It’s a move no-one predicted, it must happen this Saturday, July 14 and the Taree Community Garden Committee is scrambling to rally an army of volunteers who will help to make light work of the enormous task of dismantling and moving all the garden infrastructure from its location in Wynter Street to its new site at Taree PCYC, and then put it together again.

It’s a blow to the thriving community garden in the heart of Taree and committee spokesperson, Bree Katsamangos says “we are incredibly sad we need to move, but also understand the importance of the new police station for our community and that’s not something we want to obstruct.”

“Our challenge is now the very short time frame we have to move and the limited resources we have to do it. Our budgets extend to fertiliser, seeds, and equipment maintenance not labour, trucks and machinery hire, so we need the community to support us if the garden is to have a future.”

“The site is already being prepared for the move, thanks to the kind donation of excavation work from Tony at HQ Mini Diggers and our other volunteers. But our biggest challenge will come this Saturday when we are asking the community to roll up their sleeves, bring their trailers and tools and help us dismantle and relocate our infrastructure. We are confident we can achieve this if we have the right number of hands, skills and tools.

“We love our garden, it has been a centre of learning and community since the day it broke ground and that’s something we want to continue.”

Bree said numerous businesses had offered help: HQ Mini Diggers, M & J Detailed Excavation, Manning Valley Pumps and Irrigation, The Hooting Owl Coffee House, Hender Massage and Gaia Nature’s Essentials. She urged businesses or trades who could offer help to contact the committee via the Taree Community Garden page on Facebook.

Work will begin at the Wynter Street site from 9am.