2022-23 team
Ambassadors
- Garden Ambassador: Costa Georgiadis
- Permaculture Ambassador: Hannah Moloney
- Sustainability Ambassador: John McBain.
CGA Committee
- President: Naomi Lacey
- Vice-president: Lorna Martin
- Secretary: Janet Aitchison
- Treasurer: Sajai Samuel
- Ordinary member — social media: Josh Barnes
- Ordinary member — membership: Jane Mowbray
- Ordinary member — state liaison: Chris Smyth.
CGA State Coordinators
Need help? Let us know how we can assist by contacting your State Coordinators:
- ACT: vacant, for more information email Chris Smyth
- NSW: email Emma Daniell (view NSW’s website profile)
- NT: email Katie Grimshaw (view NT’s website profile)
- QLD: email Gavin Hardy (view QLD’s website profile)
- SA: vacant, for more information email Chris Smyth
- TAS: email Jo Dean (view NT’s website profile)
- VIC: email Lorna Martin (view VIC’s website profile)
- WA: email Chris Smyth (view WA’s website profile).
CGA Regional Coordinators
You can also contact your Regional Coordinators if you need local help:
- NSW:
- Northern NSW: email Jimi Gatland (view Nth NSW’s website profile)
- Riverina: email Cheryl Paech (view Riverina’s website profile)
- NT:
- Alice Springs: email Kaz Phillips (view NT’s website profile)
- QLD
- Gold Coast: email Lyn Marsfield (view GOLD COAST’s website profile)
- Logan City and Scenic Rim: email Beth Cook (view LOGAN CITY & SCENIC RIM’s website profile)
- Brisbane South East: email Sheeba Taylor (view BRISBANE SE’s website profile)
- North Brisbane: email Gareth Thomas (view NTH BRISBANE’s website profile)
- Redlands: email Shanon Taurino (view REDLAND’s website profile)
- SA
- Northern Adelaide and Barossa: email David MacKinnon (view NTH ADELAIDE & BAROSSA’s website profile)
- The Coorong: to be announced
- Southern Adelaide and Fleurieu: to be announced
- Yorke Peninsula: email Trish Goodgame (view YORKE PENINSULA’s website profile)
- VIC
- Education Coordinator: email Oscar Danvers
- WA
- Perth Northern Suburbs: email Kath Moller (view PERTH NORTH’s website profile)
- Perth Western Suburbs: email Peg Davies (view PERTH WEST’s website profile)
- Perth Southern Suburbs: email Heather Stewart-Johnson (view PERTH SOUTH’s website profile)
- Pilbara & Northern WA: email Robyn Todd (view Pilbara & Northern WA’s website profile)
- Southern Region WA: email Ann Bentley (view Southern WA’s website profile).
CGA volunteer support
Website:
- Fiona Campbell and Paul Hammond: email website team
- Roz Anstee: email Social Media Manager
- Russ Grayson: website stories and editorial support
- Moushumi Dewan: website map listing support
- Niloofer Golvala: website map listing support
- Digital Pacific: website hosting support
Graphic design:
- Ruth Galloway Creative Partner
E: ruth@whatcamenext.com
M: +61(0)404 159 031
What Came Next Ltd
40/100 Miller St North Sydney NSW 2060 - Faye Pettinella
E: faye.pettinella@gmail.com
Instagram: @fayee.designs
Find out more about our Committee members…
…who volunteer their time to grow community gardening around Australia
President — Naomi Lacey
Naomi is a permaculturalist who is passionate about promoting healthy food systems, sustainable lifestyles, and cultivating community. She helped to establish the first community garden in the satellite city of Palmerston near Darwin and from there became involved with Community Gardens Australia (CGA) in 2015 then took on the role of President in 2019.
Naomi believes that community gardens have a pivotal role to play in ensuring better health outcomes for Australians, building community, addressing the climate crisis, reducing waste, and educating people.
Awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2019 to learn from community garden networks around the world, Naomi’s vision for CGA is to build the organisation into one that supports the growth and needs of community gardens around Australia, providing them with education, support, resources, and sustenance to continue their work and therefore their positive impact on the communities they reside in.
You can contact Naomi at: president@communitygarden.org.au
Vice-president — Lorna Martin
Why I love community gardening…
Is it the people you meet, the healthy fresh organic food you grow, the fresh air & exercise, the educational programs to teach others, the fun events and tours, or the delicious meal shared with members of other community gardens? It is all of these.
It is also knowing that time spent growing our own food in a community space enables the sharing of knowledge through workshops & events, the exchange of excess produce through food swaps, and socialising with like-minded people of all ages and abilities. We all benefit physically, mentally, and socially.
You can contact Lorna at: vic@communitygarden.org.au
Secretary — Janet Aitchison
Janet Aitchison’s first experience with community gardens came in Brooklyn, New York where she helped run a native plant garden and composting program for eight years.
Now a resident of Australia, she is working with her neighbours to establish a community garden in the town of Avoca Beach, NSW.
Janet also runs a Dunecare group in the town, and volunteers at the local council nursery where she propagates plants for use in local landcare sites.
You can contact Janet at: secretary@communitygarden.org.au
Treasurer — Sajai Samuel
Sajai has always been a plant lover and enjoys delving into the world of plants and veggies and watching as they grow and flourish.
Though he has only recently been introduced to the world of community gardening, he can see significant benefits from growing one’s own food promoting healthy eating, as well as fostering community building.
He believes that it has numerous benefits for individuals, communities and the economy at large and advocates for more people to get involved in community gardening.
You can contact Sajai at: treasurer@communitygarden.org.au
Ordinary members
Josh Barnes — social media
Josh is passionate about community building through gardens and believes in the power of the collective formed through our national network.
He lives in Darwin and is a member of the Mulch Pit permaculture community garden. By day he works in universities on equity access programs.
You can contact Josh at: josh.barnes@communitygarden.org.au
Jane Mowbray — membership
Jane Mowbray has been a community gardener and seed saver for a couple of decades. She joined her local community garden in Sydney hoping to find or recruit more seed savers but instead, she became a dedicated community gardener. Jane believes there is nothing that provides a better sense of belonging to a community and to the wonders of the natural world than being part of a community garden.
You can contact Jane at: membership@communitygarden.org.au
Chris Smyth — State Liaison
Chris helped set up Murdoch Community Garden in 2013. He manages the administration side of the community garden’s activities, helps out with garden maintenance, and makes preserves and other foodstuffs from the garden produce.
You can contact Chris at: wa@communitygarden.org.au