Last night Senator Lundy, together with representatives from the Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens and the Australian Native Plant Society ACT Branch, met with the Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon. Peter Garrett.
The meeting aimed to inform the Minister on the outcomes of a public forum hosted by Senator Lundy in October on The Future of the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
“At the meeting we presented the Minister with a list of ideas coming out of the recent public forum. Ideas included the potential for the ANBG to take on a national leadership role in climate change research and education, which I note has already commenced this week with the release of The National Strategy and Action Plan for the Role of Australia’s Botanic Gardens in Adapting to Climate Change ”, Senator Lundy said.
“The meeting gave us the opportunity to tell the Minister about our concerns about the maintenance of the Gardens. Unfortunately iconic plantings such as the wattles and eastern mallee are badly degraded and the guides are finding it increasingly difficult to plan routes for guided walks. There is a very urgent need for increased horticultural resources to improve this situation”, Mr Alan Munns, President of the Friends of the ANBG, continued.
“The ANBG is truly a national treasure. The Minister has taken our ideas onboard and we look forward to the Government giving these ideas further consideration”, Senator Lundy concluded.
The Department of Environment, Water and Heritage is currently reviewing the future role and structure of the ANBG and will be implementing a consultation process.
Contact: Rachel Allen 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
