................................................................................ 1
Growing (Community) and harvesting ................................................................................................. 2
Sustainable practice ............................................................................................................................. 2
Permaculture principles ....................................................................................................................... 2
GETTING INVOLVED ........................................................................................................... 4
Membership & Decision Making ......................................................................................................... 4
Governance ......................................................................................................................................... 4
Gardening and ‘beyond’ ...................................................................................................................... 5
Photos and blogging ............................................................................................................................ 6
Social times ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Sharing produce and dealing with excess produce ................................................................................. 6
Visitors in the Garden .......................................................................................................................... 6
Children in the Garden ........................................................................................................................ 7
Dogs in the Garden ............................................................................................................................. 7
llegal Plants ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Parking ............................................................................................................................................... 7
Noise .................................................................................................................................................. 7
Smoking in the Garden ........................................................................................................................ 7
PRACTICES ............................................................................................................................ 8
Capturing energy ................................................................................................................................. 8
Pest control ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Building healthy soils ........................................................................................................................... 9
Companion planting and biological pest control ................................................................................... 9
Crop rotation ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Seed saving and raising, seed and seedling purchase ........................................................................... 10
Equipment usage, care and storage ..................................................................................................... 10
Kiama Community Garden Induction Kit iii
POLICIES .............................................................................................................................. 11
Health and Safety In the Garden, including Incident Reporting ........................................................... 11
Access & Equity ................................................................................................................................ 11
Public Liability .................................................................................................................................. 11
Conflict resolution ............................................................................................................................. 12
Members Rights and Responsibilities ................................................................................................. 14
Asset Management ............................................................................................................................ 15

Kiama Community Garden Induction Kit

OUR GARDEN
History
Planning for the garden commenced when 60 community members attended a Kiama Council
sponsored public meeting on 29 July 2009. Two local permaculture designers facilitated this and all
subsequent planning meetings. Once the group agreed upon a draft garden plan it was put forward to
the Council through the normal DA process. Earth works commenced in winter 2010 with our first
plantings following closely in November (left).

Philosophy & Ethics

Our Mission is:
To grow a sustainable, organic garden that also provides a creative learning space
and inspires a sense of community.

We Aim to:
• Demonstrate garden practices that protect and enrich our environment
• Nurture a culture of inclusion, sharing and generosity
• Create a space that supports people to grow organic food collectively
• Extend a welcoming hand with the view to developing partnerships
• Create a space that encourages and nurtures social interaction
• Provide a space that encourages creativity
• Nurture a space of beauty and retreat,
and, ultimately to
• Inspire learning through demonstration and participation in sustainable living practices

Our Practice is founded on the permaculture ethics of Care for Earth (soil, forests and water), Care for
People (look after self, kin and community) and Fair Share for All (set limits to consumption and
reproduction, and redistribute surplus). These ethics are the foundation of permaculture. Our
guiding values are based on friendship, support and understanding, respect, honesty and trust,
acceptance, tolerance, co-operation and fun!

Growing (Community) and harvesting
We do not have individually managed beds in our garden. Rather, the garden is worked as a whole.
The decision not to allocate individual plots was made early in the planning process and predicated
on a number of factors. Most importantly, we are about growing community first and foremost. Of
course we aim to grow food and are suitably proud of our abundant harvests. Gardening is, after all,
what brings us together as community; it is the conduit to creating a vital, supportive, educational
and fun place for people to gather, work cooperatively, share and learn. Added to this, our combined
effort has enabled very efficient development of the whole site. We share all of the work and all of
the harvest. Our Fair Share approach allows working members to draw from any harvest made
during a working bee, and also allows harvest for personal use when needed.

Sustainable practice
Permaculture is a design system based on ethics and design principles that can be used to guide efforts
made by individuals, households and communities towards a sustainable future.
Our garden is being grown as an organic garden.

