Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown—Minister for Women, Minister for Seniors, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault)— Where once there was a little used concrete corner of a car park at Lake Macquarie PCYC in Windale, there is now a beautiful array of planter boxes full of fresh herbs and vegetables.

The PCYC is now the proud home of a Nourish Garden. The garden will allow students taking part in OzHarvest Newcastle's kitchen operations training (known as Nourish) to have access to fresh produce for their cooking.

The Nourish program aims to offer participants more than just hospitality skills. It is a supported pathway for young people who face the barriers of intergenerational unemployment, low literacy and numeracy, and mental health challenges.

The garden will act as an educational aid, but it will also be a beautiful, peaceful space that will be an asset to the wider community that use makes use of the PCYC. The project drew on the skills and talents of many contributors, including a Charlestown Rotary Club team headed by Ted Atchison.

The result has been a lovely resource for the community, which will continue to give back for a long time to come.

A Community Recognition Notice is an opportunity for an MP to submit a short statement praising the work of an individual or group in the local community. If you have any ideas about people I can recognise with a Community Recognition Notice, please email and let me know!