Equipment from Kennards Hire Lift & Shift was supplied for a unique project involving the moving of 22 garden beds, each weighing 500kg, to another location.

Not-for-profit organisation 3000 Acres needed to move the garden beds from Smith Street Fitzroy to Napier Street Fitzroy, approximately one kilometre away. Kennards Hire Lift & Shift was contacted after the original moving arrangements didn’t work out.

Hannah Schwartz, Executive Officer of the green-thumbed 3000 Acres organisation, consulted with Dave Fernon at Kennards Hire Lift & Shift in Richmond, Victoria for advice on ways to relocate the garden beds. Following a visit to the site, Dave organised a rear mount crane truck, turntable trolleys, an A-frame gantry with a 1-tonne chain block and several wheelbarrows.

Hannah appreciated the support from Dave and Kennards Hire Lift & Shift during the execution of the project. Since the new site wasn’t easily accessible from the road, the garden beds had to be winched and strapped onto trolleys, pushed across bark chips and lifted into place. The whole process was time-consuming and labour-intensive, taking four hours to move just three garden beds.

Since the entire move had to be completed in a day, Dave worked with the equipment from Kennards Hire Lift & Shift to move the remaining 19 garden beds into place by 6:00pm.

3000 Acres was established to facilitate access to underutilised land, especially next to train lines, to enable community members to grow their own food. The garden beds at each site are set in large, square plastic containers placed on wooden pallets, which enable them to be easily relocated to a new site if the land is sold or developed.

Hannah says she will call Kennards Hire Lift & Shift again for their next move.