The Lightning Ridge IBC has decided to push ahead with new gardens for the town at the Lions Park, despite the fact there was no money granted to them at the first meeting of council, just prior to the councillors being stood down.
It is nothing new for Lightning Ridge to achieve great things under its own initiatives, and this was always intended to be a community garden with multicultural groups participating in its establishment.
There will just have to be more community participation than originally intended. We are one of few towns making the most of the work for the dole program.
The IBC and the Tourist Centre have already used this program to great effect already.
We have already held discussions with the Walgett Shire Council and local council people as to how to proceed and have their permission to start, with a small amount of money can be accessed under the existing budget.
I have met with some of the people who own machines in the town and have so far had great co-operation from James Haverhoek, and Gary Stone, and worked out how we can source materials to build up the car park, roads and paths through the gardens.
What our committee is hoping for is a small commitment from everyone, not a big commitment from a few.
At a meeting Monday night the IBC committee passed a motion to provide some funds taken from the Bougainvillea account, which can be re-plenished as we sell the remaining 70 plants.
This money will be the basis of a fund to pay fuel only for machinery where necessary, and this will be a confidential matter between the contractor and the committee.
We are aware it has been tough for any business during the past couple of years and so some people will be able to afford to do the work for nothing, while others may like to help, but can't afford the cost of fuel for the machinery.
To proceed we will be starting to prepare the ground and garden design, first by taking care of the drainage and lay of the land, this will require the use of an excavator, grader, two to three trucks, and a front end loader.
Dirt will be carted from the built up block behind the fossick dump and used in the car parking area and on the roads, paths etc.
People with these machines, willing to assist, can contact Margaret on 6829 1081.
The next step will be laying the irrigation system for which we will need a trenching machine, bob-cat, or dingo, and anyone familiar with the laying in of watering systems.
Once we have the layout done, it will be time for the community to get into the act and come forward either in groups of various ethnic content or family groups, school classes, other organisations. So think about who you might like to get together with and take responsibility for a section of the gardens, getting together to weed and barbecue and have fun each month.
We already have hundreds of plants donated and waiting to go in the ground, all known to survive on bore water, however we will be glad of any that other people are prepared to donate.
There will be lots of lawn areas and shady trees. To achieve this, we will probably have people sitting at the local market days collecting money for square metres of lawn in the gardens.
To start with helping our funds we have been kindly donated some croquet rugs by Glennis Marcus and pottery coffee mugs by Lew Wilson and will be raffling these, so watch out for ticket sellers of these.
We are also trying to arrange a raffle for fuel vouchers. If we can organise this with the co-operation of the local fuel merchants, not only will people be able to buy tickets but those people donating their time and equipment to the gardens will be given free tickets into the raffle.
Other items we will be seeking that probably the farming community can get involved in, is supplying, fertiliser, sheep or cattle manures, rotten (or good) straw or hay for mulching.
Please let us know of unusual rocks for features, and a source of a large quantity of ironstone rocks to build the entrance pillars.
Building the entrance pillars will be a fun day with the community able to put a rock in a pillar, plant a plant and participate in a family barbecue.
We look forward to this be a fun filled time in establishing gardens that will greet our visitors as they arrive in our great town, a venue for family recreation, an opportunity for outdoor drama/ theatre, a source for school projects, a place for weddings to take place, and a place of tranquillity and refreshment of the body and mind, a place for making new friends.
Margaret Mansfield
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