Save the Australian National Botanic Gardens
ASGAP encourages members and other interested parties to contact their local member of Federal Parliament, State Senator, or Federal Minister for the Environment to express their concern at the plight of The Australian National Botanic Gardens. The Garden is suffering through lack of commitment by Government to providing sufficient funding for ongoing maintenance and research into the Australian flora.
Background
Work was begun on the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) in 1945 and it was opened to the public in 1970, although the official opening was in 1985. For many years the ANBG was the only botanic garden dedicated to growing Australian native plants. It represents the world's largest living collection of Australian native plants, includes a third of the Australian flowering plants known, and is unquestionably of great international scientific significance.
It is thus a museum of living plants providing a vital role in promoting Australia's living heritage to Australians and the world. The ANBG hosts nearly half a million visitors annually, ranking it with other attractions such as the National Library of Australia, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the Australian War Memorial. It engages with the public through its Friends group and educational activities (20,000 educational organizations visited in 2005-2006 and it averages over 40,000 web page requests per day.) It was winner of the Ecotourism Award for Canberra Region in 2002, 2003, and 2004. It is irrefutably a very important institution for both Canberra and Australia as a nation.
The ANBG conducts significant taxonomic, conservation and horticultural research on the Australian flora through its management of the national Herbarium, its study and cultivation of threatened species and its work on commercial utilization of native plants and their genes. It is sad that, despite its high standard of performance, the ANBG is not treated by the Commonwealth Government similarly to the other national museums.
In its early years the ANBG was a separate entity within the Commonwealth Government falling within the portfolio responsible for the administration of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). When self rule was granted to the ACT the then National Botanic Gardens was formally transferred to Commonwealth Government control. The ANBG has now been incorporated into the Department of Environment and Water (DEW) and is no longer recognized as a separate funding entity in the department's budget statements.
Because the ANBG is now part of DEW, it is subject to the vagaries of departmental funding, especially the efficiency dividend. Unfortunately, there is a limit in the extent to which efficiency gains can be extracted from a botanic garden - plants and plant displays can't become more efficient, and there are limits to productivity improvements that can be gained through technology in the horticultural and scientific work of the ANBG.
As a result, the requirements of the efficiency dividend and other department imposed financial constraints have been met through the reduction of staff numbers with consequent decline in garden maintenance and loss of amenity value. The ability of the ANBG to effectively fulfill its role as a national repository of living Australian native plants has thus been seriously compromised.
In contrast, other national museums such as the National Library of Australia, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Museum of Australia and the Australian War Memorial are recognized as separate Commonwealth Government agencies and thereby receive separate appropriations.
It is ironic that in a time of massive budget surpluses, the ANBG, like the environment, is subject to a funding drought. Contrast this to Canberra's museums which are benefiting from direct government funding. Particularly during a real drought, there is a pressing need to recognize the amenity and ecological value of Australian native plants, and to encourage their use, but the ANBG, a major entity in a prime position to deliver this outcome, is hamstrung by inadequate funding.
Suggested Action
If you are concerned about the current funding situation, ASGAP suggests that you contact your local member of Federal Parliament, State Senator, or Federal Minister for the Environment to express their concern about the plight of the ANBG.
A postcard that can be sent to the Minister for the Environment can be downloaded here. (PDF format)
Suggested form letters that can be used either in their entirety or as a guide for individual letters can be found at the following links:
Contact details for Members of Parliament (including Ministers and Shadow Ministers) can be found at the Australian Parliament website.
[Continue to the National Botanic Gardens Web Site]
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Updated: Friday 18 January 2008.
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