Fresh idea on remote gardens

There are 75 remote CDEPs across Australia yet only 15 list any form of horticultural activity. What are the other 60 remote-area CDEPs doing?

Horticulture is a fundamental community development initiative, yet the enormous amounts of taxpayer money put into CDEP operations across Australia have produced only a handful of viable fruit and vegetable market gardens. If CDEPs are not growing fruit and vegetables, what are they doing?

Remote CDEPs should have a contractual obligation to establish market gardens and to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to the entire community.

This would provide motivation and meaningful physical activity for the people involved in growing produce that could be sold through community stores, providing economic returns and healthy eating outcomes.

Locally grown produce would be cheaper and fresher as the transport costs of hauling produce over thousands of kilometres would disappear. Growing produce can be shared between men and women and involve children through schools who could learn from and experience the joy of growing food.

The development of market gardens would also give people skills that would help in the transition to real jobs when opportunities arise, and give them practical experience in a structured work environment.

I am not suggesting a radical reform, nor is the Indigenous Land Council standing back, pointing the finger and asking others to develop the proposal.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is already funding a fresh food production program for Torres Strait communities under its National Landcare Program. The ILC would be happy to work with the ministers for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and other key agencies to bring the necessary expertise and funding, together with existing CDEP operational funds, so that horticultural projects can be established as quickly as possible in remote indigenous communities.

We have a critical opportunity to do something simple and practical to support indigenous people in remote Australia to make a real difference to the health of their children and families.

If this opportunity is missed, then the Government will struggle in its objective of closing the gap in remote areas. Instead, remote communities will continue as they have for the past 30 years.

As Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly say in their famous song "From little things big things grow".