In 2011, the Food Growers subgroup recieved some funding to establish a Community Orchard in South Hobart. The idea behind establishing the orchard was to create a welcoming community space where people could picnic, socialise, hold workshops (ie pruning, grafting, composting) and become familiar with some fruit and nut varieties which grow well in the South Hobart area.  We have been in discussions with Hobart City Council about possible locations for the orchard for some time and are now looking for imput from our members on Wellesley Park, which was identified as a potential site for the orchard.  Being an old tip site, Hobart City Council agreed to undertake soil testing to determine it's suitability for food growing.  The tests came back clear, so we recently met onsite with representatives of Hobart City Council, the Bushcare group and the South Hobart Progress Association to discuss potential locations within the park.  The two options that we have come up with together are either:

• the open grassy area between the Playground equipment and bank towards the Wentworth Street entrance or
  
• the area on the top side of that path, which currently has some eucalypts, wattles, etc.  

Our preferred site is the area near the playground as we think the added shade will enhance the area and be a welcome addition to users of the park as well as requiring minimal site preparation.  There have been concerns raised by the South Hobart Progress Association about planting trees in this open area and they would prefer the Orchard be located on the hill above the path (where the old playground was and a cement tunnel still resides).  This would mean clearing most of the trees that are currently in this area and some additional soil preparation and path development. We are now seeking your imput to inform our future discussions on the Orchard placement. I have created a very short questionairre to get your feedback on the proposal and would greatly appreciate if you could take 2 minutes to complete it.

We are also talking with council about the possibility of establishing a community garden in the grassy area above the Badminton Centre Carpark (with support from SHPA) and plan to submit an Expression of Interest when they open it up for proposals. Please let us know if you are interested in helping with either of these initiatives.

Go to survey here: Community Orchard Survey