'Bandits' have big plans for park

Ready to roam ... Kelley Allen takes her dog Faddi to explore Dalmore Reserve. In the background...
Ready to roam ... Kelley Allen takes her dog Faddi to explore Dalmore Reserve. In the background is Kiri Smith and her son Rongomai Smith (2). PHOTO: DAN HUTCHINSON
''Garden bandits'' are planning to seize an overgrown public reserve in Dalmore and give it back to the locals.

A group calling itself the ''Dalmore Reserve Bandit Gardeners'' has big plans for an area that has plenty of potential hidden in the long grass.

Resident and group spokeswoman Kelley Allen said she knew of families that had been using Dalmore Reserve for three generations and it was time the Dunedin City Council and locals made the most of it.

''We want to do our own thing and make sure it happens for us up here.

''We want some gas barbecues and some seats and fixing up the track and getting the community garden going for our residents.''

She said the neighbourhood was home to a lot of people on low incomes, many of whom did not have cars but the closest major park was Woodhaugh.

''It would be nice to have our own wee thing up here rather than having to go to Woodhaugh.''

The reserve has about 1.3km of dirt tracks running through it - most of them overgrown and barely accessible - and it has been the subject of extensive native planting projects in previous years.

Ms Allen said not a lot had been done with the reserve in recent years but it was ideally situated to provide those in the area with a handy amenity.

Those interested in being part of the project met on Saturday and would be meeting again at the end of the month for a walk around the steeply sloping site.

She said they had talked briefly with the council about the reserve and had been given a draft of an old concept plan and drawings.

Council parks manager Lisa Wheeler said the concept plan was drawn up in 2006 and included provision for paths and the removal of some old conifers.

The conifers had been removed and old paths identified but none of the other parts of the plan had been carried out.

She said the council liked to work with groups like the Bandits and she was sure the council could help them achieve their goals.

Ms Allen said there were about 1.3km of dirt paths around the reserve but they were mostly overgrown.

A lot of native planting had been done in previous years which was starting to overgrow the gorse and long grass but the group wanted some of the tracks cleared and improved so people could use them.

More recent planting had also been done by Pine Hill School children but there were large areas where gorse and other unwanted plants were taking over.

Ms Allen said a community garden was a key part of their plans - providing locals with fresh produce and gardening skills.

She said it was easy to get stuck in a ''cycle of depression'' when people were living in poverty but there were many things people could do to improve their lives.

Having an amenity like Dalmore Reserve with community gardens and areas for people to go for walks and barbecues would improve people's lives, Ms Allen said.

She said local residents had already been clearing gorse and long grass in the reserve - hence the name Bandit Gardeners - but a more co-ordinated approach was needed.

About 10 people attended the first Dalmore Reserve Bandit Gardeners meeting held last Saturday and a walk around the reserve and a barbecue is planned for later in the month.

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