Environmental management report

Statement of Environmental Commitment

Environmental Management Report Statement of Environmental Commitment The Trust has developed a Statement of Environmental Commitment underpinned with a philosophy which will ensure that our organisation:

• displays a clear commitment to environmental best practice
• applies environmental guidelines to all decision making
• establishes environmental best practice criteria and benchmarking when negotiating partnerships and contracts
• is as environmentally sustainable as possible in all our operations.

Sustainability

The Towards Sustainable Horticulture program initiated in 2002 has been broadened now to encompass organic gardening. Over three years the Trust has stopped use of ‘high toxicity’ chemicals, with minimal impact on the living collections. There have been considerable reductions in potable water use on the Sydney sites by using recycled water, mulching, water retention crystals, and restricted watering of turf. Reuse and recycling of garden waste continues with, for example, no green-waste sent to landfill at Mount Tomah Botanic Garden. HSBC supported a number on initiatives in 2004–05 including:

• Installation of fountains and aeration units to reduce further blue green algal blooms in the Sydney Gardens’ Main and Lotus Ponds
• Attendance at the 10th International Turfgrass Research Conference to investigate strategies for managing Turf without the use of pesticides
• Modification of the nursery benches at Mount Tomah Botanic Garden to reduce water consumption and improve the efficiency of water application to plants
• Development of the ‘What’s the Big Idea?’ garden at Mount Annan to demonstrate best practice in sustainable horticulture.

Energy

The Trust completed Phase 2 of an Energy Performance Contract with Total Energy Solutions. The project incorporated upgrades to the lighting in the Brown, Anderson and Cunningham buildings and air conditioning and hot water system upgrades to the Brown Building. Power factor correction was also implemented.

The savings for the year amounted to 496,045kWh of electricity (156,246kWh better than 2003–04) and 998,332MJ of gas. This resulted in savings of over $30,000, equivalent to emission savings in excess of 300 tonnes of CO2. The full savings from the Phase 2 works will not be apparent until June 2006. The anticipated savings from Phase 2 should reduce energy consumption by a further 150,00 kWh of electricity and up to 1,000,000 MJ of gas per annum.

Fauna

The Trust continued to support fauna research on its estates that assists in fauna management, as well as provide study opportunities. The information gathered is also of value to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and other agencies. Research on Brush-tail Possum and Grey-headed Flying Fox populations in the Royal Botanic Gardens continued.

The escalation of possum numbers has caused defoliation of trees, including significant rare and threatened species. The increase in numbers has also resulted in the possum population becoming stressed, with injured and dead possums exhibiting stress-linked disease.

Workshops focusing on management practices of the Australian White Ibis and the Grey-headed Flying Fox were held. Water The Trust has made major reductions in water consumption by:

• Prioritising watering to collections of high conservation or heritage value, and not watering turf except for new lawns and on sporting fields for safety reasons
• increasing mulching of plants
• using additives to improve water penetration
• selecting plants to avoid those with high water requirements
• using rain sensors to make irrigation systems more efficient.

Waste Reduction and Purchasing

Trust initiatives are reported within the annual report of the Department of Environment and Conservation.