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KEY ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES

MASTER PLANSAND

PRECINCT DESCRIPTIONSAND PROJECTS

STRATEGIC RESPONSES

AND ACTIONS

KEY ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES

6.0

Key Issues and Objectives

Analysis of the Adelaide Botanic Garden, Botanic Park andMount Lofty Botanic Garden, along with consideration ofthe Botanic Gardens of Adelaide Strategic Plan andassociated policies, has identified four Issues categoriesconsidered to have a major impact on the formulation ofthe Master Plans. Where appropriate, subcategories havebeen established to address specific elements and aspectsof the Gardens.

The following chapter discusses the master planning issuesgenerated by each of the categories and sub-categories.Each sub-category then generates an objective that isstated at the conclusion of the discussion on the relevantissues.

6.1.1 BUILT HERITAGE

6.1.2 GARDEN HERITAGE

6.1.3 SPATIAL EXPERIENCE

6.1.4 KEY VIEWS

6.1.5 WATERWAYS

6.1.6 STAFF FACILITIES

6.1.7 INFRASTRUCTURE

6.2 COLLECTIONSAND INTERPRETATION

6.1 GARDENS 6.3 VISITOR FACILITIESAND SERVICES PARTNERSHIPS

6.2.1 LIVING COLLECTIONS

6.2.2 FOCUS COLLECTIONS

6.2.3 FLORA CONSERVATION

6.2.4 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILTY

6.2.5 EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION

6.2.6 ARTS

6.3.1 VISITOR FACILITIES

6.3.2 PHYSICAL ACCESS

6.3.3 WAY FINDING

6.3.4 DISABILITY ACCESS

6.3.5 PUBLIC SAFETY

6.3.6 RECREATION

6.3.7 PRIVATE FUNCTIONS

6.3.8 MAJOR EVENTS

6.4 LINKAGES AND

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6.1 Gardens

6.1.1 BUILT HERITAGE

The ABG, as one of the oldest botanic gardens inAustralia, has a rich and highly valuable buildingstock within its grounds. In contrast, the MLBGhas no valuable, publicly accessible buildings.

All BGA built assets are audited through thewhole-of-government Strategic AssetManagement process. Conservation studies forall the Garden’s most significant heritagebuildings have been undertaken in the lasttwenty years.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK

• Icon buildings within the ABG are of higharchitectural merit, most notable being twohighly acclaimed glasshouses. Both the 128 yearold Palm House and the more recent BicentennialConservatory are outstanding examples ofglasshouse architecture, recognised on anational level, and are ranked as havingexceptional cultural significance in the AdelaideBotanic Garden Conservation Study. Both arehighly popular attractions within the Garden,function well, and contribute greatly to theGarden’s physical form and visitor experience.The Victoria House and the Schomburgk Rangetogether form a third glasshouse experience,but in this case offer little to the Garden inarchitectural or experiential terms.

A current ‘Gardens 150’-funded proposal toredevelop the site would see the SchomburgkRange removed and a new glasshouse paviliondedicated to the Amazon Waterlily replacing theexisting Victoria House structure. The AdelaideBotanic Garden Conservation Study recognises

remnant built fabric, particularly the pond structure, fromthe original Victoria House building (demolished in the1950’s) as being of exceptional cultural significance. Theproposed new Amazon Waterlily Pavilion will retain theoriginal pond structure in the new design.

• The Museum of Economic Botany is a 125 year oldpurpose-built exhibition building of high architecturalintegrity, but is perhaps under-utilised. The building isranked as having exceptional cultural significance in theAdelaide Botanic Garden Conservation Study. Anotherconcurrent ‘Gardens 150’-funded project involvesrevitalising the building with the addition of the multi-useSchomburgk Pavilion connected to the existing buildingthrough new openings to the rear.

• The North Lodge and East Lodge are gateway buildingsconstructed in the 1860’s. The North Lodge was utilised asa shop and workroom by the Friends until the SchomburgkPavilion was completed. The East Lodge has no publicfunction, though its yard now houses a research glass-house. Both buildings, but particularly East Lodge, areaging structures and require renovation to more fullycontribute to the Garden. Both building are ranked ashaving high cultural significance.

• An Options Feasibility Report for North Lodge andEnvirons was prepared in April 2006 which explored thedevelopment of a new resource facility at the new NorthLodge for use by staff, Friends and volunteers.

• The former Lunatic Asylum Morgue has both highheritage, interpretative and landscape value within theGarden, and is currently utilised as a mini works facilityfor horticultural staff.

• The redevelopment of two former Municipal TramwaysTrust buildings on Hackney Road, into the Gardenadministration centre in the Goodman Building and thePlant Biodiversity Centre in the ‘Trambarn A’ building,has created an administrative precinct on the Garden’seastern boundary.

Both buildings are approaching one hundred years of ageand are ranked as having high cultural significance in theAdelaide Botanic Garden Conservation Study.The sympathetic refurbishment of the buildings six yearsago has provided the Garden with alternative long termmodern administration and research facilities.A small previously underutilised area at the rear of theTrambarn building has undergone further refurbishmentas a meeting room and education facility for use by theGardens and associated special interest groups and isknown as the Noel Lothian Hall.

• The Simpson Kiosk was built in 1906 as a “superiorrefreshment room in the middle of the Garden”, andcontinues to function as a high quality restaurant, with anannexed kiosk facility on its western side. Modernarchitectural alterations to increase the available floorarea have diminished the aesthetic appeal of the originalbuilding. Despite this, the original built fabric and designare ranked as having high cultural significance.

• The original buildings constructed on the site of theFrancis Pavilion were ornate pavilions designed to housethe Garden’s museum of botanical specimens. With theconstruction of the Museum of Economic Botany and theSimpson Kiosk, its functions were greatly diminished, andsubsequent renovations and alterations have resulted invery little of the original built fabric surviving today.The Conservation Study describes this dilution of theoriginal design of the only surviving building of the Francisdirectorship as a loss which has jeopardised the Garden’scultural significance.

• The A.M. Simpson Shadehouse was erected in 1918-19and is ranked as having contributory cultural significancein the Adelaide Botanic Garden Conservation Study,as a representative example of an interwar bush-housestructure.By its design it requires continuous replacementof much of its fabric, while retaining its overall built form.

• Conservation Management Plans exist forthe Goodman Building and Trambarn Building(formerly ‘Hackney Bus Depot’) undertaken in1991 prior to their redevelopment, the Museumof Economic Botany (2003), the Palm House(2003), the Simpson Kiosk (2003), East Lodge(2003), North Lodge (2003) and the Morgue(2003).

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN

The MLBG has no substantial public buildingswithin its grounds. Feasibility studies arecurrently underway to investigate thedevelopment of a visitor facility located near theMain Lake and lower car park to assist visitororientation, amenity and interpretation of theGarden.

BUILT HERITAGE OBJECTIVE

Maximise the use of key built elements, andwhere appropriate, encourage multi–use.

6.1.2 GARDEN HERITAGE

The heritage of the ABG and MLBG has been thesubject of comprehensive conservation studies ofboth Gardens, undertaken as complementarystudies to this Master Plan. The Adelaide BotanicGarden Conservation Study and the Mount LoftyBotanic Garden Conservation Study have beenprepared by Dr David Jones, Richard Aitken andColleen Morris as consultants in association.Both studies make a significant contributionto the framing of the Gardens Master Plansthrough the Statements of Cultural Significanceattributed to the various components andcollections within the Gardens, and therecommendations regarding constraints and

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the Gardenesque qualities originating from these earliereras, the tradition of gardening under glass, and thetradition of ornamentation and a decorous style.

• The ABG contains a number of important items ofstatuary and fountains. The Conservation Study finds thefollowing items as having exceptional cultural significance:the Boy and Serpent Fountain (1908) at the centre of theEconomic Garden, the Molossian Hounds (1862) and theHebe statue (1867) on Main Walk, the Palm House Grotto,built as part of the original Palm House in 1877, and theSphinx statues, currently in storage.

• The original layouts of the Francis and Schomburgkplans, significant in themselves, have been the creativeforces of many of the important heritage components inthe Garden today. The main axial walkways, Main Walkfrom the south and Fig Tree Avenue from the north, datefrom this era and are both ranked as exceptionallysignificant elements in the landscape. The AruacariaAvenue on the main ridge line between First Creek andBotanic Creek is also ranked at exceptional level.

• The artificial lakes and ponds (Main Lake, Top Lake andthe Nelumbo Pond) have existed since the original layoutof the Garden, and are therefore ranked as having highcultural significance along with the traditional locations ofpedestrian bridges over the Garden’s creeks.

• The remnant components of the Garden surviving fromFrancis’ original layout around Main Walk, such as thelawns, the North Terrace Gates and Wall and the formerTrellis Walk, are considered highly significant elements ofthe current Garden landscape.

• The Adelaide Botanic Garden Conservation Studyranks Botanic Park as having high cultural significance.By definition then, the Park is a significant cultural placeon a state-wide level. The ‘high’ ranking responds to thePark being an important example of a nineteenth centurypublic domain, however it is noted that very little of thebuilt fabric from Schomburgk’s original park layout survives

opportunities inherent in the statements.Individual heritage buildings at ABG have beensubject to various conservation plans in recentyears, conducted generally through the heritagebranch of the Department of Administrative andInformation Services, and are referenced in theKey Built Elements section of this Master Plan.The cultural significance of the major livingcollections of both Gardens, and the importantformal garden spaces at ABG, are discussed inthe Collections section and Spatial Experiencesection respectively.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK

• The findings of the Conservation Study for theABG are a major determinant for future changeto many areas of the Garden, most notably theheritage rich sites first established as botanicgardens under the Francis and Schomburgkplans. Those areas more recently acquired bythe Garden such as the former Lunatic Asylumsite and the former Hackney Bus Depot,could be considered as being more flexibleto opportunities for Garden renewal, whilerespecting the heritage features of these sites.

• The Adelaide Botanic Garden ConservationStudy ranks the Garden as having exceptionalcultural significance. By definition then, theGarden contributes in a fundamental way to theoverall understanding of Australian botanicgardens and therefore is a significant culturalplace on a national level. The main determinantsfor this ranking are the Garden’s significantcommitment to the planting of Australian flora,the Francis plan and its mid-nineteenth centuryEuropean influences, the Schomburgk masterplan for the layout of Botanic Park and thecreation of discrete compartments and formalkey buildings within the Garden, the retention of

today, the main exception being the original carriageways,now forming the alignments of Plane Tree Drive andBotanic Drive.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN

•The statement of cultural significance in the MLBGConservation Study seeks to broaden the degree ofsignificance attributed to the MLBG in its citation on theRegister of the National Estate. It suggests that its “greataesthetic and scientific importance” comes from more thanthe permanent preservation of natural stands of forest andthe unique collections of exotic and ornamental trees, butalso its importance comes from its landscape settingenvisaged by director Noel Lothian and conceptualised in alandscape design plan prepared by Allan Correy.

