Greenhouse Park

The Greenhouse Park (GHP) is located at the old Council builders' tip on Springhill Road, adjacent to Tom Thumb Lagoon. It was established in 1999 as a green corridor between the city centre and the industrial part of the city. It has an area of approximately 20 hectares and backs onto Tom Thumb Wetlands. The site has been unused since Council ceased its use as a dumping site.

The Greenhouse Park Program was developed as an environmental program for schools. The philosophy behind Greenhouse Park is 'think globally, act locally’ and establishes the connection between the global problem of the greenhouse effect and the opportunity for the local community to act locally by planting trees as carbon sinks, in addition to reducing energy use and other greenhouse impacts. The GHP program allows links to community by involving schools, industry, business, environmental and community groups. The program aims to teach a range of skills and improve understanding of the connection between different environmental issues. In particular, participants can see how their actions can help improve their local environment.

The plan for the park itself is to have 20,000 plus trees planted on-site within the next 10 years by approaching local school, industry, business and community groups to become involved by adopting sections of the park to help in revegetating them.

When complete it will be an environmental theme park with the potential to combine recreation, education, native habitat and aesthetics on a site within 1.5km of the Wollongong CBD.

The GHP is a major site for environmental education and beautification within the city and will enhance conservation, biodiversity and aesthetic aspects within the city. Since its launch late last year hundreds of trees have been planted on the site.