Community feedback invited on Adelaide Botanic Garden upgrades

Date posted: 09 October 2020

The Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium is inviting the community to share its views on the Adelaide Botanic Garden Masterplan 2020.

The Masterplan will guide future infrastructure investment to ensure that its wonderful city-Botanic Garden provides memorable, lasting and relevant experiences for local, national and international visitors.

Chair of the Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, Ms Judy Potter, said the suggested changes are designed to enrich the garden experience for visitors, protect heritage assets and maintain a site of horticultural excellence in growing, displaying and conserving plants.

“The plans are about ensuring all future investment is done within a framework that adds to the experience of all users, ensures the sustainability of the gardens and protects the valuable botanical, cultural and architectural heritage within.

“At the same time, we want to give visitors an exceptional experience, and integrate with the Lot Fourteen global innovation precinct, and the cultural hub along North Terrace,” Ms Potter said.

Director of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, Dr Lucy Sutherland, said that community feedback is a vital part of the decision making process.

“To ensure we are meeting the needs of all users of the Adelaide Botanic Garden, and the State Herbarium, we seek community feedback on the Adelaide Botanic Garden Masterplan 2020 so that future investment adds value to this significant public asset.

“The plans will allow us to continue to deliver our strategic goals of creating destination gardens, deepening the application of our science efforts and facilitating life-long learning and engagement opportunities,” Dr Sutherland said.

Developments outlined in the Masterplan include:

• Site infrastructure upgrades including improved pathways, directional signage and public toilets. New additions may include a teaching glasshouse, a bridge over the Main Lake, and a raised boardwalk through Ficus Avenue to improve accessibility and longevity of the historic 150-year-old trees.
• Re-use of the Francis Arbour to create a new entrance hub between Lot Fourteen and Adelaide Botanic Garden. With potential to incorporate a shop.
• Revitalisation of the living plant collections and landscapes.
• New infrastructure to support improving and increasing curated visitor experiences, such as botanical interpretation and lighting.
• Conservation restoration work on heritage buildings.
• Implementation of sustainable water management systems, and work to enable the garden to be more water supply self-sufficient.
• Identification of long-term accommodation solutions to protect the state’s botanical collections.

The public are invited to see the plans and give their feedback via a short online survey or the discussion board at https://yoursay.sa.gov.au/decisions/adelaide-botanic-garden-masterplan-review/

The community engagement will close at 12am, Thursday 19 November 2020.