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The Australian National Botanic Gardens is a major scientific, recreational and educational resource. It is the original national collection and the world’s most comprehensive display of living Australian native plants. It provides visitors with a memorable experience of the beauty and diversity of Australia’s native flora. It contributes to a better understanding of Australia’s plant species through the living collection, displays and, increasingly, internet access to a variety of authoritative information resources.
The Australian National Botanic Gardens (the Gardens) was established as a reserve by proclamation under subsection 7(2) of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 (Cth) on 17 September 1991. A copy of the declaration is at Appendix 1. The Director of National Parks, a Commonwealth statutory authority, assisted by staff of Environment Australia (the Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Heritage), is the Commonwealth’s managing authority for the Gardens.
The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 was replaced by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) on 16 July 2000. The proclamation of the Gardens is continued in force by the Environmental Reform (Consequential Provisions) Act 1999 as if it had been made under the EPBC Act, and as if the proclamation stated that the purposes for which the Gardens was declared were: the increase of knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of Australia’s plant heritage by establishing, as an integrated resource, a collection of living and herbarium specimens of Australian and related plants for study, interpretation, conservation and display.
The Gardens contributes significantly to Environment Australia’s national biodiversity conservation objectives and it is recognised both nationally and internationally for its role in promoting the protection, conservation and wise use of Australian plants. The developed sections of the Gardens, comprising 50 of the 90 hectares of the site, are listed on the Register of the National Estate under the Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975 as an outstanding example of landscape design and horticulture using Australian native plants. The Gardens fulfills a number of more regional and local roles that are detailed in Chapter 2 of this Plan. It is important, therefore, the character and values of the Gardens continue to be preserved.
This is the second Management Plan for the Gardens. The first Plan ceased to have effect on 3 March 1999. This Plan has been prepared in accordance with the EPBC Act and within the framework of the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity and Environment Australia’s Corporate Plan.
The Plan sets out how the Gardens is to be managed, and in particular outlines initiatives to further diversify the living collection, redevelop outdated visitor facilities and infrastructure and to pursue modern technologies for management of the various collections, particularly in relation to providing information to client groups.
This Management Plan is intended to be in operation for a period of seven years after notice of its operation has been published in the Commonwealth Government Gazette, but may be amended or replaced sooner by another Management Plan for the Gardens.
Peter Cochrane
Director of National Parks