1. Woodford Gardens at Waitakere Hospital
Kia Ora
The Woodford Gardens at Waitakere Hospital in West Auckland provides people who have experienced mental ill health with work experience and training through growing and selling produce on a ½ organic garden and shop at Waitakere Hospital
While we are working on a number new and existing programmes, the Woodford Gardens exemplifies our intentions to maximising efficiency and minimising harm as an organisation.
William Van Ausdal – Sustainability Manager
Facilities and Development

2. GGHH Agenda Goals – Organic Gardens
This programme also aligns with our focus areas: of Waste minimisation, and Sustainable Procurement, as well as serving our main purpose to deliver the best care for everyone.
It also supports GGHH agenda goals such as prioritising environmental health, substituting harmful chemicals via organic production, reducing waste via composting, producing and serving sustainably grown food, and promoting safer and more sustainable products.
LEADERSHIP: Prioritize environmental health
CHEMICALS: Substitute harmful chemicals with safer alternatives
WASTE: Reduce, treat and safely dispose of waste
FOOD: Purchase and serve sustainably grown, healthy food
PURCHASING: Buy safer and more sustainable products and materials

3. Benefits
Human health benefit: mental and physical health and well-being
Environmental benefit: organically grown, reducing waste though compost production
Financial benefits: income used to pay the participants allowance and transport costs
Nutrition benefits: provide participants and staff with vegetables and eggs
While the Woodford Gardens was established a number of years ago, its on-going strategy to provide those who have experienced mental ill health with opportunities for training and personal growth.
This is achieved by being easily accessible for participants and overcome issues related to physical stamina, concentration and work readiness. Inter related benefits include…
Human health benefit: mental and physical health and well-being
Environmental benefit: organically grown, reducing waste though compost production
Financial benefits: income used to pay the participants allowance and transport costs
Nutrition benefits: provide participants and staff with vegetables and eggs

4. Further opportunities
Become certified as organic
On-site composting from hospital cafeterias
Produce served in hospital cafe
The nature and practice of sustainability is very complex, and dynamic. Traditional and reductionist approaches have shown their inability to effectively address sustainability issues.
Our challenges related to sustainability require a fresh approach to address the multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary nature. The Woodford Gardens is a perfect case study of how a programme can effectively deliver multiple benefits, if it is capable of widening its scope and able to evolve. The very act of identifying and leveraging existing opportunities within our organisations is key aspect to supporting a sustainable healthcare system.
As you know, many of us work in a financially constrained environment and our tasks are monumental, so leveraging past work and current activities, whether in development of new buildings, programmes or projects is as important, if not more important than building sustainable programming from the ground up.

5. Sustainability Manager
William Van Ausdal
Sustainability Manager
Thank you!