Flourishing communities: Whangarei
By Carrie Briffett
Future growth
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What was once an abandoned quarry is now a subtropical public garden thanks to the commitment of dedicated volunteers in Whangarei.
For nearly 20 years a disused quarry just outside of Whangarei was simply used as a rubbish dump.
David Muir, horticultural project manager of what is now Whangarei Quarry Gardens, tells the story of how a local psychologist, Laughton King, started campaigning in 1990 to turn it into a public garden.
"He was aware of the mental health needs of the community and he managed to motivate enough residents to start working on the garden in 1997," says David.
And volunteering at the garden has clearly taken off since. David says around 5,000 volunteer hours a year are spent on improving the considerable 24-hectare site.
Every Wednesday a regular "working bee" is held but David says volunteers regularly come to the garden outside of the working bees. "We get around 25 days a month where at least one volunteer has come into the garden," he says.
The garden now includes waterfalls and a lake, walking tracks, picnic areas, native plants and trees and spectacular subtropical gardens.
As well as providing an attractive space for locals and visitors to walk and relax in, working at the gardens has a strong social appeal for its volunteers, according to David. Volunteers from the Northland Country Garden Clubs Association also come once a month to work in the garden.
"I think what we are seeing here is the social fabric of the Northland," David says. "Gardening is a common interest here."
The garden is also used as a wedding venue. David says they usually have around eight to 10 weddings a summer, although interest has dropped off recently which he puts down to the economic climate and people turning instead to free venues.
The money from weddings at the garden goes into buying plants and supplies. Other sources of income, according to David, include grants from the local council and visitor donations.
People's perceptions of the area have slowly changed, says David. From being somewhere where people dumped their rubbish, the community has generally started to appreciate the landscape, which David describes as an "informal" garden.
"It's gone from abuse to use; we have had a transition with local residents," David says. His comments are backed by the 2,000 positive comments in the garden's visitors' book.
Future growth
The gardens have been following a master plan for the past eight years, although how much work can be carried out and the order in which it is undertaken depends a lot on fundraising, sponsorship and who is available to work in the gardens, David explains.
A project funded by Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ)'s Community Max funding, which aims to improve the community or environment while creating work for young people, brought a group of 16-24 year olds into the garden last summer.
David explains that this meant some of the heavier landscaping work, such as building rock walls, could be carried out, as some of the regular volunteers would find it too physically challenging.
David says his job is essentially facilitating the continual progress of the gardens. Future aspirations for the garden include building a visitors' centre where people can access information and refreshments.
"All that would be big money but there are plans for further development of the gardens," he says. "We've got lots of dreams but like they say, if you don't have a dream, how can you make a dream come true?"
For further information
www.whangareiquarrygardens.org.nz