Organic gardening is:
Growing without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, using open pollinated seed and free from
genetic engineering. Organic gardening is working with nature, using the natural resources or soil, air,
water and the return of animal and plant waste to create healthy soil (Annette McFarlene)
An essential factor in growing healthy plants is growing them in healthy soil. To nurture our soil we
regularly build up the garden beds by using layers of compostable nutrients according to no dig
principles. In so doing we follow sustainable gardening practices, which includes building our own
compost. Composting not only means we can replenish the soil in a timely and inexpensive manner
it also means we can demonstrate the efficient use of local materials, many which would otherwise
be considered waste eg greens from the garden, dry leaves, seaweed, food scraps, fish guts, etc

Permaculture principles
Kiama Community Garden was designed using Permaculture Principles. The word “permaculture”
was coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the mid-1970’s. It was created to describe an
integrated, evolving system of perennial or self-perpetuating plant and animal species useful to
humans.
A more current definition of permaculture, is ‘Consciously designed landscapes which mimic the
patterns and relationships found in nature, while yielding an abundance of food, fibre and energy for
provision of local needs.’ People, their buildings and the ways in which they organise themselves are
central to permaculture. Thus the permaculture vision of permanent or sustainable agriculture has
evolved to one of permanent or sustainable culture. At the gardens we are committed to this
approach, following the principles below in our everyday operations:
The idea behind permaculture principles is that generalised principles can be derived from the study
of both the natural world and pre-industrial sustainable societies, and that these will be universally
applicable to fast-track the development of sustainable use of land and resources, whether that be in
a context of ecological and material abundance or one of deprivation. For more information
http://www.holmgren.com.au/

GETTING INVOLVED:

Membership & Decision Making
Membership is divided into two key groups:
Friends of the Gardens are community folks who might occasionally come along to a Saturday
working bee or special event. There is no charge for this category of membership. Friends are kept
abreast of garden activities via a monthly newsletter and the blog.
Active Members are those members who attend the gardens on a regular basis. In particular they are
expected to help out at Working Bees and are encouraged to also attend our weekly ‘general
business’ meetings. In order to become an Active Member you need to attend a Saturday Morning
Induction Session (held on the first Saturday morning of the month) and come along for at least
three Saturday working bees in the space of 2 months.
There is a $10 fee for this membership. In return Active Members are able to attend our regular and
special workshops free of charge and are advised of key events via email. They also have the
opportunity to actively contribute to how the garden is run by contributing to decisions. Of course
the real bonus to be an Active Member is that you get to grow and harvest food regularly, have fun,
learn lots and enjoy great conversation over our now somewhat famous morning teas each week.
A person ceases to be a member of the Kiama Community Garden, if the person:
(a) dies, or
(b) resigns membership, or
(c) is expelled from the Kiama Community Garden or
(d) fails to pay the annual membership fee within 3 months after the fee is due.

Governance
In addition to being involved in decision making at our weekly general meetings Active Members
can also seek to be part of the Governance Committee. This committee has 7 members discussing
issues such as funding and policy development. The roles of chairperson, secretary and treasurer are
performed on a consensual basis. The group meets monthly and records minutes of every meeting.

The Governance Committee is to consist of:
(a) the office-bearers of the Association, and
(b) at least 3 ordinary committee members, each of whom is to be elected at the Annual General
Meeting of the Association.
The total number of Committee members is to be at least 7.
The office-bearers of the Kiama Community Garden are as follows:
(a) President
(b) Vice-President
(c) Treasurer
(d) Secretary
(e) Public Officer
An Annual General Meeting is held each year in October. At this meeting progress in the garden’s
development is discussed and membership of the Governance Group is open to review.
Election process ..

Gardening and ‘beyond’
Many people who are interested in helping out at the gardens mention to us that they ‘know
nothing’ or perhaps are no longer as physically able as they once were so wonder if they can
contribute. It does not matter what level of skill you have, whether you have never gardened or if
you have been gardening for 50 years, you are equally welcome.
Being physically able is not necessary either; we endeavor to have a range of tasks lined up each
week so that everyone can participate. Tasks range from heavy work such as turning the compost,
spreading mulch and creating garden beds through to planting, harvesting, sowing seed,
transplanting seedlings or chopping greens for our much loved worms!
We also have a library which members are free to borrow from. The library like all things though
needs taking care of, so there are always books to cover, borrowing audits to be done etc
Working in the garden does not always mean ‘just’ gardening either; we have undertaken a number
of construction projects, so people with skills in this area are most welcome to contribute too.

