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2023 Update
The City of Parramatta is upgrading Sherwin Park
- This is the Stage 1 upgrade for the new Sherwin Park Community Garden, with construction starting Wednesday 27 September 2023 and running for approximately 12 weeks.
- Stage 1 will include soil remediation, a water connection, thirteen raised vegetable garden beds, site fencing, compost bays, a paved delivery area and decomposed granite pathways. The Sherwin Park Garden Committee will work with Council to deliver a small greenhouse and a temporary shipping container for storage.
- The community garden is proudly funded by NSW Government in association with City of Parramatta Council.
A 'turning the sod' ceremony took place at Sherwin Park on Monday 18 September 2023 (3pm). A big thanks went to the founding members of the Sherwin Park Community Garden committee for their hard work and perseverance.
Sherwin Park Community Garden
North Parramatta
In June 2020, as part of community engagement work around the development of the Heart of Play Master Plan, the City of Parramatta identified an opportunity for a community garden in Sherwin Park.
As the Heart of Play Master Plan involved creating a blueprint for an outdoor sporting and recreation network across seven open spaces in North Parramatta and would continue over some years, Council began to investigate projects that would align with the Master Plan but could deliver more immediate benefits to the community.
Sherwin Park Community Garden
- In early 2020, while consulting on the Belmore Park Master Plan, Council received a proposal from a group of residents to build a community garden in Belmore Park. The site was found to pose some difficulties because of the large established trees on site.
- In 2021, an opportunity arose to fund a community garden in the Dundas Ward. To take advantage of the opportunity, the Belmore Park group agreed to move to Sherwin Park and began planning the garden with assistance from Permaculture Sydney West and Council.
- The creation of the Sherwin Park Community Garden was also seen as a solution to the loss of the Sorrell Lane Community Garden, which was forced to close when the privately-owned land on which it was located was sold.
- As part of its due diligence around the feasibility of a community garden for Sherwin Park, Council commissioned consultants to undertake investigations.
- Reports identified high levels of contamination within the soil on the site.
Contamination delays work on the Sherwin Park Community Garden
Council engaged specialist consultants to undertake a Detailed Site Investigation across the proposed community garden site to determine the nature and extent of contamination.
The final report confirmed the presence of soil contamination and identified high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs a cancer-causing chemical) and lead in the surface soil across the area proposed as the community garden site.
This contamination exceeds health investigation levels for growing fruit and vegetables. Unfortunately, the community garden cannot proceed until the site is remediated.
2022 and next steps:
- The City of Parramatta is working with specialists to prepare a Remediation Action Plan (RAP) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to treat and manage the site to make it suitable for use as a community garden.
- Once reports are endorsed and budgets are approved, the recommended remediation work will commence.
- Work is expected to begin in July 2022 and is likely to include creating a temporary fenced compound, the installation of a protective capping layer and introducing a 50cm layer of certified clean soil to the site, deeper in some areas, to allow for growing fruit trees and other plants with deep root systems.
- While remediation is planned, concept designs for a community garden including a shed will be developed and City of Parramatta will work with the community and Sherwin Community Garden members to create a safe and attractive layout for the new garden.
- Following endorsement of the final design, construction of the garden will begin.
- It is hoped the Sherwin Community Garden will be open to members by late 2022.
More Information
(Back to top)Please see frequently asked questions below or download our PDF here:
I have a question, who can I speak with?
Contact Council’s Sherwin Park project team (Erin Hrouda, Open Space Officer or Andrew Scholz, Contaminated Land Project Officer) in the Open Space and Natural Resources Unit.
Call City of Parramatta on 1300 617 058 or email openspace@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au
Frequently Asked Questions (Back to top)
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(PAH) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
PAHs are compounds formed when organic materials do not completely combust when burned. They are suspected carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). PAHs are typically found in tar roofing, asphalt driveways and ash from wood-burning stoves and fireplaces.
Lead
Lead is a bluish-white metal that has many industrial uses. The source of the lead in the soil at the site of the community garden in unknown. However, sources may include past land-use activity, and residual lead from vehicle exhaust emissions (prior to the use of un-leaded fuel).
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The risk from PAHs occurs when there is skin contact with contaminated soil, the compounds are breathed-in or ingested (usually by eating food grown in contaminated soil).
As there are currently no gardening activities in the area affected by PAHs, the risk to your health from soil exposure is low.
There is a potential risk to your health if you consume food crops planted directly into the lead-contaminated soil located in community garden. Garden produce which has accumulated lead in its tissue or has soil particles adhering to it can be a hazard if eaten.
There is no evidence that the food crops grown in the raised garden beds are unsafe for human consumption.
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Soil contaminants are common across parts of Parramatta due to former land-fill practices and historic vehicle exhaust emissions (from lead-based fuel).
The contamination in the community garden is thought to have originated from historic land-use and vehicle exhaust emissions. Likewise, the source of the PAHs in Sherwin Park may have originated from the burning of materials on site, illegal dumping and contaminated fill material imported into the site.
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As the test results show higher than acceptable levels of contaminants in the soil within the proposed community garden, remediation of the affected soil is required.
The investigation report has recommended the preparation of a Remediation Action Plan (RAP) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to treat and manage the site to make it suitable for use as a community garden.
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Council’s specialist consultants have recommended remediation of the contaminated soils and implementation of a site management plan which is designed for the safe ongoing-use of the site as a community garden and allowing for possible future works.
Council is in the process of engaging a contaminated land consultant to prepare the RAP and EMP. Council has requested all remediation options be considered.
Once these reports are completed, the next steps will involve the implementation of the remediation works in the new financial year (July 2022).
We will work with the community and community garden members to design a safe and attractive layout for the new garden.
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No, not at present.
The contamination report identified high concentrations of PAHs and lead in the surface soil across the area proposed for the community garden at levels which are unsafe for growing fruit and vegetables.
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Contact Council’s Sherwin Park project team (Erin Hrouda, Open Space Officer or Andrew Scholz, Contaminated Land Project Officer) in the Open Space and Natural Resources Unit.
Call City of Parramatta on 1300 617 058 or email openspace@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au
Join the Sherwin Park Community Garden
(Back to top)While the new area for the community garden is being planned, there are lots of gardening activities happening in raised beds and plenty of opportunities to join the group for projects like their sensational sunflower garden. To learn more, see the Sherwin Park Community Garden Facebook page or email sherwinparkcommunitygarden@gmail.com
Images below courtesy of the Sherwin Park Community Garden Group.
