LONGFORD Garden Club is inviting everyone to assist with a major beautification project at the town’s entrance tomorrow, May 13.
When an abattoir was established close to Longford many decades ago, long before it was taken over by Victorian company Gilbertsons in 1964, no one could have foreseen that its location in Tannery Road would one day be the main gateway to the town.
Originally, access to the town was under the historic railway viaduct and over the now demolished Kings Bridge.
When the new bridge opened around 1980, the meat-processing plant became the first view of the Longford township and this has not sat well with many town-proud lo- cals.
In May last year, Jane Harrison, acting on behalf of the Longford Gar- den Club, approached Meatworks owner JBS, with the idea of a beau- tification project in the paddock ad- joining the car parks at JBS and the Swift Meats retail outlet.
“JBS manager Vernon Piwari has been very supportive of the idea, agreeing to trees, shrubs and native grasses being planted in the corner paddock beside the levee bank,” Mrs Harrison said.
“The initial plan is for a green screen of native plants along two sides of the paddock, and later for ornamental parkland trees beside the main road.”
She said community support for the project has been strong.
The garden club has funded the purchase of more than 1000 plants so far, local farmer Martin Dumaresq has sprayed the site three times, followed by Jock Hughes ploughing the planting areas.
Other local farmers have made machinery available.
The Longford Landcare group has made available funds donated by the late Geoff Hudson for beautification purposes and the Northern Midlands Council will assist with ornamental trees.
Planting day tomorrow will be a community effort to provide a much needed screen that everyone can watch grow over time.