Photos and blogging
We endeavor to keep our blog up to date; striving to post every week. There is always scope for
more posts though! In particular we would love gardeners to take photos and blog events be they
weekend working bees of special workshops. If you are interested in being an active blog contributor
please let one of the core members know and we will show you how. Meanwhile, take a look at:
http://kiamagardens.blogspot.com/

Social times
Morning tea is an essential element of every working bee, so in this way every Saturday is a social
gathering. Generally speaking we work for a couple of hours, then break for ‘coffee and cake’ –
gardeners either contribute by bringing along food or by placing some money in the collection box.
We also ask for a gold coin donation towards tea and coffee. In addition to this regular time we also
arrange social gatherings. Generally these are based around an event – celebration of our
anniversary or Christmas for example. At these events all members are encourage to come along to.
We are also attempting to hold one social event each year that is aimed at bringing in the general
public and raising funds. In 2011 we held a brunch in conjunction with Slow Food Saddleback for
instance. This celebratory event not only showcased the garden and produce but also helped raise
much-needed funds.

Sharing produce and dealing with excess produce
Produce from the garden is shared amongst members in accordance with out ‘fair share’ philosophy.
Essentially, if you work in the garden you can harvest a fair amount of produce in return. Regular
gardeners who perhaps live nearby and visit often might harvest small amounts on a daily basis,
whereas most of us ‘work and harvest’ collectively at the weekly working bees.
Occasionally we do have produce that is excess to our needs. If members cannot use the produce or
preserve it for future use then we may have to distribute this excess. What produce is considered
‘excess’ and how it should be distributed is decided at our weekly meetings.

Visitors in the Garden
All visitors to the Kiama Community Garden are the responsibility of the gardener who has invited
them to the garden. Members will not allow persons that they invite into the Kiama Community
Garden to breach the rules or guidelines in any way. If this occurs the member will be responsible
for the visitor’s actions.
All visitors to the Kiama Community Garden will be asked to sign the resigter.
Kiama Community Garden Induction Kit 7

Children in the Garden
Children are most welcome in the garden. Guardians are however required to supervise their young
children at all times.

Dogs in the Garden
Dogs are generally not allowed in the garden, however, during public events dogs are allowed in the
garden but must be restrained on leads at all times.

llegal Plants
Illegal or prohibited plants are not to be grown in the Kiama Community Garden.

Parking
Members and visitors are required to park in the car-parking area between the Kiama Leisure Centre
and Kiama Sporting Fields.

Noise
Noise is to be kept at a minimum to respect the “neighbours” surrounding the Kiama Community
Garden.

Smoking in the Garden
The garden is entirely smoke-free.

PRACTICES:

Capturing energy
Our practice around energy is grounded in permaculture Principle 2 Capture and
Store Energy. David Holmgren writes:
We live in a world of unprecedented wealth resulting from the harvesting of the
enormous stores of fossil fuels created by the earth over billions of years. We
have used some of this wealth to increase our harvest of the Earth’s renewable
resources to an unsustainable degree. Most of the adverse impacts of this over harvesting
will show up as available fossil fuels decline. In financial language, we have been living
by consuming global capital in a reckless manner that would send any business bankrupt. We need
to learn how to save and reinvest most of the wealth that we are currently consuming or wasting, so
that our children and descendants might have a reasonable life. The ethical foundation for this
principle could hardly be clearer. Unfortunately, conventional notions of value, capital, investment
and wealth are not useful in this task. Inappropriate concepts of wealth have led us to ignore
opportunities to capture local flows of both renewable and non-renewable forms of energy.
Identifying and acting on these opportunities can provide the energy with which we can rebuild
capital, as well as provide us with an “income” for our immediate needs. Some of the sources of
energy include:
• Sun, wind and runoff water flows
• Wasted resources from agricultural, industrial and commercial activities.
The most important storages of future value include:
• Fertile soil with high humus content
• Perennial vegetation systems, especially trees, yield food and other useful resources
• Water bodies and tanks
• Passive solar buildings”

