The Tāneatua community is invited to a dedication for the Tāneatua Community Orchard and Garden.

An official sign is being installed and a dedication will be led by Reverend Tamiana Thrupp at 9am on Saturday morning.

Keep Whakatāne District Beautiful Committee chairman Andrew Iles said the orchard and garden was initially started in around 2017 by Bobbianne Hughes, who was an arborist for Whakatāne District Council at the time, and Phillipa Mason.

The use of council reserve land on Amokura Road was acquired, and the committee, then known as Pride Whakatāne, helped kickstart the project by donating some fruit trees.

The project was slow to gain momentum so Tāneatua Lions Club stepped in with some manpower to keep the place tidy.

“In 2021, we planted 23 heritage apple trees, which are now at an age they are starting to bear fruit,” said Mr Iles, who is also a Lions Club member.

For the past two winters, Tree Crops Association Eastern Bay ambassador Greg Reid has led free pruning demonstrations at the orchard which have been well attended. The association has now sponsored a sign for the community orchard and garden.

There is a vegetable garden on site, in which a neighbour has carried out extensive planting of vegetables.

“This year, a member of the Tree Crops Association donated 10 plum trees that were planted in August. Several grape varieties have also been planted across the front fence and we already have established peach, apricot, pear and feijoa trees.

We’re looking at planting several varieties of citrus this autumn, courtesy, again, of the Tree Crops Association member.

“We welcome participation from the community and invite them to come along on Saturday for the dedication,” Mr Iles said. “Tāneatua Lions will put on a sausage sizzle people will be able to see what stage the community orchard is up to.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.