• The Mount Lofty Botanic Garden Conservation Studyranks the Garden as having high cultural significance. Bydefinition then, the Garden is a significant cultural placeon a state-wide level.

• The Conservation Study’s ranking of high culturalsignificance relates, on the whole, to the Garden’spurposes and overall form. It finds little of the Garden’sfabric as having significant heritage value, the fabrichaving evolved in a pragmatic manner, loosely followingthe intent of the original Correy Master Plan.

GARDEN HERITAGE OBJECTIVE

Effectively manage and maintain heritage elements,spaces and collections to enhance their scientific andcultural value, and their contribution to the aestheticexperience of the Garden.

6.1.3 SPATIAL EXPERIENCE

Each of the two Gardens are distinctlycharacterised by their existing landforms, withconsequent effects upon how the Gardens areperceived, used and understood spatially.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK

• The structure of the ABG is a synthesis ofnatural topographic landform and the influencesof 150 years of garden design, resulting in avariety of spatial experiences.

• The northern and southern sections of theGarden exhibit different spatial characteristicsprimarily due to the presence of formal ‘gardenrooms’ to the north.

• The main ridge between the two creek valleysdivides the southern half of the Garden. Theareas south -west of the divide are characterisedby the well established lawns and garden bedsaround Botanic Creek. On the north-east, theGarden consists of relatively undeveloped andopen areas adjacent First Creek.

• The northern half of the Garden ischaracterised by a series of distinct ‘gardenrooms’ with clearly defined spatial form andedges. These vary between the highly formalisedformer Italianate Garden (now MediterraneanGarden) and Economic Garden, to the open lawnimmediately east and west of the Fig Tree Walk.Interstitial spaces between the ‘rooms’ arepredominantly filled by the tall canopy of theAustralian Forest following the line of FirstCreek. The tall tree canopy of the AustralianForest provides a distinct naturalistic quality withits own enclosed and tranquil spatial experience.

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• The character of the Park does vary, typically around itsedges. The Dell space west of First Creek is more heavilytreed in places creating deeply shaded areas with thepotential to more clearly address the natural creek form.

• The eastern boundary of the Park is characterised by itsslightly elevated topography grading westward toward thePark’s central lawns. Mature plantings of Pinus speciesalong Hackney Road and the predominantly Araucariaspecies through the rest of the precinct create a qualityof evergreen conifer ‘woodland’.

• The far north-eastern corner of Botanic Park, north ofBotanic Drive, consists of open lawns with relativelyimmature trees, before grading quickly into the southernbank of the Torrens River. The river bank is steep andreflects a limited commitment to maintenance.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN

• The structure of the MLBG is almost entirely determinedby the site’s natural topographic landform: a sequence ofalternating ridges and gullies, radiating in a semi-circularpattern.

• The ridges are vegetated with naturally occurringstringybark forest enclosing and forming a backdrop to thegullies below

• The gullies are cool, damp, exotically planted informalgardens, sheltered and shaded by the forest around them.

• The main lake is a large artificial water body, nestledinto the hills on its southern side, but sitting high abovethe lower reaches of the Garden to the north.

• The lower gardens are relatively flatter and spatiallymore open. The area contains the Gardens arboretum,planted with lawns and widely spaced trees. The high damwall of the lake screens the upper areas of the Garden,giving the lower arboretum a separated and secludedspatial quality.

• Of the formal ‘garden room’ spaces, theAdelaide Botanic Garden Conservation Studyranks the ‘spatial form’ of many as contributinghigh cultural significance to the Garden, namelythe former Italianate Garden, the Classground,Economic Garden, the Plane Tree Lawns, theWestern Wild Garden and the Dahlia Garden.Two other formal spaces within the Garden, theHerb Garden along the western boundary andthe Sunken Garden in the east have a set gardenform, but are ranked as having only contributorycultural significance. The Wisteria arbours arecritical elements in the definition of theMediteranean Garden form, but also inthemselves create important and popular spaceswithin the Garden. The older western arbour isover ninety years old and is ranked as havinghigh cultural significance, while the easternarbour is a more recent planting and has a‘contributory’ ranking.

• The boundary of the entire Garden is welldefined by walls and fences. The main entry tothe Garden off North Terrace conveys strongmessages to visitors about the formal characterand unique environment of the Garden.The Friends Gate off Plane Tree Drive, conveyssimilar messages but to a lesser degree.The Hackney Road Gate and the ConservatoryGate have a weaker spatial character again,being dominated by hard edged architecturalforms and pavements, and ill-defined boundaries.

• Botanic Park reads in spatial terms relativelysimply as an open park of trees and lawns.Only an assortment of trees and the perimeterroadways, albeit slightly altered, survive from thedetailed Schomburgk plan for the Park, and eventhen, the trees fail to clearly define the originalgeometric layout.

SPATIAL EXPERIENCE OBJECTIVE

Reinforce and enhance the distinctive spatial experiencesafforded by the natural topography and historical gardendesign within the Garden.

6.1.4 KEY VIEWS

The differing terrain of the two Gardens sites createsdistinct experiences in terms of views or vistas,and the sense of enclosure for visitors to the Garden.The geometric formal vistas resulting from the ABG’slayout also contrasts significantly with the informal viewsafforded by the more naturalistic style of the MLBG.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK

• The original Garden plan by the Gardens’ first director,George Francis, was the source of the central north-southaxis through the Garden. This axis created a dominantvista from the Garden’s main entry off North Terrace to thelake and beyond. A second axial view was created on aneast-west alignment close to the entry gate centred on theDirector’s Residence to the west and toward a smaller laketo the east. A pattern of circular garden beds began at theintersection of the two pathways.

• Further planning by Schomburgk emphasised the formalnorth-south axial geometry in the creation of an entry tothe Garden on the same axis at the Garden’s northernboundary. The axis was reinforced by an avenue planting offig trees between the new gate and the lake. Thegeometry also continued further northward acrossthe newly proposed Botanic Park lawns and arboretum.Schomburgk’s plan was also responsible for formalisingthe vista along the naturally occurring ridge line betweenthe Garden creeks.

Planted with an avenue of Araucaria species, the view fromthe high point of the ridge, then referred to as ‘Niobe Hill’after the statue placed at the top, looked northwest

down the avenue across the lake to the PalmHouse.The northern gable end of the Lunatic Asylumbuilding could be viewed looking back fromthe lake.

• The subsequent addition of formal ‘Gardenswithin a Garden’ developed from theSchomburgk plan which created a secondarylevel of formal axial views across ‘garden rooms’,such as the Rosary (later to become theItalianate Garden and now MediterraneanGarden), the former Class Ground (now theEconomic Garden) and the current Classgroundgarden, originally laid out as a trial garden offa central axis.

• Today, the loss of the Residence and thecircular form of pathways and beds has removedall trace of the main east-west axis of Francis’plan. The trellis adjacent to the Summerhouserotunda forms the remnants of a secondary axialpath to the Top Lake, evident in the originalFrancis plan.

• The presence of the main north-south axis asa significant component of the Garden designhas been lessened by relatively recent plantingsobscuring views to the Main Lake both from thesouthern approach up Main Walk and thenorthern approach along Fig Tree Avenue.The removal of the bridge across Main Lake inthe 1960’s joining the two ends of the North-South axis significantly reduced the impact ofthis axial view.

• Hilltop views from the former Niobe statuesite are limited to the ‘avenue’ of Aracariaswhich has become less distinct over time.The potential for creating vistas in otherdirections, including the axial view toward the �

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KEY VIEWS OBJECTIVES

Maximise and enhance the key views within the Garden toassist orientation, appreciation of regional context, andthe spatial qualities of the Gardens.

6.1.5 WATERWAYS

Both Gardens contain natural watercourses. The ABG,located in the Adelaide Plains, is at the lower end of thecatchment of two creeks, First Creek and Botanic Creek,near their confluence with the nearby River Torrens.

Conversely, the MLBG is located on an elevated site in theAdelaide Hills and has a number of gully streams that flowinto the upper catchment of Cox Creek.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK

• The ABG Waterways Study (July 2003), initiated by theGarden to assess alternative water sources and methodsof use, identified a number of issues relating to flooding,stormwater, water use and waterway biodiversity.

• Flooding issues remain a primary concern of waterwaymanagement in the Garden and flooding impacts include:

- Excess flows in Botanic Creek reaching Main Lake andnot being adequately discharged to First Creek resultingin overtopping the lake wall and overflows reachingneighbouring properties (University of Adelaide MedicalSchool) causing flooding damage;

- Deposition of litter and debris after high water levels(both creeks);

- Scouring of banks and deposition of sediment, mainlyalong First Creek.

- Safety concerns with high velocities and steep banks inwell used areas of the Garden.

formal symmetry of the BicentennialConservatory, has not been developed.

• Views across the Main Lake and centralGarden lawns toward important iconicarchitectural monuments, such as the Museum ofEconomic Botany and the Palm House, are nowconsidered the optimum ‘postcard’ views forvisitors to the Garden.

• The recently created view from Hackney Roadbetween the Plant Biodiversity Centre and theGoodman Building has potential to be betterdeveloped and enhanced.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN

• As a part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, theMLBG is a hilly site offering opportunities forpanoramic views from its upper reaches downinto the Piccadilly Valley beyond. A number oflong distance viewpoints exist along the Garden’sUpper Road, most notable being the LothianViewing Platform. The Platform is inaccessible forthose with disabilities and requires renovation tofulfil its potential. Another notable long view isfound at the higher levels of the Arthur HardyReserve looking south across the quarry site. Thisview is experienced by very few visitors due tothe inaccessibility of the Hardy Reserve.

• A lookout point in the lower garden takesadvantage of the perched topography nearthe lower car park, and features views bothacross the main lake and down over thegrassed arboretum.

• Various vantage points exist around thecentral gullies and ridges that look both ontothe lake below, as well as more intimate viewsup the gullies to a continuous tree canopybeyond; these views are particularly prevalent inthe Rhododendron Gully and the South AmericanGully.

• Stormwater flowing through the Botanic Garden isexpected to carry large quantities of pollutants derivedfrom the urban catchment upstream. Of particular concernto downstream waterways (Torrens Lake) are largeamounts of litter, organic material as well as heavy metalsand nutrients.

