ABC reporter Brigid Anderson reports on Monday 22nd that the Federal Government have been urged to support the development of agriculture in Australian cities and that the development of community gardens would allow cities to combat

the issue of their food security. Cassie White journalist with the ABC reports on the issues of buying local in her article “Buy local and sink the export industry“. The comments from her article have highlighted many related issues.

CITY of Sydney's policy, 'Sustainable Sydney 2030-Global, Green, Connected writes that community gardens are a valid urban landuse and valuable as a recreational activty that contributes to the health and wellbeing of the wider community and provides a wide range of environmental, social and educational benefi

ts. It also recognises that street verge gardens can be recognised as community gardens. The Australian City Farms and Community Gardens network reports on this policy. Their web site includes a great resource of fact sheets on all aspects of community gardening.

SUSTAINABLE Melbourne.com is supported by the Victorian Government through the sustainability fund and is a network and communication system to deliver information, to connect people and projects and to accelerate the city’s transformation into a sustainable city. Many movements are involved in this project amongst which is Slow Food Melbourne's Farmers Market which helps to contribute to their evolving sustainable city. Sustainable Rotterdam which has qu

ickly become a model for creating a window on the social, cultural and design activities is often a model used by cities around the world. Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainabilty at Curtin University tells us in his book on sustainable ecosystems how modern city dwellers are largely detached from the environmental effects of their daily lives. The sources of the water they drink, the food they eat, and the energy they consume are all but invisible, often coming from other continents.