Pest control
Because our garden is organic we do not use any pesticides that are not registered for organic use.
But being organic for us is much more than just avoiding pesticides; as stated above we attempt to
work with, rather than against nature. So how does this work when it comes to controlling pests?
What we have learnt is that the best way to control pests is to avoid them in the first place.
Essentially this means: planting at the right time eg getting brassicas such as cabbage established early
so they have greater resistant to white cabbage moth; planting pest and disease resistant varieties where
possible eg cherry tomatoes are a lot less attractive to fruit fly then most larger tomatoes, avoiding
monocultures which act like a beacon to pests that prey on them eg planting vegetables, herbs and
flowers together is believed to confuse some pests as well as attract other beneficial ones; planting in
the right conditions eg a plant that requires full sun will always struggle and thus be much more
susceptible to pests such as aphids if planted in too much shade; keeping the plant healthy so that it
can resist pests eg regular Seasol Solution can help build strong walls in plants, which make it much
harder for pests to penetrate; lessening the stress on plants eg providing a wind break or relief from the
hot western sun and ultimately planting only what is right for our region – plants that are not suited
to a location will always struggle and in the process attract pests.
There are also some fundamental practices that we employ to assist with the overall health of our
crops. These include Building Healthy Soils, Crop Rotation and Companion Planting.

Building healthy soils
The basis to health crops is health soil. Building organic matter into the soil is the best way to
ensure the soil starts healthy and maintains viability. At the gardens we build healthy soils from the
‘get-go’ by using the ‘no-dig garden’ method, which is also known as, ‘sheet mulching’. In a no-dig
garden layers of organic material are build up on top of any surface (soil, cement, etc) rather than
digging into existing soil. The major materials used in a no-dig garden are carbon eg straw, leaves,
and shredded newspaper and nitrogen eg grass clippings, lucerne and animal manures. Trace
elements, fungal activators, and further additives to stimulate microbial activity are also important.
After the garden is made the layers of material will break down, much like compost, to create a rich
healthy highly fertile soil.
We also add organic mater to our existing soils when needed. These materials include compost,
blood and bone, animal manure (pelletised chook manure, sheep, horse and cow) and elements like
dolomite limestone.

Companion planting and biological pest control
Biological pest control involves growing plants that attract beneficial predators and parasitoids into
your garden, so as to help control damaging pests. Two of the best are the daisy (Asteraceae) and
carrot (Apiaceae) families of plants. Creating favourable habitat to bring in other ‘helpers’ such as
birds, lizards, frogs and insects like spiders also helps us keep predators in control.
Companion planting means growing plants together that have similar requirements eg potatoes and
leeks both love potassium or have characteristics that benefit the health of other crops eg carrots
grown with onions suffer less attacks from carrot fly, because the onion disguises the smell of the
carrot; corn planted at the same time as cucumbers are sown will help shade the small cucumber
plants until they are established. Companion planting can seem complicated but one of the easiest
ways to think about it is to plant things together you would like to eat together such as basil and
tomato. Companion planting also covers planting flowers that will attract birds, bees and other
pollinators such as sunflowers, lavender and daisies.

Crop rotation
Crop rotation is an important practice at the gardens. Crop rotation is a practice designed to
minimise pests and diseases, reduce chemical use, aid in building and maintaining healthy soil, and
manage nutrient requirements - all which will maximise yield. And all consistent with our ‘healthy
soils’ philosophy at the gardens!
Crop rotation is just that - rotating crops, so that no bed or plot sees the same crop in successive
seasons. Benefits include:
* Reduces the build up of pests and diseases in the soil by removing their preferred host and
therefore breaking the pest or disease’s lifecycle, reducing and even removing your requirement for
chemical spraying.
* Manages soil pH and nutrient levels, to help your vegetables get the most out of your soil. Use
of composts, manures, lime and fertilisers at the right times will benefit successive crops.
* Building soil. Using organic matter, your own compost and growing green manure crops to add
nitrogen keeps your soil healthy and working – good soil is the key to producing great crops.