• Mains (potable) water is currently used to irrigate theGarden. There are three main sources for water used in theGarden: potable water use (for irrigation of the Garden andbuilding use), river water from the Torrens (for Botanic Parkirrigation) and groundwater (for lake replenishment). Up to120ML of potable mainswater is used for irrigationannually. This figure has the potential to be reduced by avariety of water conservation and water harvestingtechniques.

• The existing creeks through the Garden have beenmodified to allow an efficient pathway for flows, resultingin high velocities that carry pollutants downstream andprevent any material from settling onto the bed of thestream. However, these high velocities exacerbate erosionin Botanic Park. The current riparian environment of thecreeks adds little to the biodiversity of the Garden.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN

• The waterways at MLBG are in good health and exhibitno serious water quality issues. However, the opportunityexists to preserve and enhance the values of the existingwaterways.

Areas of potential enhancement include:

- stream bed and bank erosion control:only minor erosion has been identified in the Garden but islikely to expand if not addressed.

- protecting the water quality of the main lake from therisk of high levels of nutrients entering the system.

- rehabilitation of existing streams to enhancebotanical and ecological values, and treatmentof run-off from car parking and nursery areas toreduce pollutant export.

WATERWAYS OBJECTIVE

Enhance the qualitative values of the Gardens’waterways and investigate opportunities forwater conservation.

6.1.6 STAFF FACILITIES

Depot facilities for Gardens staff differ at eachGarden: ABG has a centralised facility and anumber of mini depots that struggle to satisfythe requirements placed on them, while theMLBG has a number of decentralised facilitiesdotted through the Garden. Each Garden has acentralised administration complex, with overallBGA administration residing at the ABG.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. The Goodman Building provides office spacefor management and administrative staff, as wellas research facilities. The adjacent TrambarnBuilding houses the State Herbarium and all itsresearch and records facilities. The Garden’slibrary is also located in this building.

. The Depot in the northwest corner of theGarden provides the principal facilities for otherGarden Staff. Relocated after the redevelopmentof the National Wine Centre site, these facilitieshave to function in a concentrated and greatlyreduced area within the Garden regarded bymost staff as inadequate for the level of servicerequired. Currently, the Depot houses bulkstorage, works yard spaces and vehicle parking.

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. The path system provides a high level of vehicle accessgiven the steep terrain.

STAFF FACILITIES OBJECTIVE

Provide facilities that support the effective and efficientexecution of staff duties and the management of theGardens.

6.1.7 INFRASTRUCTURE

The basic assets of both Gardens, such as pathways,garden furniture, fences and lighting, have a subtle yetimportant influence on the quality of the overall visitorexperience.

Generally, such infrastructure in both Gardens is of anadequate standard to meet the immediate requirementsof visitors. It is desirable to ensure that future upgrading ofthe quality of pathways and furniture is undertaken in thecontext of a consistent design format. Memorials withinthe Gardens are subject to an adopted policy that seeksto protect the integrity of the Gardens, while allowingappropriate dedications to be made. The policy providesfor the use of ‘memorial seats’ as the only endorsed formof memorial dedication allowed within the Gardens.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. The major pathways within the Garden typically havea bituminised surface and serve both pedestrians and theGarden service vehicles. More recently, constructed pathsassociated with the Bicentennial Conservatory, the RoseGarden and development of the Goodman Building andPlant Biodiversity Centre are paved with red brick orexposed aggregate concrete, contrasting markedly withthe Garden’s overall pathway character.

Minor garden pathways vary in width and material, fromlarge scale concrete slab pavements within the RoseGarden to aging concrete pavers in the Classground.

ABG has no nursery facility of its own. All nurseryoperations for all three Garden sites (Adelaide,Mount Lofty, Wittunga) are co-ordinated atMLBG. A research nursery has recently been builtat East Lodge. In addition, a plant holdingarea exists at North Lodge.

. A series of mini depots or works facilities arescattered throughout the ABG at the VictoriaHouse, Francis Pavilion, Tram Barn, Morgue,North Lodge and East Lodge.

. The path system within the Garden providesadequate access for staff vehicles

. Botanic Park has no formal staff facilities,relying instead on the Garden depot for storageand staff accommodation.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN

. Offices, meeting rooms and staff lunch rooms

are located at the Administration Building withparking nearby. Additional facilities are alsolocated at the ‘Regional Headquarters’ buildingon the south side of the Garden.

. The dedicated nursery facility with associatedoffices and parking, located within theArboretum, services all three Garden sites.

. Mini depots are dotted throughoutthe Garden.

. Storage yards are located near the Gardenboundaries to the north and south.

. Some undeveloped areas within the Gardenare also used as de facto storage areas.

. Most facilities are open to public view, somebeing in prime view-sheds.

constructed along Hackney Road to enclose thenewly acquired areas of the Garden to the east,while a combination of wire mesh, concreteblocks, corrugated iron and timber pailingfences enclose the western boundary, usuallyhidden by screen planting.

. The Garden and Botanic Park are irrigated.Various systems are employed across the Gardenand some areas of the Park are unirrigated.The recently commissioned Adelaide BotanicGarden and Botanic Park Irrigation Master Plan(July 2004) assesses all existing irrigation infra-structure and recommends a capital worksprogram of upgrades.

. There are few Garden assets such as pathsor furniture located within Botanic Park.The adequacy of services infrastructure,particularly for major events held in the Park,was assessed in the Botanic Park Power andLighting Study (August 2003).

The Study found that existing electricitytransformers have ample capacity for use duringmajor events and considered the use of mobilelighting towers and power switchboardsadequately met the requirements of events.The study also found that public lighting ofPlane Tree Drive and Botanic Drive for vehicleand pedestrian use does not comply withrelevant standards.

However, the standards are recommendationsonly and are not mandatory, relying instead onindividual case-by-case assessment of public risk.On this basis, the Study recommends lighting ofpedestrian pathways between Plane Tree Driveand Frome Road, and any new pathways inBotanic Park to Australian Standards.

A network of sawdust-lined narrow tracks exist in manyareas of the Garden, most notably in the Australian Forestand Mallee Sections.

This variance in path typology reflects an ad hocsuccession of development of individual areas within theGarden, without the benefit of an overall recognisable andhierarchical pathway system.

. Furniture in the Garden, such as seats, bins, anddrinking fountains, also lacks a recognisable Garden-wide style. A variety of furniture styles has been installedas sites within the Garden have been developed, mostnotably and recently in the Rose Garden, or asreplacement stock across the Garden as required.Consequently visitors are presented with an array ofgarden furniture, varying greatly in style, comfort andgeneral condition.

. A small number of garden structures with associatedseating provide an intimate setting and shelter to visitors.The rotunda north of the Mediterranean Garden and theSummer House survive from the 1890’s and 1910’srespectively, and remain popular garden locations despiteminor upgrading works that may be stylistically at oddswith their original designs.

. Minimal public lighting has been provided within theGarden, due mainly to the limited public use of the Gardenoutside daylight hours. Both the Main Walk off NorthTerrace and Fig Tree Avenue are minimally lit at night inorder to serve after hours access to the Simpson Kioskrestaurant. Special one-off events held at night require theprovision of temporary lighting infrastructure to assistwayfinding to and from the event, usually via the Friend’sGate near North Lodge.

. The Garden is enclosed by a stone wall along thesouthern boundary with Botanic Road, the fabric of whichdates back to the 1870’s.The fence on the northernboundary is an open painted steel railing fence in front ofdense screen planting. A new steel fence has been

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. The ‘planted’ areas of the Garden are irrigated,while the native forest areas are not. Various systems areemployed across the Garden and the Mount Lofty BotanicGardens Irrigation Infrastructure Report and ManagementPlan (June 2004) assesses all existing irrigationinfrastructure and recommends system upgrades forimproved efficiency.

. The Garden is able to respond to a bushfire emergencyaccording to procedures set out in its Emergency ResponsePlan and the ‘Independent Audit of Bushfire Preparednessand Response for the Mount Lofty and Wittunga BotanicGardens April 2005’. Warning sirens and fire hydrants havebeen installed throughout the Garden. A small ‘drop-on’fire fighting unit can be installed on Gardens vehicles toassist trained staff with fighting small fire outbreaks, andin aiding CFS units.

The recent Independent Audit of Bushfire Preparednessand Response importantly provides the Garden with acomprehensive Fire Action Plan stipulating recommendedactions in case of a bushfire in the Garden.

INFRASTRUCTURE OBJECTIVE

Effectively manage and develop basic assets i.e. services,roads and paths, furniture and shelters, to maximiselongevity and to improve quality.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. Pathways at Mount Lofty consist of wide,looped bitumen or concrete roadways, such asAllan Correy Drive, providing a major ‘collector’path network for pedestrians and a service roadfor Garden vehicles. The condition of the road-ways is generally good. A series of narrowerpedestrian pathways meander throughout theGarden from the ring roads. They are mostcommonly dirt or consolidated gravel tracks,or occasionally paved in stone to reduce erosiondamage. These lesser paths are in varyingconditions, dependent on age and level of use.

. Garden furniture at MLBG varies in style,quality and condition, and services basic userneeds. There is no recognisable garden -widestyle. Given the size of the Garden and difficultterrain, additional locations for seating andresting are desirable.

. Despite the relatively high rainfall at MountLofty, only a small number of covered sheltersexist within the Garden. The most significantvisitor shelter is the gazebo near the dwarfconifer garden and upper car park, built twentyyears ago from timber framing and a shingle roof.Two smaller shelters exist in the gully gardenabove the small lake, with hexagonal pitchedroofs and open lattice walling.

. Lighting is restricted to the lower entrancewith sensor security lighting in theadministration and works areas. Hired temporarylighting towers are required for nighttime eventswithin the Garden.

. The Garden is enclosed by chain wire fencingaround the perimeter that is for the most parthidden from view by planting.

. Historical & Cultural: plants which displayaesthetic, scientific, historical or social values forpast and present generations.

. Conservation: plants which require protectiondue to their status in line with State, National orInternational conservation strategies,highlighting rare and threatened species andremnant vegetation.

. Research Collections: plant collections whichdemonstrate or are assembled for scientificresearch.

Many plants may fall into more than onecategory, thus allowing the opportunity for multilayered interpretation. The document furtherranks collections as either EstablishedCollections, Priority Collections, Collections forReview or Proposed New or Modified Collections.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. The ABG currently holds collections from allseven categories, the majority being typicaltaxonomic collections such as roses, palms,cycads and cacti. The Garden also contains alarge number of important historical and culturalcollections many of which, through landscapedesign, create landmarks across the Garden,significantly shaping the overall Garden layout.Examples are the Classground, the EconomicGarden, the Moreton Bay Fig Avenue and theWisteria Arbours.

