MIDCOAST GROWERS NETWORK
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Project Highlights


Early phase

June/July 2022
  • The project's Steering Committee was established.
  • The project was officially announced at a small ceremony held at the Gloucester Community Garden, and attended by The Hon Dr David Gillespie M.P.
  • The governance of the project was agreed upon.
  • Following a recruitment process, the Project Coordinator (Jack Thieme) and Communications Officer (Ron Woods) were appointed.
  • Information about the project was shared with the public, especially through Midcoast Network's Facebook page and Grower's Q&A group.
  • Community outreach was begun, including collaborative work with especially MidCoast Council
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Official announcement of the project at Gloucester Community Garden. From left: Joel Dunn (Karuah Great Lakes Landcare); David Gillespie; Melinda Kiker (Midcoast Growers Network); Ron Woods (Midcoast Growers Network)
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Jack Thieme, Project Coordinator
On the role of Project Coordinator in Building Bushfire Resilient Gardens in the Midcoast, we asked Jack to tell us a little about himself and his vision for the project.

'My background is in community-based project coordination, so I've got skin in the game to be able to bring this project forward to achieve its objectives. I'm also a qualified horticulturalist, so I know the language and understand the brief. I have always worked from a model where the community has a voice and knows what they need, and I'm to facilitate the community to direct what they need.

From the work done in the project, my hope is that we’ll have a knowledge base to improve awareness and be better able to deal with the threat of fires around our communities and properties. The threat is not going away, what with the warming Earth, we really have to start shifting to a greater awareness of what this means and how to be prepared for those changes.


I would like the project to provide a literacy, an understanding of the threat, and helping us to be more prepared. Having gardens that are more resilient to fires is part of addressing those threats. I’m already doing it - my own property is surrounded by bush, and I'm trying to build a garden that is strategically - through the building of swales and choice of plants - creating an ember barrier.'


Message for potential participants - if you have been affected by the Black Summer bushfires, please consider getting involved in our project. This is an opportunity for you to get back on your feet, and to rethink how you do your garden. Please send an email to me, Jack Thieme, at jackthieme@hotmail.com
August/September 2022
  • Ongoing community outreach, with the aim of recruiting participants for the project i.e. Midcoast residents whose properties had been fire damaged in the Black Summer bushfires and were interested in receiving support to rebuild their gardens on more firesmart principles
  • Literature review completed and published online (see Resource Hub)
  • Evaluation framework for the project drafted and finalised
  • First online presentation and discussion held - to share highlights from the literature review relating to the question: 'What are recommended practices for building more resilient gardens after bushfires?'
  • Landscaper/garden designer recruited
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Flyer to invite participants
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Online presentation and discussion - recommended practices discussed in the literature for rebuilding gardens after bushfire damage, and doing so on more firesmart principles
Click here for the presentation

Middle phase


Later phase



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  • HOME
    • About us
    • Local Growers
  • BLOGS
  • MIDCOAST GROWING
    • Our Region
    • Tips & Techniques
    • Digging Deeper
  • RESOURCES
    • Information hub
    • Projects
    • Research
  • BUSHFIRE RESILIENT GARDENS
    • Project Info
    • Project Highlights
    • Resource Hub
  • New Page