Upper Yarra Community Environment Park

CERES Environmental Park has been the primary model – many people involved in this project have been inspired by the potential of CERES to engender a culture of sustainability through harnessing the creative energy of the community (www.ceres.org.au). There are other established models overseas as well, such as CAT (Centre for Alternative Technology) in Wales and Auroville in India. Indeed CERES type centres are today springing up across Australia and the world.

The dream of our Community Environment Park in the Upper Yarra has finally arrived.

In September 2009 a Master Plan for the site was finalised. This plan will form the basis for the developments to come.

A SENSE OF PLACE

The 7 hectare site at 711 Old Warburton Rd, Wesburn, a chicken farm in a previous life is a lovely rural and bush landscape setting. There are some great established gardens (including bushfood gardens developed by UYCH), substantial buildings including an old farm house, and massive chicken sheds. There is huge potential and opportunity for creative development of the site. The Site Projects working group and volunteers have been tirelessly working to clean up the site and renovate the old farm house that will be used as the interim site-centre. Already many hundreds of hours of volunteer time have been put into maintenance and preparation of the old farm house and controlling weed infestations. A UYCH Horticulture course has been working to reestablish the propagation infrastructure and bush food gardens.

2012 update: Thanks to another community investment made by Upper Yarra Community Enterprise (UYCE) - The Upper Yarra Community Environment Park has been able to purchase essential infrastructure and consumable materials needed for production. Additionally, UYCE support helped resource a road-worthy ute and trailer to pick up composting materials for soil building - and any materials that may be gifted to us and later for delivery of produce.