. The ABG has an established tradition of usingglasshouses to vary the climatic conditions forgrowing plants and thereby extending itscollections to include plants not adapted to theclimate of the Adelaide region.

6.2 Collections and Interpretation

6.2.1 LIVING COLLECTIONS

As the single, most vital asset of the Gardens, the plantmaterial of the living collections and the way it isdisplayed to the public significantly determines theGardens’ success. Historically, the ABG has developed itscollections with a nineteenth century ‘stamp collection’approach to maximising numbers of species from a widerange of habitats. MLBG development has been based ona similar approach, though restricted to species suited tothe cool climate setting.

Future planning of collections for both Gardens shouldconsider the sets of collections currently held in terms ofthe cultural importance attached to certain collections,their physical setting within the Gardens, the aims andvision of the Gardens in the future and the principlesnominated in the Strategic Plan 2004-2007 document.To this end the Gardens have developed a working LivingCollections Policy. The Policy establishes the criteria forthe evaluation and development of the Gardens’collections by nominating categories which set down theseven primary themes for the collections. The sevencategories are:

. Geographical: a collection or display of plants based ona defined geographical area.

. Biological & Ecological: collections and displays ofplants, which grow together in biological or ecologicalcommunities, defined by a particular range ofenvironmental conditions and habitats.

. Taxonomic and Evolutionary: a collection of plantswhich demonstrate principles of plant classification andevolution.

. Ornamental and Landscape: a collection of plantsgrown for their ornamental and landscape qualities.

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maintenance regimes, such as the glasshouse collectionsfrom the tropics and particularly the orchids, ferns andcarnivorous plants.

. The most popular collections, according to thePerceptions of Service Quality survey (August 2003), werethe Rose Collection, the Economic and Herb Garden, theMadagascan Collection and the Dahlia Garden.

. Botanic Park is primarily an arboretum area of talltrees, with many important specimens of conifers, figs andEuropean and North American species. It also has a smallsection of the Palm Collection near the trades entrancegate.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. The plant material at MLBG is an interweaving ofnative bushland and exotic collections contained indiscrete Gardens or open arboretum.

. Collections held at MLBG are well considered, chosenfor their suitability to the Mount Lofty Ranges climate, andthus extending the range of overall collections held by theBGA. Collections tend to be either taxonomic, such as theMagnolia and Rhododendron Gullies and the Camelliacollection, or geographic as evidenced in the SouthAmerican and New Zealand Gullies, and the plants of theHimalayan region.

. The MLBG Conservation Study ranks the six majorliving collections held at MLBG. Four of the six collectionsare ranked as having high cultural significance, namely theFern Collection, the Magnolia Collection, theRhododendron Collection and the Acer Collection. TheAustralian Forest Collection and National Rose SpeciesCollection, displaying the parent material of the world’srose cultivars, are ranked as having only low culturalsignificance.

. The ABG Conservation Study ranks the tenmajor living collections held at ABG. Thecollections ranked as having exceptional culturalsignificance either in terms of the plant materialitself, or in its historic context as a plantcollection at the ABG, or both, are theMadagascan Collection (in the Palm House), theCacti and Succulent Collection and the CycadCollection. Ranked as having high culturalsignificance are the Australian Forest, ConiferCollection (particularly the southern hemispherespecies), the Bromeliad Collection, the MalleeSection, and the Economic Plant Collection. TheConservation Study also ranks the BambooCollection along Botanic Creek as havingcontributory cultural significance.

. The tradition of growing roses in a dedicatedrosary at the ABG is ranked as having highcultural significance by the ABG ConservationStudy. The collection itself has not been ranked,but the Study rates the comparative size of theInternational Rose Garden as beingdisproportionate to the rest of the Garden for asingle genus, and therefore ranks it as anintrusive component in the Garden. The otherarea of the Garden ranked as an intrusivecomponent is the dwarf conifer collection at therear of the Museum of Economic Botany for itsstylistic incongruence (since removed as part ofMediterranean Garden development).

. In terms of on-going horticulturalsustainability, clear distinctions can be drawnbetween the relatively sustainable livingcollections such as the Mallee Section, theCycads and Bromeliads and the dry sclerophyllcomponents of the Australian Forest, and the lesssustainable collections, requiring more intense

The National Rose Trial Garden is an importantadjunct to the Rose collection, established totrial the suitability of rose yet to be realisedcommercially in this country under sethorticultural standards and Australiangrowing conditions.

. Southern Hemisphere Conifers: a collection oftree species dotted through both the Garden andthe Botanic Park arboretum. Representing 26genera such as Araucaria, Agathis and Callitris,,the collection is significant in Australia andinternationally. Cool climate specimens of thiscollection are held at MLBG.

. South Australian Indigenous Flora: both theMallee Section and the newly planted garden atthe Plant Biodiversity Centre containrepresentative flora of South Australia, while alsoincluding other natives from around Australia.The Australian Forest similarly is a native plantgarden containing some SA flora, includingremnant pre-settlement River Red Gums. WhileWittunga Botanic Garden contains gardens of SAnatives and Mount Lofty has native bushland, nodedicated garden of South Australian indigenousflora exists in the ABG.

. Cycads: an established collection underfurther development, located mainly south ofthe main lake. Species are mostly exotics, butcurrent Garden planning is to shift the emphasisof this collection toward Australasian species.Cool climate specimens of this collection arealso held at MLBG.

. ‘Charismatic’ Plants: a loosely-definedcollection of plant species exhibiting unusual orbizarre modifications with obvious public appealas attractions. Members of this group would bedrawn from collections such as: cacti and

. In terms of sustainability, the collections have generallybeen gathered from cool climate regions and are welladapted to cold temperatures and the shade of a forestcanopy. However the low summer rainfall experienced atMount Lofty has resulted in the need to irrigate duringsummer, particularly the Fern and Woodland Garden,detrimentally affecting the health of overlapping areasof the native stringybark forest that has adapted to drysummers.

LIVING COLLECTIONS OBJECTIVE

Effectively manage and develop collections to maximisetheir scientific and cultural value.

6.2.2 FOCUS COLLECTIONS

Arising from the Living Collections Policy the BGA hasdeveloped a subordinate Focus Collections Policy thatrepresents the primary future direction for the Gardenscollection. The Gardens’ Living Collections Policy is aworking document that provides a format and proceduresfor on-going review and development of the existing andany new plant collections.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK

Focus collections at the ABG are:

. Rosa: the Rose collection held in the International RoseGarden is a large nationally recognised collection ofcultivar roses established on a new site in the Garden in1999. Planted with over 5000 roses, the collection isgrouped into thematic displays based on the introductionof rose cultivars to Adelaide, Australian bred roses androse cultivar groupings including Perpetual, Noisette,Bourbon, Hybrid Tea, Rambler and Polyantha roses.The collection is well supported by the Rose Society andthe wider rose growing industry.

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succulents, bromeliads, insectivorous plants andorchids. The Amazon Waterlily is included as akey part of this collection. Some orchidspecimens of this collection are also held atMLBG.

. Dryland Palms: the current palm collection,located in a dedicated garden west of the NorthLodge as well as those dotted along the MainWalk, makes no distinction between wet climateand ‘dryland’ palm species. Current planning is toshift the emphasis of this collection toward thelatter in an effort to educate visitors aboutsustainable, climatically appropriate plantmaterial for Adelaide.

. Madagascan Collection: the plant materialcontained in the Palm House representsxerophytic taxa adapted to an extreme aridclimate characteristic of the south-westernregion of the island.

. Mediterranean Flora: there is now a distinctcollection of plants from the five Mediterraneanclimatic zones of the world through a recent‘Garden 150’-funded project to redevelop theItalianate Garden into a themed Mediterraneanclimate garden. The BGA has proposed that theCanary Island flora currently held by the Gardenalso be included in this collection.

. ‘Plants That Changed The World’: this is athemed collection that is yet to be articulated asa distinct plant collection at the ABG, but will bedeveloped from existing material.

. Flowering Trees: showy ornamental floweringtrees is another themed collection yet to be fullydeveloped, but which will be built up fromexisting material. The theme has links topromoting more sustainable urban environmentsand enhanced community benefits.

. Dahlias and other Flowering Perennials: the strengthand popularity of the current Dahlia collection, located in adedicated garden east of the Museum of Economic Botany,will be further developed by increasing the Gardenscollections of showy ornamental flowering plants.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN

Focus collections at the MLBG are:

. South Australian Indigenous Flora: the naturallyoccurring native bushland forms an important part of theMLBG. Managed rather than cultivated, the plants of theMount Lofty Ranges stringybark forest are ‘held’ in theGarden both as an aesthetic backdrop to display non-indigenous plant displays, but also as a display in itself ofthe Garden’s natural habitat prior to European settlement.

. Rhododendron: considered one of the best collectionsof Rhododendrons and Azaleas in Australia, cultivation ofthe species is ideally suited to the cool, wet climate andacidic soils of the Adelaide Hills.

. Cyatheas: the tree ferns form a dominant part of theMLBG’s Fern Gully garden, and as a species suited to themicroclimatic conditions in the Gully, the Garden’s haveproposed to narrow the wider Fern collection to this andallied species, in an effort to reduce the generalmaintenance requirements of the current Fern collection.

. Flowering Trees: showy ornamental flowering trees is athemed collection yet to be fully developed, but which willbe built up from existing material.

FOCUS COLLECTIONS OBJECTIVE

Manage and enhance special collections within theGarden to support communication of the Gardens visionand key principles.

the Government to the planting of indigenousnative vegetation on Government managed landand developments.

. In partnership with the Adelaide CemeteriesAuthority, the Gardens are monitoring a sitewithin the West Terrace Cemetery, representingone of the few remaining areas of remnantAdelaide Plains flora still in existence.Other conservation programs includepropagation trials of the critically endangeredspiny everlasting daisy (Acantho-cladiumdockerii), studies into the seedling regenerationof Eucalyptus gillii, and seed collection of rareand endan-gered species on Kangaroo Islandand the Eyre Peninsula.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. Almost no remnant indigenous flora remainswithin the highly urbanised city site of the ABG.Three specimens of Eucalyptus camaldulensishave been identified as likely to have existedprior to the establishment of the Garden in 1855.One of these specimens has an opening at thebase of the trunk and is likely to have been usedby the Kaurna as a tree shelter or wattowadliprior to European settlement.

. The ABG Conservation Study records thatthe Garden’s first director George Francisintentionally retained many of the largestexisting eucalypts on the site and incorporatedthem into the original Garden layout.

