Biodiversity Management Plan

The Biodiversity Management Plan will be used to assess existing environmental conditions, to clarify and distinguish various management zones and to anticipate the future needs and potential opportunities, to guide planning decisions of the Botanic Garden Estate. A plan is currently being developed for the Australian Botanic Garden.

Annual/Perennial displays

Located in front of the Connections Garden, the new annual / perennial displays will be the horticultural hub and focal point of the  Australian Botanic Garden. Visitors will stroll along easy graded paths through this showcase of the most spectacular flowering annual and perennial species from across Australia. These floral displays will be set against a backdrop of rockeries, palm groves and conifer forest enclosing and providing shade to the existing and very popular Water Garden.

African Olive Eradication Program

A long-term African Olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) control program is underway to reduce the impact of this noxious weed on the critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland located on the Australian Botanic Garden site. For more information go to African Olive control program.

A new Garden entrance from Narellan Road

An application has been made to the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) for this project to proceed close to Latham's Snipe habitat. A public notice will be placed in local papers and an information night is scheduled at the Bowden Centre from 6 to 7.30 pm on Thursday 27 May.

Click here to view the project approval from DEWHA and the REF report and decision notice from DEWHA.

A new entrance and access road into Mount Annan Botanic Garden will provide safe and easy access to maximise visitor experience of the Garden. The new entrance will provide a second vehicle entry point and become the primary entry access to the Garden for the public, enhancing safety and access for visitors and emergency vehicles. It will provide the roadway infrastructure for future development of a major visitor centre and improve visibility of the Australian Botanic Garden for passing traffic.

The construction of the roadway is necessary for the overall enhancement to the Garden, enabling visitors to gain immediate entry and exposure to the 'whole of Garden experience' and its aesthetically appealing locales including two lakes (Gilinganadum and Nadungamba) and the woodland conservation precincts which are remote from the existing entry point to the Garden. Landscaping will be sympathetic to the local environment and the significant planting theme as set out in the Mount Annan Botanic Garden Masterplan, 2000.

Works will commence with the upgrade of the existing signalised intersection at Narellan Road providing a fourth leg for the access road. The new road will extend approximately 400 metres from the traffic lights along a route designed to bypass the two water bodies (Lake Gilinganadum and Annan Creek) and end at Cunningham Drive. There will be a roundabout with a small stub road approximately mid-way along the road to facilitate future development and access to a visitor centre to be constructed in the area to the north-west of the access road. The new road will consist of two lanes in and two lanes out with a central median.

This new development will provide efficient proper and formal access and egress to the Australian Botanic Garden for emergency services and visitors, where safe and efficient entering and exiting of the facility can take place without significant effect on both the environment and the community overall. It will also provide considerable benefit to the community by promoting and maximising visitor experiences of the Garden and for future visitors to the proposed visitor centre.

The new entrance and access road will reduce local traffic congestion at the existing access to the Garden during peak visitor periods, and improve overall urban amenity, road and safety conditions in the area along the Mount Annan Drive. This development will benefit the local community as well as visitors to Mount Annan Botanic Garden.

Description of the project

Narellan Road

• Upgrade of the existing three-way signalised intersection to provide a fourth leg into the Botanic Garden
• A left turn deceleration lane from Narellan Road (westbound) to the proposed access road (4 m width and approximately 120 m in length)
• A signalised right turn lane from Narellan Road to the proposed access road
• Exit to Narellan Road (eastbound) via a dedicated signalised right turn lane
• Exit to Narellan Road (westbound) via a signalised shared left turn and through lane
• Bus and bicycle lane facilities westbound on Narellan Road.

Access road

• 4-lane divided road from Narellan Road to the first roundabout
• Roundabout with third leg access to future visitor centre
• 2-lane road (with shoulders) from the visitor centre roundabout to Cunningham Drive, which is in ‘one-way’ operation anti-clockwise.

PlantBank

The new research facility at the Australian Botanic Garden, PlantBank aims to be a secure repository for Australian species (including germplasm, seeds and tissue cultures), a regional hub for innovative and applied change research, a collaborative venture with major universities in Sydney, and a public and student education facility. For more information about this project see PlantBank.

Adventure Garden

The Adventure Garden will create an active play-space, built upon an educational base, to cater for a range of age groups and abilities. The primary target group will be youth in the 10-16 year age range, a group that parents find difficult to occupy and botanic gardens traditionally find difficult to attract. The facility will appeal to their sense of adventure with active play and learning opportunities. Parents with younger children will be provided with appropriate activity space, while enabling supervision of older children from a distance.

The Adventure Garden will significantly enhance community amenities by delivering an exciting recreational space that is unlike any other facility in the region. The Garden will contribute to the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust’s mission to provide recreation activities for the community of South West Sydney and the people of NSW.  It will also support a key NSW State Plan objective (E8) encouraging more people to use parks, sporting and recreational facilities. It will also support objectives to reduce childhood obesity and introduce young people, in a playful way, to our natural environment, whilst providing a safe, secure and well maintained facility that parents and young children can also enjoy.

Location

The Adventure Garden site will be located adjacent to the Wattle Garden on Caley Drive in an area identified for expanded recreational opportunities within the Australian Botanic Garden. The site is near the proposed route of the Macarthur Regional Cycleway and will be the major active recreational opportunity provided along the cycleway and become a key destination for all users of the Garden. It will be highly visible from the Sydney to Canberra rail line. We anticipate it will encourage increased visitation and support from the local community and significantly improve the youth amenities in the region.

Features

The Australian Botanic Garden has engaged the services of one of Australia’s leading playground designers, Ric McConaghy, who created an inspiring playground design that is now ready to construct. Ric’s vision is to provide an engaging naturalistic playground supporting the emotional, cognitive, social and physical development of young people.

Recognisable play structures will include climbing frames, flying fox, giant slides and swings as well as a ‘skate’ park and mountain bike ‘pump track’. Equally important will be the establishment of open spaces for creative exploration using various plant materials, construction materials and musical instruments. Beyond the amphitheatre, space for active games, mini festivals or performances will be possible. Surrounding plantings will be low maintenance and enhance the natural feel of this site.

Macarthur Regional Cycleway

The Macarthur Regional Cycle Trail will provide a commuter link from Camden to the Macarthur Square train station, via the Australian Botanic Garden and the University of Western Sydney.

The proposal, currently seeking funding support, has been developed by Landcom, Camden and Campbelltown City Councils and the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust. The construction of the Mount Annan segment is considered Stage 1 of the joint proposal and project plans have been submitted that would provide two access points from the western Camden side and an third point toward Campbelltown at the south east perimeter.