Byron Shire Council to grow food on public land

On April 4 Byron Shire Council launched its pilot program for growing food plants on public land.
The pilot program will be co-managed by Council and the community over six months and involve monthly working bees.

Byron Shire Council’s Sustainability Officer, Graeme Williams; ‘This project is in response to some of the more alarming global trends. ‘While this is a small trial project, something like it on a larger scale could have large economic implications by relocalising our food production systems.
‘We currently have such a disconnection with the food we consume. Hopefully walking past publicly grown food will encourage interaction and maybe motivate people to emulate the system in their backyards. ‘Growing our own food is a lost art somewhat and one we should regain given our economic and climatic situation.‘The project will address all four arms of sustainability: environmental (food miles, resource dependency), social (bringing the community together and educating people), economic (with agriculture and farming both growth industries) and lastly, governance, with our council as a local government forerunner in this area, devoting council land to develop food security projects.’

Byron Shire Council is to be congratulated for this innovative approach to public health and resource sustainability.

Hopefully other Northern Rivers councils are watching this pilot and considering how they may use the wealth of local public land which is earmaked for eventual development far into the future and which lies idle now.

Picture from Google Images