A stunning, new community garden will grow on the roof of the Kings Cross carpark after the City of Sydney approved requests from a dedicated group of local residents.
The 120-member Kings Cross Community Garden group will design and oversee the garden, occupying 250 square metres of space in Lawrence Hargrave Reserve.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said that as Sydney’s population grows and more families choose to live in apartments, the city’s green spaces were playing an increasingly important role.
“Apart from the benefits of growing your own food, this garden will bring neighbours together, creating a real sense of community and activating a space that many residents didn’t know about.”
The Kings Cross community garden will consist of raised garden beds for vegetable and herbs, a tool shed, green waste recycling, compost bins, worm farms, seats and a low fence.
Terry Chesher, a founding member of the community garden group, has seen membership grow to 120 since 2015.
“Ninety-eight percent of Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay residents live in apartments, making it one of the most densely populated areas in Australia.
“We see it becoming a community hub, reducing social isolation and bringing residents of all ages and backgrounds together to share an interest in organic gardening.”
The group’s landscape architect Edwina Morris said that people were at the centre of the garden’s design.
“It’s an interesting site, sitting about eight storeys higher than the street due to the steep topography of the land.
“The garden will integrate with the reserve by visually connecting to the street and masking the car park vent, while still providing space for other park users.
“It will feature a number of garden beds, growing root vegetables, salad and stir fry vegetables, wandering crops and dense bush. There will also be additional space to expand in the future.”
