Council grant allows gardens to grow  

SPRING is a great time to get your hands dirty – and for residents without a garden of their own, a community garden can be a great place to start, and thanks to funds secured via Sunshine Coast Council’s Minor Grants program, local community gardens are growing!

At Mudjimba Community Garden, about 50 members are working together to grow vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers, while also building friendships and getting to know more people in their local community.

The garden is completely off-grid, running on solar power and rainwater, and has become a place where locals can learn new skills, share gardening tips and simply spend time outdoors.

For president Jenny Harrison, the garden was also a way to connect with her new community after moving to Mudjimba in 2025.

“I love gardening, and it seemed a good way to meet people who have similar interests to me,” Jenny said.

Established in 2023, the garden has teams looking after composting, garden beds, the fruit forest and general maintenance.

Residents can also bring along their fruit and vegetable scraps to be turned into compost, helping reduce waste while putting nutrients back into the garden, and there is going to be new infrastructure on site soon.

A new water tank will be installed with the help of a Sunshine Coast Council Minor Grant, bringing the garden’s total to four tanks.

“When the garden was first started, we brought water to the site in 44-gallon drums on the back of a Ute and watered all our plants by hand,” Jenny said.

The extra water storage will be particularly important after the garden came close to running out of water during last year’s dry spring and summer.

“A reliable water supply is essential for a garden to survive,” Jenny said.

The Mudjimba garden is one of two community gardens supported through the latest Council Minor Grants round, alongside Little Mountain Community Garden.

Strong Community Portfolio and Division 8 Councillor Taylor Bunnag said community gardens were a good example of grassroots projects bringing people together.

“Community gardens are a great example of this – having recently volunteered at a local community garden myself, I saw firsthand the sense of connection they create, bringing neighbours together and providing welcoming places where people can share skills, ideas and experiences.”

For anyone thinking about getting into gardening this spring, a community garden can be a great place to start, and the Mudjimba Community Garden has a range of options available for people keen to get their hands dirty. From monthly family gardening days to workshops and weekly gardening days, please check out their Facebook page at ‘Mudjimba Community Garden’ for details.

Apply for a grant  
Sunshine Coast Council is now taking applications for the Major Grant round until October 6. For more information and how to apply, please visit www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au and search for ‘Grants’.