. Long term development of a wetland andcreek rehabilitation within the Garden andBotanic Park, and bank rehabilitation along theRiver Torrens in Botanic Park, have potential forthe Gardens to introduce a greaterrepresentation of local provenance species.

6.2.3 FLORA CONSERVATION

Botanic Gardens have a role in plant conservation from alocal to international level. Only one percent of the nativeflora of the Adelaide Plains remain, while fifteen percent ofthe original bushland of the Hills exists today. The Gardensact to conserve threatened flora in South Australia throughactions such as:

. The Botanic Gardens of Adelaide are signatories to,and were contributors in developing, the InternationalAgenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation (2000). Theobjectives of the International Agenda are to define andpromote the role of botanic gardens around the world inthe conservation of the world’s biodiversity. It seeks toestablish global partnerships and alliances betweengardens and develop evaluation and monitoringprocedures for global biodiversity conservation.

. The recent initiation of the Germplasm ResearchProgram has resulted in the establishment of a SeedConservation Centre within the Adeliade Botanic Garden,and the appointment of a Germplasm ResearchCoordinator. As a complement to in situ conservationprograms, the Centre uses ex situ techniques, includingseed banking and tissue culture, to increase understandingof germination and long-term storage of native seed.

. The Gardens have become a participant in theMillennium Seed Bank Project, an internationalconservation partnership based at the Royal BotanicGardens, Kew. The Project aims to collect and conserve tenpercent, over 24,000 species, of the world’s seed-bearingflora, principally from the drylands, by 2010. Through theSeed Conservation Centre, the Gardens aim to contributedata and plant material of local threatened species to thisProject.

. The Gardens led the formation of the StateGovernment’s ‘whole-of-government’ Planting IndigenousSpecies Policy (October 2003), with the aim of committing

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. The forest plays an important role in defining thecontext of the overall Garden design, as the tree canopyforms a visual backdrop for the individual themedplantings within each of the major gullies.

FLORA CONSERVATION OBJECTIVE

Continue to contribute to flora conservation, particularlythe threatened flora of South Australia. Manage, maintainand enhance indigenous flora to support communication ofthe Gardens’ vision and key principles.

6.2.4 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

In line with the vision and principles of the Gardens, statedin the Strategic Plan 2004-2007 document, the Gardensaim to realise its potential to be a leading contributor toprogressing environmental reconciliation. In recent years,the Gardens have taken actions to meet this aim in thefollowing ways:

. The effective, efficient and appropriate use of water isbeing pursued for both Gardens in partnership with SAWater.

. The Gardens are a participant in BioCity: Centre forUrban Habitats, a partnership between the leadingecological and environmental institutions in the State. TheCentre aims to enhance Adelaide’s urban environmentthrough multidisciplinary research, design anddevelopment that promotes native flora and fauna in thecontext of urban living.

. A joint partnership with Delfin Lend Lease and theNorthern Adelaide Barossa Catchment Water ManagementBoard has been established to create the position ofSustainable Landscapes officer for a two year period toguide new housing developments and home gardenersgenerally on sustainable, water sensitive gardens inAdelaide.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. Indigenous stringybark forest of the MountLofty Ranges occupies a significant proportion ofthe MLBG site. Located in tracts in the upperreaches of the Garden, ‘fingers’ of the forest alsopenetrate into the central areas of the Gardenalong naturally occurring ridge lines generally inaccordance with the original Correy Master Planfor the MLBG.

. The native forest areas do not strictlyrepresent a complete ecosystem, as the gulliesbelow the ridges are planted with exotic displaygardens. The existence of complete naturalunderstorey and resident fauna varies across theGarden. Infestations of weed species are largelymanaged by Garden staff.

. The majority of the forest is secondaryregrowth that has recovered from human andnatural intervention in the form of timber felling,mining and bushfire. Large areas of the forestwere destroyed in the 1983 ‘Ash Wednesday’bushfires.

. There is no management plan which guidesthe day to day maintenance or the long termfuture of the Stringybark forest.

. The high irrigation needs of areas of exoticdisplay garden plantings, under the Stringybarkforest canopy in some areas, adversely affect thehealth and survival of this seasonally drysclerophyll forest in such locations.

. The ‘SA Nature Trail’ through a section offorest along the Garden’s northern boundaryinterprets the forest by means of a brochure andsignposted stops along a 850 metre walking trail.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVE

Provide leadership to the broader community onsustainable environmental issues and initiatives,and practise sustainable horticulture appropriateto the regional context through on-goingenhancement of service delivery.

6.2.5 EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION

The Gardens have a dedicated Education Officerbased at ABG to manage the Garden’seducational programs. The comprehensive arrayof programs that have been developed caters,for the most part, to primary and secondaryschool children. Until recently the Gardens hadlacked more general dedicated public educationprograms available to all visitors other than thatprovided through the Museum of EconomicBotany and by Friends of the Botanic GardensGuides. The BGA currently has no Education andInterpretations Policy document. The lack of anintensive interpretations program was constantlynoted, both in staff workshops and visitorsurveys, as an aspect of the Garden’s operationsthat requires further development.Consequently, a Community Education andPublicity Programs Manager was appointed in2005.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. The Schools Education Program is a highlydeveloped educational resource initiated by theGarden through the Department of Environmentand Heritage in association with the Departmentof Education and Children’s Services and its‘Outreach Education’ program run through theOpen Access College. The Program consists ofover thirty Discovery Trail walks, a program of

. The Potential Weed Species policy (August 2002) setsout criteria for the assessment and management ofenvironmental weed species in the Gardens, includingthe deaccessioning of plant material where a species isconsidered to present a threat to the biodiversity oreconomic resources of South Australia. An assessment andevaluation process for benchmarks in sustainablehorticultural practice has been established in theSustainable Horticultural Practice Policy.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. The ABG Waterways Study (July 2003) was initiated withthe aim of assessing alternative water sources andmaximising sustainable methods of water use within theGarden. The findings of this Study are reported in theWaterways section of this document.

. The irrigation delivery system at ABG has beenreviewed and assessed, with recommendations forimprovements through application of new technology andchanges to management operations.

. Waterless urinals are being trialled at toilets withinthe ABG.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. The opportunity exists to preserve and enhance thealready high values of the existing waterways throughmeasures to protect the water quality of the main lakefrom the risk of high levels of nutrients entering thesystem, and the treatment of run-off from car parkingareas to reduce pollutant export.

. The irrigation delivery system at MLBG has beenreviewed and assessed in the Mount Lofty Botanic GardensIrrigation Infrastructure and Management Plan (June 2004),with recommendations for improvements throughapplication of new technology and changes tomanagement operations.

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. Interpretation of the older areas of the Garden isgenerally limited to standard plant labelling, and in thecase of the Garden’s discrete ‘garden rooms’, such as theClassground, a small sign often describes the form and/orfunction of the Garden.

. A small number of pamphlets are available to thepublic interpreting various collections within the Garden,such as the International Rose Garden and the Trial RoseGarden , the rainforest plants in the BicentennialConservatory and the Madagascan collection in thePalm House.

. There is no interpretation provided in Botanic Parkregarding its the history or current plantings.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. The ‘BankSA Nature Trail’ is a self-guided walking trailthrough an area of the Garden’s remnant Stringybarkforest, and forms a section of the Mount Lofty RangesHeysen Trail. Interpretive leaflets, with marker signs, areavailable to the public at the starting points at each end ofthe trail.

. Free guided walks of the MLBG are conducted by theFriends once a week during spring and autumn. The walksare generally one and half hours in duration and provide abasic introduction to the Garden’s history and collections.

. Interpretation of the Garden is generally limited tostandard plant labelling. Small signs at the Magnolia andRhododendron ‘gully gardens’ describe the collectionscontained. A small number of pamphlets are available tothe public interpreting various collections within theGarden, such as the Rhododendron Gully, the MagnoliaGully and the Nature Trail.

. The Species Rose collection is a well interpretedgarden of naturally occurring Rosa species, the parentmaterial of the multitude of Rose cultivars grownthroughout the world.

events and performances such as ‘Dancing withDiprotodons’ and ‘Singing in the Rainforest’,and a series of ‘Branch Out’ arts based walksand activity workshops. �

. The ‘Prior Knowledge’ walking trail is aguided walk conducted in conjunction withTauondi College, as a visitor education servicedetailing traditional plant knowledge of theSouth Australian Aboriginal communities.A charge is applied to this service. Other specialinterest guided walks occur from time to time.

. Prior to the redevelopment at the rear of theMuseum of Economic Botany it was open underrestricted hours and provided basic interpretativemessages in relation to this carpologicalcollection and other changing displays.Post-development, it is to be open for longerhours and will be able to capitalise on thepresence of the Schomburgk Pavilion andits facilities.

. Free guided walks of the ABG are conductedby the Friends four days a week. The walks aregenerally one and half hours in duration andprovide basic educational services on theGarden’s history and collections.

. A Visitor Information Centre, operating out ofthe Schomburgk Pavilion, is staffed primarily byvolunteers and provides basic orientation, facilityand service information to visitors.

. Interpretive signage at the ABG is most welldeveloped in areas of the Garden that haveundergone more recent upgrades. These includethe Bicentennial Conservatory, the InternationalRose Garden, the Palm House and the WollemiPine planting.

EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION OBJECTIVE

Maximise education opportunities which fosterlearning about the plant world particularly in theGarden’s key areas of research, collectiondevelopment and horticultural management.Utilise communication media that maximises theinterpretive value of collections.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. Four contemporary artworks have beenacquired by the MLBG since its inception, allbeing the work of local artist Greg Johns. Thefirst, ‘Between the Sky and Earth’ dates from1980, followed by ‘Guardian Figure’ (1987) and‘Balancing Peace Figure’ (1994), and the mostrecent being the Collin Robjohn gates, erectedon stone piers at the lower carpark entry in 1996.

ARTS OBJECTIVE

Develop an arts policy and program thatmaximises the interpretive value of thecollections and enhances the recreational andaesthetic experience of the Gardens.

6.2.6 ARTS

Both Gardens exhibit a small collection of public art workswithin their grounds. Commissions to date have beenmade on an ad-hoc basis, in lieu of any Garden ArtsProgram or Public Art Policy.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. The Garden has hosted popular works from theperforming arts, particularly music concerts and theatreperformances, with increasing regularity over recent years,most notably during the biennial Adelaide Festival of Arts.