Seed saving and raising, seed and seedling purchase
Our practice is to grow as many of our seedlings using open-pollinated, and where possible organic,
seed. We do this by both collecting and saving our own seeds, by accessing heirloom seeds from our
gardeners or via the Seed Savers Network (http://www.seedsavers.net/). When we do purchase
seed we do so through specific companies selected for their commitment to open-pollination and
organics. The purchasing of seed, what is to be purchased and when is decided by the group or a
sub-committee tasked to do so. Individuals are not permitted to plant seeds or seedlings in the
garden that have not been approved by the group.
Likewise if we purchase seedlings we do so through a preferred dealer after the decision to do so has
been made by the group.

Equipment usage, care and storage
We share the care of our equipment. Here are a few essentials to remember:



• secateurs


POLICIES:

Health and Safety In the Garden, including Incident Reporting
All new Members are required to complete a brief site induction before they work at the Kiama
Community Garden. The site induction will provide general information about the garden as well as
relevant health and safety precautions and can be given by any member of the group who has
already been inducted themselves. The Member will sign the Induction Book after their induction.
Members are to be responsible for their own well-being and that of others, while in the Garden.
Members are to practice safe manual handling. Any potential hazards will be noted in the Register
by members as soon as they are found and also reported to committee members. The Garden is
required to be maintained in a safe manner at all times. Pathways should be kept clear. Terraced
edges should be clearly identified.
Members using their own or Communal equipment are expected to operate the equipment with due
care for the safety of themselves, other members and the public. All equipment should be operated
in accordance with manufacturers/suppliers instructions/procedures.
If an injury or incident occurs in the Kiama Community Garden it should be reported and attended
to immediately. A First Aid Kit will be made available at all times in the Garden. An Incident
Report and Register will be held at the Kiama Community Garden. An Incident Report Form
should be completed as soon as possible for all types of incidents. A copy of the Incident Report
Form should be given to each member involved. All accidents will be discussed at monthly
meetings and preventative actions taken as agreed required.

Access & Equity
Kiama Community Garden is an equal opportunity organisation committed to equity and access in
the provision of its services. All users of the garden have the right to an environment free from
discrimination. The Garden will operate without any source of direct or indirect discrimination on
the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, race, age, sexual preference, disability,
religious or political conviction.

Public Liability
Class of insurance:
Insurer: Landcare NSW

Conflict resolution
Members are encouraged to openly express and discuss their issues, concerns and ideas. Personal
criticism of other members does not belong in the Garden. All issues should be attempted to be
resolved through discussion with the relevant members. Where conflict between individuals or
within the group arises and cannot be resolved between the parties, these concerns and issues will be
communicated with one of Executive Committee group members (ie. President/Vice
President/Secretary/Treasurer). These communications will be respected in confidence and will not
have a negative impact on people’s ongoing membership within the Garden. The issue or concern
will then be either discussed at a general garden meeting or the Executive Committee member will
act as a mediator to attempt to resolve the issue – depending on the nature of the issue.
If the issue is of a serious nature and requires disciplinary action the following procedure will be
used.

