The garden will have everything from allotments for people to grow vegetables to an education centre; from heritage fruit and nut trees to a model garden that people can replicate on their own properties.
The joint venture, between the Waitaki Resource Recovery Trust and Waitaki Safer Community, will help people become self-sufficient in growing food in a chemical-free and sustainable manner.
Through the Community Clean Up programme, it will help at-risk young offenders, encouraging them to give something back to the community by growing plants for parks and reserves, and vegetables for the Oamaru Foodbank and for people in need.
The project is being planned by resource recovery trust chief executive, Marian Shore, and Waitaki community safety officer, Alison Banks, who have approval from the Waitaki District Council to use a site just south of the Oamaru Gardens.
The north-facing site overlooks the Waitaki resource recovery park, which will provide resources and assistance for the project.
The community garden plan will be launched at an open day at the site tomorrow, between noon and 2pm, where drafts will be on display and people will have the chance to become involved.
There will then be a display at the Healthy Active Living Oamaru Expo next Sunday.
But, already, Ms Shore feels she has a tiger by the tail because of the response she has had so far.
"There has been phenomenal interest - way beyond what I expected. I think we have created a monster," she said.
More than 30 offers of help have come in, these ranging from retired people with an interest in gardening to community groups and companies.
Ms Shore felt the "timing was right", because of increases in the cost of food, the current economic crisis, fuel prices, and wider issues such as peak oil and climate change.
A draft trust constitution has been developed to run the project.
A funding application is being prepared for a project co-ordinator, and a draft plan has been prepared for the garden.
The plan could be implemented in stages, with the first likely to be 24 allotments in which people could have their own gardens.
Already seven people have expressed interest in allotments.
The garden has been planned in such a way that both individuals and groups can have projects.
One man wants a plot to grow heritage bean seeds.
Another wants an allotment for a vegetable garden, because he has bought a smaller unit property.
And the North Otago Horticultural Society and a youth group are also interested in sites.
Others wanted to help young people at risk, and teach people how to grow food.
There would be "over-arching principals".
The garden would be organic - there would be no chemicals; and there would be areas for composting and recycling.
There would be a seed bank, and heritage planting.
"People will be able to grow food the way it used to be grown before we started using chemicals," Ms Shore said.
