Well, if you followed our suggestion and sent a message to the Prime Minister about starting a vegie patch at The Lodge, this is the reply you’ll probably receive. Several of us have had identical letters.
It’s nice to get a reply at all – plenty of politicians don’t bother to respond to anything they think is silly or unimportant. So thumbs up for Kev and his staff. But I can’t say I’m impressed with their reason for not planting some vegies – they’re not the only ones on water restrictions, and plenty of home gardeners will tell you they manage just fine.
Have the staff at The Lodge not heard of rainwater tanks and xeriscaping? If you’re gardening with very little water, give us your best suggestion for how Kev can still grow a few vegies without depriving the rest of the garden of water.
Australian Government
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
ONE NATIONAL CIRCUIT BARTON
Reference:C09/32365
14 July 2009
Dear Ms Julie
Thank you for your letter of 6 June 2009 to the Prime Minister regarding a vegetable garden at The Lodge. I have been asked to reply on the Prime Minister’s behalf.
At this time there are no immediate plans to grow vegetables at The Lodge. While we acknowledge that there are many good reasons to do so, the lack of water in Canberra makes it impractical to undertake such a project. The grounds at The Lodge have already been affected by the water shortage and would be further compromised if water were redirected to the establishment of a new garden. There are however, existing fruit trees and herbs growing throughout the garden which are used in the house, as are flowers grown in the grounds.
The time you have taken to write to the Prime Minister is appreciated.
Yours sincerely
Suzanne de Smet
Assistant Director
Official Establishments Unit
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