Disciplining of members
1. A complaint regarding another garden member may be made to the Committee by any person that is a member of the Kiama Community Garden when the other member :
(a) has refused or neglected to comply with a provision or provisions of this Rules/Constitution,
or
(b) has wilfully acted in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the Kiama Community Garden
2. The Committee may refuse to deal with a complaint if it considers the complaint to be trivial
or vexatious in nature.
3. If the Committee decides to deal with the complaint, the Committee:
(a) must cause notice of the complaint to be served on the member concerned, and
(b) must give the member at least 14 days from the time the notice is served within which to
make submissions to the committee in connection with the complaint, and
(c) must take into consideration any submissions made by the member in connection with the
complaint.
4. The Committee may, by resolution, expel the member from the Kiama Community Garden
or suspend the member from membership of the Kiama Community Garden if, after
considering the complaint and any submissions made in connection with the complaint, it is
satisfied that the facts alleged in the complaint have been proved and the expulsion or
suspension is warranted in the circumstances.
5. If the Committee expels or suspends a member, the secretary must, within 7 days after the
action is taken, cause written notice to be given to the member of the action taken, of the
reasons given by the Committee for having taken that action and of the member’s right of
appeal.
6. The expulsion or suspension does not take effect:
(a) until the expiration of the period within which the member is entitled to appeal against the
resolution concerned, or
(b) if within that period the member exercises the right of appeal, unless and until the Kiama
Community Garden confirms the resolution, whichever is the later.

Right of appeal of disciplined member
1. A member may appeal to the Kiama Community Garden in general meeting against a
resolution of the committee, within 7 days after notice of the resolution is served on the
member, by lodging with the Secretary a notice to that effect.
2. The notice may, but need not, be accompanied by a statement of the grounds on which the
member intends to rely for the purposes of the appeal.
3. On receipt of a notice from a member, the Secretary must notify the committee which is to
convene a general meeting of the Kiama Community Garden to be held within 28 days after
the date on which the Secretary received the notice.
4. At a general meeting of the Kiama Community Garden:
(a) no business other than the question of the appeal is to be transacted, and
(b) the Committee and the member must be given the opportunity to state their respective cases
orally or in writing, or both, and
(c) the members present are to vote by secret ballot on the question of whether the resolution
should be confirmed or revoked.
5. The appeal is to be determined by a simple majority of votes cast by members of the Kiama
Community Garden.

Grievance Procedures for external parties
Complaint received from members of the community external to the garden will only be received in
writing either mailed to the postal address or through the Kiama Community Garden email. No
complaints will be verbally received or actioned. All external parties should be advised that if they
have a complaint about the garden the Committee and members will only act on the complaint if it
is received in the above manner.
All serious complaints should be directed to Kiama Municipal Council.

Members Rights and Responsibilities
All members are to:
• respect each other and the purpose of the garden.
• avoid making key gardening decisions on their own but should discuss major ideas and plans
with other group members either verbally or through online means of communication. Own
discretion can be used for low impact undertakings such as watering, weeding, some
harvesting etc.
• dispose of waste appropriately and to help keep the garden clean.
• be responsible for the behaviour of their guests.
• report vandalism as soon as possible to the garden Committee.
• to ensure garden gates, building and container are properly locked.
• be waterwise.
• attend and participate in the garden Annual General Meeting.
• participate in the activities of the garden.
• participate in at least 6 working bees per year and register in the Attendance book for every
working bee attended.
• report damage or wear and tear of garden tools and general tool maintenance.
• sign the Register Book at each visit to the garden particularly for insurance coverage.
Gardening is to be carried out communally and no member shall assume sole use of any section of the
garden, nor are individual plots or areas to be designated to any group member/s
Produce grown in the communal garden is to be shared amongst the members working in the garden
at any given time. The use of the excess produce is to be determined by consensus of the gardeners.
No member shall harvest all or most of the communal crop unless requested to do so for the purpose
of sharing during a working bee.
Members are invited to attend weekly garden planning meetings where they may bring concerns to
the attention of the Governance Group and discuss planning and policies of importance to the
members.

