Mark Sutcliffe has given 6000 hours of his own time to create a greenspace from a dusty reserve.
Mark Sutcliffe has given more than 6,000 hours of his own time over the past eight years generously beautifying the public reserve between Shiraz Cres, Hermitage Dve and Hogg Ct in Corowa.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Mark initially took on the task in 2017 to keep himself occupied and active through treatment for bowel cancer and just kept going, wanting to do the right thing for his community.
His time and efforts have transformed what was once a dust bowl into a vibrant and welcoming greenspace that adds immense value to the community.
Now he spends about two hours a day tending to the greenspace using donated plants and materials from local residents and farmers.
Plants and materials have been donated by residents and farmers.
“The plants, fertilisers and other materials are all donated,” Mark said.
“The grass is off cuts and leftovers from people who have put lawn at their own place.
“Everyone drops it off and I plant it and spread it out when I can.
“I’ve got a few metres to go to finish planting all of the grass.”
Mark is not alone when it comes to maintaining the grounds, with local residents and Federation Council all pitching in.
“The council mows the main part of the grass every two to three weeks,” he said.
“In September every year they come and do a complete spray; they do a fantastic job.
“And the local people will get in and mow around the edges.”
The biggest challenge he faces with maintaining the reserve is water, with no automatic irrigation in place to service the grounds, and no taps at the southern end, despite repeated requests.
“There are four taps at the top end, and nothing at the other end,” Mark said.
“I have hoses that run 130 metres to water the grass at the other end and there’s not enough pressure by the time the water gets there.
“A lot of the residents use their own taps to help water around the edges.”
Mark would love to see Crepe Myrtles to add to the beautiful space he’s created with help from locals.
Mark has also identified other items that could greatly benefit the appeal of the space and potentially attract more users.
“I’ve seen students from the local schools come down and use the space,” he said.
“Some bench seats in the shade or near the gardens for them to sit on would be great.
“The council planted some gum trees; we’ve asked to have a couple of crepe myrtles planted amongst them to make the place look a bit nicer.”