. The Garden has also been the site for temporary visualarts pieces, again often as part of a wider arts festivalevent. Only four permanent sculptural artworks have beenacquired by the ABG in the last fifty years. The ‘Cascade’glass sculpture was acquired in 1988 as part of the nation’sBicentenary celebrations. The Andy Goldsworthy ‘BlackSprings’ environmental sculpture was installed during the1992 Adelaide Festival of Arts.The Elvis Presley Memorial, is a wrought-iron cupolacommissioned in 1981 following the death of Elvis Presley.The fourth piece is a nineteenth century cast ironreproduction of the statue ‘Amalthea (Nymph and Goat)’ byFrench sculptor Pierre Julian, which was purchased by theFriends in 1990.

. There are a number of other items of statuary andfountains that date from the nineteenth century, thatprovide significant heritage value to the Garden, and arediscussed further under the Garden Heritage section of thisdocument.

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6.3 Visitor Facilities andServices

6.3.1 VISITORS FACILITIES

The visitor facilities of both Gardens play animportant role in communicating the vision andkey objectives of the BGA. These facilitiesinclude elements such as visitor information,food and other retail outlets, drinking fountains,seats, toilets and carparking. Current facilities inboth Gardens are dispersed within the sites withno one focal point at which amenities can becentrally accessed and information gained. Asneither Garden has a purpose-built visitorcentre, communication of information to generalvisitors is limited. A co-ordinated series ofleaflets are provided free of charge at majorentries in both Gardens, providing both visitormaps and specific information on certaincollections and activities in the Garden. OnlyABG has retail outlets within its grounds. Publiccarparking is generally regarded as adequate atboth Gardens and is free on Sundays and publicholidays under the Botanic Gardens and StateHerbarium Act 1978. The BGA has an AssetManagement register.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK.The ABG’s existing visitor facilities consist of agroup of facilities located at key locations withinthe Garden. These now have a new focus withthe creation of a new central facility at theSchomburgk Pavilion.

.Food outlets are primarily located centrally atthe Simpson Kiosk facility adjacent Main Lake.This building is sub-divided to perform dualfunctions of high quality restaurant and café/snack food outlet.

This arrangement currently operates adequately. Neitheroutlet takes full advantage of the lakeside setting, andarchitectural alterations to the building over time havediminished the aesthetic appeal of this facility as a visitordestination within the Garden. A new al fresco beveragefacility has recently been developed as part of theSchomburgk Pavilion development.

.Visitor information is provided in the form of map-basedsigns at the major entries to the Garden, where freeleaflets are also available. This has since been augmentedby the creation of a Visitor Information Centre atthe Schomburgk Pavilion staffed primarily by volunteers.

.Until recently the North Lodge, off Plane Tree Drive,housed the BGA Friends’ bookshop. A new commercialretail facility will now operate out of the SchomburgkPavilion.

.Toilets in the Garden are spread across five locationsand, in the case of the blocks near the Classground andthe Francis Arbour, perform a basic utilitarian function.Facilities at the rear of the Simpson Kiosk are of a higherstandard, while the facilities at the rear of the PlantBiodiversity Centre and in the Schomburgk Pavilion aremodern and of a much higher quality. The cleanliness andpresentation of visitor amenities was the attributerecording the highest gap between visitor expectationsand actual performance in the recent Perceptions ofService Quality survey (August 2003).

.No public car parking is provided within the grounds ofthe ABG. On-road car parking is provided along theGarden’s northern and eastern boundaries on Plane TreeDrive and Hackney Road, the latter extending from theNational Wine Centre to Botanic Drive in Botanic Park.

. A privately operated multistorey car park, located in thenorthern part of the RAH campus, is open to the public butis rarely used by Garden visitors due to a lack of easyaccess to Garden entry gates.

. Other than car parking, there are minimal visitorfacilities provided in Botanic Park. Users of the Park tendnot to expect visitor services, but make use of the BotanicGarden facilities if required. The Classground toilet can beaccessed via the Garden or the Park, for example.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. The MLBG currently has no formal visitor facility. Basicvisitor amenities are met by shelters, sign boards andtoilets at each of the two carparks, and at key pointsthroughout the site. However, the visitor experience isoften compromised by inadequate information about boththe Garden itself and its greater purposes and aims.

. No food or drink outlets, or other retail facilities,currently exist at MLBG.

. Using a similar system to the ABG, visitor information isprovided in the form of map-based signs at the upper andlower carparks. Visitor guide leaflets available at theselocations are more developed than those at ABG, withspecific guides to a range of walks within the Garden.

. Five toilet blocks are located in convenient and widelyspread locations across the Garden. Each provides a basicfunction, and is in a generally serviceable condition.

. Visitor carparking exists at both the upper and lowerentries to the Garden. Each provides ample spaces forgeneral use.

VISITOR FACILITIES OBJECTIVE

Manage and improve visitor facilities to supportcommunication of the Gardens’ vision and key principlesand heighten the visitor experience.

6.3.2 PHYSICAL ACCESS

As significant public spaces in the Adelaideregion, attracting a combined total of over 1.2million visitors each year, both Gardens strive tomeet the sometimes conflicting demands ofbeing a pre-eminent public garden and ascientific institution; the latter sometimesbecoming secondary to the former in order toprovide maximum accessibility to visitors.

Further to this, all plant material is open to thepublic to see, touch, and smell, with obvious riskof vandalism or theft of sometimes rare andvaluable plants. Issues relating to physical accessfor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians are thesubject of the recent Access Plan for AdelaideBotanic Garden and Botanic Park (May 2003).The BGA currently has no Access Plan documentfor the MLBG.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. All living collections are accessible free ofcharge with the exception of the BicentennialConservatory, which incurs a small entry fee.

. The Garden is open seven days a week,including public holidays. Opening hours aremaximised and the time of closing variesthroughout the year to reflect the length ofdaylight hours.

. Scientific research facilities and the libraryand herbarium collections within the Tram Barnare generally closed to the public.

. The ABG has a long established path networkspreading across the generally flat terrain,including small bridges across waterways, takingvisitors to all areas of the Garden.

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.City workers frequently traverse the Gardenbetween car parking spaces on Hackney Roadand the city, often taking shortcuts across theGarden’s lawns.

. No footpaths exist along Plane Tree Driveabutting the Botanic Garden, forcing pedestriansto walk along the roadway unprotected fromtraffic.

. Adequate vehicle drop-off and directpedestrian access for special users such as thedisabled, school children and wedding parties,does not exist along Plane Tree Drive. Pedestrianand cycle paths along the Torrens River andacross Botanic Park provide access to theGarden.

. The City of Adelaide’s recreational trailinitiatives have the potential to increasepedestrian and cyclist conflicts with vehicles atthe intersections of Plane Tree Drive and BotanicDrive with Hackney Road.

. The one-way vehicle route along Plane TreeDrive and Botanic Drive is confusing to somemotorists resulting in some visitors driving thewrong way.

. A small percentage of vehicles travel over theposted speed limit. No speed reduction devicesare used on either Plane Tree Drive or BotanicDrive.

. The Garden’s emergency response planning isunder constant review and development so as toimprove communication to emergency servicesagencies, particularly on occasions of majorevents.

. The North Terrace Gates provide limitedaccess for only certain emergency responsevehicles.

. Until recently, visitors to the National Wine Centrewere able to access the Garden unchecked after Gardenopening hours with the potential for security or liabilityrisk. Improved fencing and management systems havenow addressed this issue.

. The current restriction on vehicular deliveries between10am-4pm is not adequately enforced.

. Bump in/bump out activities for major events causeconsiderable disruption to pedestrian routes.

. Wedding vehicles parked in Plane Tree Drive causedisruption to both pedestrians and vehicles.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. The Garden is open seven days a week, including publicholidays, and is free of charge.

. Mount Lofty is a large and steeply undulating site. Thepath network, developed under the original Correy masterplan, seeks to utilise contour paths to reduce thesignificant impact of the sloping terrain on pedestrianaccess around the Garden. Narrower and steep gully pathsallow visitors to experience discrete plant collections.

. While the site may be freely traversed from end to endin any direction, the Garden’s size tends to encouragemost visitors to experience the Garden by looped walksbeginning and ending at either of the Garden’s two publiccarparks. The degree to which visitors access the Garden’scollections is therefore dependent on the visitor’s age,level of fitness and the carpark from which they set out.

. Due to the size of the MLBG and the unrestrictedaccess currently available to visitors, staff can be oftenunaware of whether the Garden is fully vacated prior to theGarden being closed at the end of the day.

. Physical access to the remnant forest is not encouragedother than by designated pathways, in order to protect thisimportant natural habitat.

. The Arthur Hardy Sanctuary is dedicated under theCrown Lands Act 1929 as a fauna and flora reserve which isnot officially open to the public.

. The abandoned quarry site south of the Arthur HardySanctuary is closed to the public due to its dangerous clifffaces. The site requires substantial development beforebeing able to be accessed safely by the public.

. Somerset Rocks is physically separated from theGarden by a public road reserve and is not fenced,allowing uncontrolled public access.

. Public vehicles are not permitted to enter the Gardenbeyond the major upper and lower car parks. Staff vehiclesuse a road network of five roads across the site that alsoservice emergency vehicles, particularly for fire fighting.

. In sections, the narrow roadways require pedestriansto leave the bitumen surface as vehicles pass. Sharpcorners and vegetation also impede sight lines for vehiclesin some locations.

. Public car parking during major events in the Garden isnot adequately catered for by the current road network.

. The lower entrance is off a minor road and the Gardensprofile could benefit from having a major road frontage.

6.3.3 WAY FINDING

The terrain and historical development of the twoGardens significantly affects the way findingexperience of visitors. Generally way finding isdifficult in both Gardens for newcomers. It couldbe argued, however, that the circuitous pathsystems add to the sense of mystery anddiscovery which is a characteristic of bothGardens.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. Two north-south orientated axial paths, offNorth Terrace from the Main Gate and off PlaneTree Drive from the Friends Gate, originate fromthe Francis and Schomburgk layouts of theGarden, and significantly enhance the wayfinding of visitors as they first enter the Garden.A lesser but similar effect is experienced byvisitors entering the Garden from the Conserv-atory Gate, and on an east-west alignment fromthe Hackney Road entrance.

. Beyond the main axial entry paths, theGarden’s layout becomes less obvious to visitorsas pathways tend to become secondary linkingelements between and around central Gardenfeatures such as the lake, the lawns and certainbuildings and formal ‘garden rooms’. The resultbeing a criss-crossing network of pathways.

. Vistas within the Garden are few and oftenshort, and no ‘lookout’ views exist at the higherpoints in the Garden.

. The dominance of tall multi-storey Hospitalbuildings along the Garden’s south-westernboundary orientates visitors toward the city andthe CBD.

PHYSICAL ACCESS OBJECTIVE

Progressively improve physical access to the livingcollections for visitors.

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WAYFINDING OBJECTIVE

Improve way finding and access to attractions and visitorfacilities.

