Moreland City Council Partnership Grant

In 2010, the MCCG won a Moreland City Council Partnership Grant of $26,200.00 to develop the Merri Corner Community Garden.

A group of passionate locals had already raised around $15,000 to build the garden, but construction was going to have to be staged over a number of years, with continual fundraising required along the way. Winning this Partnership Grant was a huge boost to the project and allowed us to finish building the entire garden in a much shorter timeframe.

With the funds received, we:

  • Built sensory garden beds at the public entrance space to the garden.

  • Built a gazebo shelter.

  • Installed and plumbed a water tank to provide water for all the plots and communal areas.

  • Established an urban orchard on the public northern verge.

  • Constructed a space at the entrance to the garden that is open to the public that will eventually contain seating for passers-by in this space.

  • Established communal garden beds.

  • Planted communal fruit trees.

  • Built a compound area to house the shed and water tank.

  • Constructed 3 large scale communal compost bays.

Funding this project has helped to create a sustainable public resource that enhances community well-being in many different ways: as a visually appealing public amenity, a place for locals to grow their own food and get to know their neighbours, a site for community activities such as educational workshops, seed swaps and children’s playgroups.

The ongoing relationship between Moreland City Council and the MCCG also provides the opportunity to create resources and a local body of knowledge that will help the development of more community-driven urban agriculture initiatives in the area.