Since starting in 2018, Addington Farm has operated a community garden on Parlane Street with a vision to help grow a community of gardens and gardeners. They have hosted multiple community outreach programmes such as gardening working bees and workshops. They also grow produce that they distribute to locals and Addington Te Kura Taumatua.

The group has recently applied to lease the south-east corner of Addington Park to create a new community garden as they have outgrown their current site.

Addington Farm have outlined the following in their proposal. You can read the full proposal here.

• Eight māra kai (food security) plots for local whānau (families), volunteers and food banks.
• Six kaitiaki plots for local residents and organisations.
• Four foraging gardens and accessible raised bed garden areas.

The lease area is not expected to impact recreation in Addington Park. Dog fencing will be installed along the boundary between the sports fields and the gardens as indicated on the plan below. However, this will not prevent access to the two existing pathways.

Addington Farm are also proposing the following changes to the public toilet building and surrounding area:

• Building a storage shed and walk in chiller.
• Renovating part of the changing room to create a multi-use open space office with an activities room, meeting room and kitchenette. Local sports groups will also be able to use the open space as a changing area.
• Installing a picnic area.

The toilets, which are currently closed, will be upgraded by Council.

Developing this building is expected to help manage some of the concerns raised by local residents and park users about safety and anti-social behaviour in Addington Park.

If the lease is approved by the Waihoro Spreydon-Cashmere-Heathcote Community Board, Addington Farm will be seeking grants and fundraising to develop the community garden, storage shed and chiller, and multi-use space renovations.

The map below shows the concept plan and proposed location of the Addington Park community gardens.