The closure of the Jeays Street Community Garden and composting hub in Bowen Hills has particularly disappointed one local resident and recreational gardener.
Liam Swan said having the garden in a public space was different to having one on his balcony because it gave him the opportunity to interact with his neighbours as well as nature.
“With this garden I can keep in touch with nature, too. Really, that’s all it’s about for anyone who enjoys gardening,” Mr Swan said.
“This was a great project to share that joy of mine with growing little things.”
In the absence of a formal gardening group, the previous one having disbanded last year, Mr Swan had been keeping the garden alive by himself.
Planting and tending previously planted vegetables such as black-eyed peas, chillis, eggplants, capsicums, and rocket, as well as companion plants like marigolds, he had filled the space with a thriving garden.
He was planning to try and restart the gardening group when he saw the Brisbane City Council’s signs that the garden would be closing late last year.
A council spokesperson said the Jeays Street Garden, which was located in a council park, was closed due to a “significant decline in volunteers over the past year” leading to the garden no longer being sustainable.
Mr Swan had been in regular contact with the council about the gardening he was doing at the park and his hopes to start a new gardening group but said the council stopped communicating with him prior to deciding to close the garden.
He had called other gardening groups to get advice on where to look for members and even created a website for the garden with information about the compost facilities also available there.
In order for a community garden to be run, it requires the backing of an incorporated organisation that is willing to provide public liability insurance.
It is unclear why the council decided not to support Mr Swan to obtain the correct insurance to keep the community garden going rather than reverting the space back to a regular park.
The garden beds have now been replanted – except for a singular garden bed left untouched where guerilla gardening may continue for now.