Asset Management
Assets Register (including all tools and equipment held in the garden) is keep of all assets at the
Garden. It includes identification of assets. This register is to be maintained by the Secretary of the
Kiama Community Garden or the Governance Committee’s delegated member. All major assets
purchased by Kiama Municipal Council will continue to be insured by Kiama Municipal Council,
these include rainwater tanks and pumps, sheds, shipping container, tools, and pergola. It is the
members’ responsibility to maintain these assets to the highest standard.
A Key Register is keep of all members who have keys to access the Kiama Community Garden and
its facilities. This register is to be maintained by the Secretary of the Kiama Community Garden or
the Governance Committee’s delegated member.
If the Kiama Community Garden ceases to exist all major assets and assets purchased by Kiama
Municipal Council will become the property of Kiama Municipal Council. Should there be any
remaining assets that have been purchased by the members of the Kiama Community Garden
through funds raised from the garden or through grants obtained by the Kiama Community Garden
these will be donated to a like group, such as the Kiama Public School Living Classroom.


Sources
ABC Gardening Australia, , http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/vegieguide/crop_rotation.htm
accessed on 9 February, 2011
ABC Gardening Australia, ,http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1503292.htm accessed on 1 June, 2012
Carnevale, Tino (2010) in ABC Gardening Australia Magazine, August, p55-57
McFarlene, Annette (2010) , ABC Books
Seed Savers Network http://www.seedsavers.net/
David Holmgren, Permaculture http://www.holmgren.com.au/



KIAMA COMMUNITY GARDEN CONSTITUTION


                        1.   Aim
To build and operate a Community Garden which will provide benefits for the whole Kiama community,  a garden which will encourage members to come together regularly to enjoy the social atmosphere and to participate in gardening activities of their choice.  Experienced gardeners will provide advice and assistance to those seeking to develop skills in gardening methods and tasks such as: basic organic gardening, dealing with pests or weeds, composting / worm farms, no-dig gardens, permaculture, etc, etc. 

     2.  Membership
The garden is an organic garden based on permaculture principles and is open to all members of the community.  They are invited to enjoy the garden environment and participate in garden activities as ‘friends of the garden’.  Those who become familiar with the principles observed in constructing and tending the garden, may wish to become a Member of the garden and regularly participate in working bees and garden meetings. Full Membership is available to those who attend an induction program. Membership is recorded on the Members’ Register and grants an opportunity to participate in garden management decisions.

      3.  Governance
The governance group comprises seven (7) members. These members volunteer to undertake the duties of managing the garden, ensuring workplace health and safety and arranging public liability insurance.  The roles of chairperson, Public Officer, secretary and treasurer are performed on a consensual basis.  The group meets monthly, with a quorum of three, and records minutes of every meeting.
Responsibility for ensuring desirable and safe practices lies with the Governance Group which may caution or de-register any member behaving inappropriately.
  
4.  Member’s Responsibilities
Members pay an annual membership fee.  Membership does not imply any liability towards debts or liabilities of the garden. Members are expected to contribute to garden tasks and in return enjoy access to garden harvest.  Working Bees are held weekly.  Members are invited to attend weekly garden planning meetings where they may bring concerns to the attention of the Governance Group and discuss planning and policies of importance to the members. A function of the planning meeting is to list tasks to be undertaken at the next Working Bee. Minutes of the meeting, including the task list, are sent out by email.

      5.  General Meetings
An Annual General Meeting is held each year in October at a date determined and advertised by the Governance Group.  All members are advised by mail or email.  A quorum of seven members applies.  At this meeting progress in garden development is discussed and membership of the Governance Group is open to review. Minutes are recorded for all meetings.
Matters of concern to be considered at a General Meeting should be advised to a member of the Governance Group in advance of the meeting date.

      6.  Garden finance and funds
Garden funds derive from fees, donations, fund raising programs and sales of produce.
Funds shall be banked in a Community Account with four (4) members of the Governance Group registered as signatories with any two (2) to sign. All financial transactions shall be recorded by the Treasurer appointed within the Governance Group. The Treasurer shall hold custody of all documents and securities and shall be responsible for maintaining all records in keeping with standard accounting practice.  The Governance Group shall appoint an appropriately qualified Auditor who shall perform an audit annually.
Members seeking information on matters relating to Garden finance should approach the Governance Group.
The financial year shall be from July to June with an Annual Financial report being presented to the October meeting.



19/09/2012




No comments:

Post a Comment