6.3.4 DISABILITY ACCESS

The differing terrain of the two Garden sites significantlyaffects the opportunities for universal access to all parts ofthe Gardens.

The BGA has commissioned a full audit of both Gardensto assess equitable access to their attractions andfacilities. The findings of these audits are contained in‘Disability Access Audit: Botanic Garden Adelaide Plainsand Mount Lofty’ (November 2002) by HC HarrisonConsultants.

. The Garden’s lakes and creeks fail to assistway finding as well as they might, mainly dueplanting that conceals their edges.

. Map-based signage at the major entriesassists way finding, however the low key natureof internal pathway signage, along with the lackof a coherent hierarchical path system, meansfirst time visitors can become disoriented.

. As an open park, Botanic Park is generallyeasily negotiated. However adjacent attractionssuch as the Zoo and the Torrens River are poorlysignposted.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. Due to the steep topography of the site,lookouts offer the best opportunity for easy wayfinding at the MLBG. The lookout adjacent thelower carpark provides good views across thelake and arboretum precincts. A number oflookout points near the upper carpark provideattractive vistas but are less successful as wayfinding tools.

. The ‘amphitheatre-like’ form of the centralpart of the site focuses many views from theupper Garden onto the main central lake, and assuch the lake forms the Garden’s mostrecognisable landmark.

. The layout of the Garden, as first planned bythe Correy master plan, with a succession offorested ridges and exotically planted gullies, isin itself a potentially powerful way finding tool.This element of the design, however, is currentlynot immediately obvious to many visitors.

. Signage along the Garden’s path network isbasic and generally fails to substantially assistorientation around a site that is by its naturedifficult to negotiate.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. The Garden is generally universally accessible acrossthe site with good access via pathways to most facilitiesand attractions. Difficulties are experienced however byvisitors using mobility aids when traversing the Garden’slawns, gravel and sawdust paths, and at uneventransitions between differing ground surfaces.

. Internal pathways within the Simpson Shadehouse aretoo narrow to be accessible for people using mobility aids.The architecture of the heritage-listed Palm House andMuseum of Economic Botany make both buildingsinaccessible to prams and wheelchairs due to stairwaysat their entries. The redevelopment adjacent to theMuseum, with the addition of the new SchomburgkPavilion to the rear, has addressed equal access issuesto this major heritage-listed Garden asset.

. Steps at entries to the North Lodge, the Summer Houseand the rotunda north of the Mediterranean Garden alsocreate issues for equal access to these buildings formobility aid users.

. The four toilet facilities within the Garden have signed,dedicated disabled toilets, and have each been upgradedto comply with current Disability Access codes, inaccordance with the ‘Disability Access Audit: BotanicGarden Adelaide Plains and Mount Lofty’ (November 2002).

. Garden signs and maps are inaccessible to visitors withvision impairments.

. The location of many bins, drinking fountains and othergarden furniture are inaccessible to some visitors,particularly those using moblilty aids.

. Disabled car parking spaces on Plane Tree Drive lackaccess to a safe path of travel from car to entry gates.

. Steps at entries to the gazebos withinRhododendron and Viburnum Gullies preventequal access to these buildings for people usingmobility aids.

. The two toilet blocks at the north and southends of Allan Correy Drive do not have dedicateddisabled toilets. The other toilet facilities at theupper and lower car parks have signposteddisabled toilets and have been upgraded tocomply with the current Disability Access Code,according to the ‘Disability Access Audit: BotanicGarden Adelaie Plains and Mount Lofty’(November 20002).

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. A significant percentage of the MLBG is inaccessible tovisitors with mobility disabilities due to the steep terrainacross the Garden site. Even at the more accessible siteswithin the Garden, difficulties are experienced by visitorsusing mobility aids when traversing lawns and gravelpaths, and at uneven transitions between differing groundsurfaces.

. Existing pathways from the lower car park to andaround the main lake are at grades in part that do notmeet current Disability Access codes. A current studyinstigated by the Garden proposes changes to this pathsystem to provide a fully compliant accessible route.

. Access to, and facilities within some areas of theGarden’s Administration Building do not comply withcurrent standards and codes for equal access. �

. The existing design, and current state of disrepair ofthe Lothian Viewing Platform, makes this Garden assetinaccessible to most disabled visitors, as well as visitorswith children in prams.

. Garden signs and maps are inaccessible tovisitors with vision impairments.

. The locations of many bins, drinking fountainsand other garden furniture are inaccessible tosome visitors, particularly those using mobilityaids.

DISABILITY ACCESS OBJECTIVE

Manage, maintain, and improve access to theGarden for all visitors.

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. The north-east corner of the Park near the TorrensRiver, and the south-west corner of the Park adjacent theReid Building, are reportly high risk areas for pedestrians.

. The Access Plan finds significant pedestrian safetyissues relating to conflicts with vehicles along Plane TreeDrive, particularly adjacent the entry gates into the Garden,mainly due to the lack of speed calming and a dedicatedpedestrian footpath on the south side of the road.

. High stormwater flows, particularly through First Creek,have the potential to cause a risk to public safety.Methods of reducing the impact of these flows throughstormwater retention basins are proposed in the ABGWaterways Study (July 2003).

. Other safety concerns at the ABG are relatively low riskissues, such as safety around permanent water bodies andthe risk of limb drop or tree failure, with relatively fewincidents reported in the past.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. The degree of risk to pedestrian safety at the MLBG isdetermined in large part by the level of fitness of individualvisitors to the Garden. Printed guides and signs in theGarden warn walkers of the steep gradients of many ofthe pathways, and designate a time period to allow tocomplete set walks to reduce the risk of fatigue orexhaustion. The designated time period also assistsvisitors to the Garden to complete their walk and vacatethe Garden prior to the Garden closing. Garden staff havereported incidents of visitors, undetected by staff,remaining in the Garden after closing. In these instances,a mobile phone number is left with unattended cars toallow visitors to have the gates reopened.

. The abandoned quarry site is currently closed to thepublic due to the unsafe nature of the site’s steep rockfaces and scree slopes. If retained, future development ofthe site would be required to allow visitors toexperience this area of the Garden safely.

6.3.5 PUBLIC SAFETY

Both Gardens are generally safe public spacesand incidents of risk to public health and safetyare rare. The Gardens have developed BusinessContinuity and Emergency Response Plans for allthree Garden sites. The Plans seek to providestrategies and action plans to cater for the lossof key operational facilities following a significantevent that disrupts the provision of normalservices by the Gardens.

The objectives of the Plans are to protectGardens staff, volunteers and visitors; to protectthe resources of the Department for Environmentand Heritage and the Board of the BotanicGardens and State Herbarium; to developprocedures and practices to facilitate speedyresumption of normal services; to minimisefinancial loss; to protect the community and toprotect the environment.

The Plans act as a guide to Gardens personnelwho have key roles in incident managementand emergency response processes, and outlinesthe specific roles and responsibilities of teammembers before, during and after an incident.

The Plans are based on Australian Standards andare consistent with DEH risk managementrequirements.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK �. Botanic Park is open day and night and thereis room for improvement in the lighting forreasons of public safety. The lighting of BotanicPark for both pedestrians and vehicles isreviewed in detail in the Access Plan for AdelaideBotanic Garden and Botanic Park (May 2003).

. Botanic Park operates under a differentregulatory regime which allows more activerecreational activities along similar lines to theadjacent parklands.

. Activities such as ball games, cycling, skating,and barbeques are not permitted within theGarden, but are allowed within Botanic Park.Similarly, pets, alcohol and sound equipment areonly allowed within the Park and not the Garden.

. Recent visitor surveys suggest the distinctionbetween the two spaces is well understood byvisitors to the ABG and each space is generallyused accordingly.

. Recent visitor surveys show visitors to theGarden are typically adults aged 26 to 45 yearsand are from metropolitan Adelaide, mostcommonly the eastern suburbs. Between fifteenand twenty-five percent of visitors are fromoverseas, while between ten and fifteen percentare interstate visitors. Almost sixty percent arefemale, and around half of all visitors arrive bycar. The most common reason for visiting theGarden was found to be for relaxation. Otherreasons cited included viewing plants andspending time with family or friends.The average length of stay in the Garden isbetween one and a half and two hours.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. The MLBG is a place for passive recreation,and like the ABG, limits recreation to low impactactivities, such as walking, relaxing, and learningabout plants.

. Activities such as ball games, cycling, skating,and barbeques are not permitted within theGarden, and pets, alcohol and sound equipmentmay not be brought in.

. Some of the Garden’s roadways are narrow with sharpcorners and impeded sight lines. Although the roads areclosed to public vehicles, there remains a risk topedestrian safety as Garden’s staff vehicles pass.

. The risk of bushfire at MLBG is an on-going managedrisk well understood by the Garden staff. Two fires enteredthe Garden in the 1980’s, causing extensive damage andpublic risk both immediately and over the following clean-up period. The site is under the jurisdiction of the CountryFire Service and management practices at the Garden aimto reduce future risk.

. Other safety concerns at the MLBG are relatively lowrisk issues, such as safety around permanent water bodiesand the risk of limb drop or tree failure, with few incidentsreported in the past.

PUBLIC SAFETY OBJECTIVE

Manage, maintain and improve public safety, health andenvironmental concerns across the Garden.

6.3.6 RECREATION

Maintaining the Garden for passive recreational activities,such as walking, relaxing, and learning about plants, offersthe greatest opportunities for sustaining the Gardensheritage and value to the community. BGA’s policy onrecreation with the Gardens is reflected in the BotanicGardens and State Herbarium Regulations 1993.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. The Garden itself is, and has always been, a place forpassive recreation close to the Adelaide CBD. As a highlymaintained garden, differing markedly to the adjacent cityparklands, public recreation is focussed on the mostsustainable and low impact activities, such as walking,relaxing, and learning about plants.

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6.3.7 PRIVATE FUNCTIONS

Use of the Botanic Gardens for private functionsis a relatively recent development in the Gardenoperations. Private functions are controlled tomanage impact and fees are charged so as to becost neutral. Private use of spaces within theGarden is most commonly for personalcelebrations such as weddings, or corporate

functions such as product launches or Christmas parties.The Gardens have a dedicated Events Co-ordinator on staffto manage all private functions within the Gardens, and a setof Wedding Ceremony procedures to regulate these events.

. Unlike the Botanic Park, the MLBG’sarboretum, and other more open and lowermaintenance areas, operate under the sameconditions as the entire Garden, banning moreactive recreational activities. It is noted howeverthat due to the size and difficult terrain of theMLBG, walking the trails within the Garden isconsidered a more active recreational activitythan at ABG, with some walks over two hours induration.

