Save our Casino Forest Community Garden
The issue
The Casino Forest Community Garden is not just any green space; it is a treasured third space for local residents to gather, connect with nature, and forage for food and flowers. It is a garden created by community for community, where people can learn about gardening and edible plants they can grow locally, and gather to connect with others. It now represents thousands of hours of volunteer work, and donations either by community members or grants which have enabled the purchase of fruit trees and native plants and infrastructure items for the garden. It has also become a thriving ecosystem, home to many birds other wildlife. Anyone who has been in the garden recently would be familiar with our lovely family of fairy wrens who flit from tree to tree.
The garden was started in 2020 when community members approached the RSM about providing space for a community garden. This location was chosen by the RSM, and it has proudly promoted the garden as one of their contributions to community since it was started.
The group turned a vacant block into a luscious garden with many fruit trees that are now maturing and providing bountiful harvests of different fruit varieties, and native trees that provide both edible fruits wildlife habitat.
The Forest Garden members had also left a walkway at the edge of the garden which is frequently used as a shortcut for people on foot, cycling or mobility scooters to access the shopping precinct behind the garden.
Sadly the RSM CEO John Walker has informed the volunteer members that the RSM is in the process of selling the block of land and that the garden is intended to be demolished, with no alternative site being proposed.
Unfortunately the RSM has undertaken this without meaningful consultation with the community or the gardening volunteers, meaning the community may lose access within as little as a few weeks.
The RSM is one of the richest organisations in our community with obligations as a club to meaningfully give back to the community in which they are situated. The RSM financial statement for 2025, reported profits from gaming alone as over $7.9 million. Over recent years that they have purchased prominent businesses such as the Royal Hotel and Clydesdale Steakhouse, and now hold over $31 million in assets in our community.
By signing this petition we are urging local authorities and developers to protect the Casino Forest Community Garden from destruction and preserve it as a valuable community asset.
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The issue
The Casino Forest Community Garden is not just any green space; it is a treasured third space for local residents to gather, connect with nature, and forage for food and flowers. It is a garden created by community for community, where people can learn about gardening and edible plants they can grow locally, and gather to connect with others. It now represents thousands of hours of volunteer work, and donations either by community members or grants which have enabled the purchase of fruit trees and native plants and infrastructure items for the garden. It has also become a thriving ecosystem, home to many birds other wildlife. Anyone who has been in the garden recently would be familiar with our lovely family of fairy wrens who flit from tree to tree.
The garden was started in 2020 when community members approached the RSM about providing space for a community garden. This location was chosen by the RSM, and it has proudly promoted the garden as one of their contributions to community since it was started.
The group turned a vacant block into a luscious garden with many fruit trees that are now maturing and providing bountiful harvests of different fruit varieties, and native trees that provide both edible fruits wildlife habitat.
The Forest Garden members had also left a walkway at the edge of the garden which is frequently used as a shortcut for people on foot, cycling or mobility scooters to access the shopping precinct behind the garden.
Sadly the RSM CEO John Walker has informed the volunteer members that the RSM is in the process of selling the block of land and that the garden is intended to be demolished, with no alternative site being proposed.
Unfortunately the RSM has undertaken this without meaningful consultation with the community or the gardening volunteers, meaning the community may lose access within as little as a few weeks.
The RSM is one of the richest organisations in our community with obligations as a club to meaningfully give back to the community in which they are situated. The RSM financial statement for 2025, reported profits from gaming alone as over $7.9 million. Over recent years that they have purchased prominent businesses such as the Royal Hotel and Clydesdale Steakhouse, and now hold over $31 million in assets in our community.
By signing this petition we are urging local authorities and developers to protect the Casino Forest Community Garden from destruction and preserve it as a valuable community asset.
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Petition created on 7 August 2026