. Recent visitor surveys showed visitors to theGarden are typically adults aged 46 to 65 years.Ninety percent are from metropolitan Adelaide,most commonly the eastern suburbs andAdelaide Hills while only two percent of visitorsare from overseas and eight percent frominterstate. Around fifty-five percent are female.The vast majority of all visitors arrive by car andonly two percent catch public transport.Relaxation (22%), active recreation (25%) andenjoying plants and bushland (24%) were themost common purposes for visiting the Garden.The average length of stay is two hours.

RECREATION OBJECTIVE

Facilitate and support sustainable recreationalactivities and opportunities for the community.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. Private functions are restricted to designated siteswithin the ABG. The sites are generally selected for theirease of access for catering, lighting and toilet facilities,aesthetics, wet weather contingencies and proximityto carparking.

. Weddings are the most common private functions heldat the ABG, and are restricted to four ceremonies per day,with a choice of five primary sites: the Economic Garden,The Summer House, The Bicentennial Conservatory, thePlane Tree Lawn and the Sunken Garden.

. All catering for functions within the Garden is undercontract with the operators of the Botanic GardenRestaurant and the Simpson Kiosk with the operatorshaving first right of refusal.

. The International Rose Garden is frequently used forcorporate functions and has good access to services andtoilets and makes use of both paved and lawn areas.

. Functions held at the Bicentennial Conservatory arelimited by the lack of a single large open space and aretherefore often held in conjunction with the adjacent RoseGarden. The Conservatory is also used as a wedding venuein winter months.

. Both the Plane Tree Lawn and the Palm House Lawnare used for open-air or marqueed functions with theadvantage of being located in close proximity to theSimpson Kiosk facilities.

. The Sunken Garden is a wedding venue that allowsvehicle drop-off at the ceremony location and makes useof the close proximity to the National Wine Centre forreceptions, and the Morgue and Araucaria Avenue forphotographs.

. The open lawns of Botanic Park are well used as venuesfor large picnics and celebrations for both organisationsand family gatherings, with accessibility and goodcarparking the main attractions. The Park also hasadvantages in that alcohol restrictions do not apply andthere are no limits on active recreational pursuits.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. Private functions are mainly held at the Garden’sLower Arboretum due to its open areas, ease of access,aesthetics, toilet facilities, and proximity to carparking.However, the site becomes unusable during winter monthsdue to waterlogging from the adjacent gully creeks.No wet weather function venue exists in the lower areasof the Garden.

. The Dwarf Conifer display garden is used as a weddingvenue in close proximity to the upper car park and toilets.The potential exists to use the nearby rotunda at the topof Rhododendron Gully for ceremonies in bad weather,but refurbishment of the building is required.

PRIVATE FUNCTIONS OBEJECTIVE

Balance public and private use of the Gardens so as toprotect the Garden’s integrity and not impinge on theachievement of the organisation’s vision and objectives.

6.3.8 MAJOR EVENTS

Historically, Botanic Park has been the major focus forlarge events. However, in recent years the Gardens havesought to use their grounds as major public event spaces,for example ASO concerts. The BGA has a Major EventsPolicy with the purpose of ensuring major events in theGarden are conducted safely and that setup anddismantling procedures minimise impact on Gardenvisitors, collections and infrastructure.

Guidelines are laid down specifying conditions ofuse of Garden sites and responsibilities of eventorganisers as well as vehicle movement controlsand licensing arrangements.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. Botanic Park currently hosts two regularmajor events on its central lawns: WOMADelaideand the Moonlight Cinema. WOMADelaide is amulticultural music and arts event which hasbeen held annually since 2003. From 1993 to2003 the event ran concurrently with the biennialAdelaide Festival of Arts.

The event is usually held in March over threeconsecutive days and nights, growing steadily toa total audience of around 70, 000 people overthe three days. Preparations for the eventgenerally occurs over several weeks and involvesthe temporary construction of marquees, threemain performance stages and several smallerstages, craft stalls, site fencing, box office andadministration sheds.

Catering facilities are temporary and generallyrun off either overhead electricity or bottled gas.In the past, caterers have chosen not to utilisean existing underground gas service.

The Botanic Park Power and Lighting Study(August 2003) reported that power requirementsfor WOMADELAIDE are adequately met by twoexisting transformers in Botanic Park. Three maintemporary switchboards are set up at each endof the three stages. It was recommended in thestudy that some undergrounding of heavycabling, or at least conduiting, would alleviatethe need for excessive runs of overhead cabling.

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The study also found that general lightingmounted on temporary support structuresadequately meets the requirements of securityand amenity lighting during the day-night event.Temporary toilet cubicles are used to supplementthe Garden facility off Plane Tree Drive.

That some undergrounding of heavy cabling, orat least conduiting, would alleviate the need forexcessive runs of overhead cabling. The studyalso found that general lighting mounted ontemporary support structures adequately meetsthe requirements of security and amenity lightingduring the day-night event. Temporary toiletcubicles are used to supplement the Gardenfacility off Plane Tree Drive.

. The Moonlight Cinema is an open air filmfestival now staged in Botanic Park afterrelocating from previous sites within the Gardenthat became impractical due to after hourssecurity issues in the Garden and its impact onthe gardens and lawns. Audiences total around20,000 over the twelve week season oversummer. The Botanic Park Power and LightingStudy (August 2003) reported that powerrequirements for the Cinema are adequatelymet by one of the existing transformers inBotanic Park.

General lighting provided by the organisers ofthe event is minimal, consisting of perimeterlighting and three floodlights to assist patronsaccess and egress the event. The study foundthat even a twenty percent growth in audiencesover the next ten years will still keep demandwithin the current power supply capacity in thePark. The Cinema also currently functions on theuse of the Plane Tree toilets alone.

While both events impact heavily on the Park, on-goingreview of events management should ensure the continuedviability of both events and the sustainability of the Park.

.Until recently, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestraconducted an annual concert on the lawns fronting theMuseum of Economic Botany. Temporary lighting and toiletfacilities were required each year for this night-time event.

. �State Tree Climbing Championships are also held inBotanic Park on a regular basis.

. �Generally facilities for major events are adequatewithout being obtrusive.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra conducts anannual concert on the arboretum lawns in February.Temporary lighting and toilet facilities are required eachyear for this night-time event.

. On site facilities for events are adequate withoutbeing obtrusive. An audit of major event infrastructure andmanagement is required to fully assess the ability of thesite to host events sustainably in the future, and ascertainwhether infrastructure upgrading is required.

MAJOR EVENTS OBJECTIVE

Maximise the potential for major events to occur withinparameters which protect the Gardens’ integrity and donot impinge on the achievement of the organisation’svision and objectives.

gardeners generally on the design andmanagement of sustainable, water sensitivegarden in Adelaide.

. DECS provides a seconded Education Officerfor the Gardens.

ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC PARK. The ABG is located in close proximity to theState’s peak civic and cultural institutions,including the University of Adelaide and theUniversity of South Australia, the Adelaide Zoo,the SA Museum, the State Library and the ArtGallery of South Australia. The ABG is part of the‘North Terrace Cultural Precinct’. The Garden’sStrategic Plan 2004-2007 proposes the pursuit ofjoint programs between the BGA and other NorthTerrace institutions with regard to sharedcommon objectives and the improvement ofreturns on investments for all partnerorganisations. The Plan specifically nominatesjoint programs with the Adelaide Zoo as apriority.

. A joint marketing collaboration between theGarden, the National Wine Centre (through theUniversity of Adelaide) and the Adelaide Zooknown as ‘The Living End…Nature’s Trail’, aimsto increase public awareness of the threeinstitutions at the eastern end of the‘cultural precinct’.

. The resident bird population in theBicentennial Conservatory is a joint venture withthe Adelaide Zoo, delivering both integrated pestmanagement and conservation benefits. Jointeducational displays with the Zoo to mark eventssuch as World Environment Day have also beentrialled.

6.4 Linkages and Partnerships

A number of BGA-wide partnerships have been developedin recent years, for example:

. The Gardens have partnered with the University ofAdelaide and other leading ecological and environmentalinstitutions in BioCity: Centre for Urban Habitats, topromote research into native flora and fauna in thecontext of urban living.

. The Gardens advise and train medical staff at theWomen’s and Children’s Hospital and Flinders MedicalCentre on recognising poisonous plants and their effects.

. Engagement with the Aboriginal community to developcultural understanding has been initiated through apartnership with Taoundi College, an Aboriginal owned andoperated adult education centre. Initiatives through thisassociation include the Tappa Mai (Bush Foods) trail andthe Prior Knowledge interpretive trail (both at the ABG),and hosting NAI DOC week activities and ongoingindigenous plant workshops.

. Research partnerships with the Universities haveresulted in the creation of two positions for students toconduct research at the Gardens’ Seed ConservationCentre. An Honours research project in also on offer,funded by the Friends. An agreement with the University ofAdelaide has been developed to create a jointappointment of a professorial level position, responsiblefor the management of the State Herbarium and the PlantBiodiversity Centre.

. A joint partnership with Delfin Lend Lease, theNorthern Adelaide Barossa Catchment WaterManagement Board, SA Water and the Land ManagementCorporation has been established to create the position ofSustainable Landscapes officer for a two year period toprovide guidance to new housing developments and home

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. The Gardens have an informal arrangementwith the SA Museum to cross promote eachothers educational programs, and to investigateopportunities to promote overall biodiversitymanagement issues to the public.

. Collaboration with University of SouthAustralia’s CERM occurs to assess communityperception and customer satisfaction through asurvey of ABG visitors.

MOUNT LOFTY BOTANIC GARDEN. The MLBG is located within the YurrebillaGreater Mount Lofty Parklands, without being acontributory area of this State governmentsponsored initiative made up primarily ofreserves under the National Parks and WildlifeAct. The Cleland Conservation and Wildlife Parkis located immediately north of the MLBG, linkedby walking trails and a continuous native forestcanopy.

. Together with the Cleland Wildlife Park,Mount Lofty Summit and Mount Lofty House, theMLBG is collaborating in a campaign to promotethe ‘Mount Lofty Tourism Precinct’, under thebrand ‘Heighten Your Senses’, to highlight thefour attractions as a linked tourist destination.

. MLBG is part of the Adelaide Hills Tourismpartnership, a body responsible for marketing theAdelaide Hills as a tourism region throughstrategic advertising, public relations activitiesand the promotion of festivals and events.

LINKAGES AND PARTNERSHIPS OBJECTIVE

Support links with adjacent institutionsparticularly those in the North Terrace CulturalPrecinct and Adelaide Hills Tourist Region.