AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL
BOTANIC GARDENS
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
MASTER PLAN
2015 - 2035
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS - MASTER PLAN 2015 – 2035 | 1
TGZ
ADDRESS 117 RESERVOIR STREET SURRY HILLS NSW 2010
PHONE + 61 2 9215 49 0 0
ABN 46 0 0 2722 3 49
TCL
ADDRESS 109 GROTE STREET ADEL AIDE SA 5000
PHONE + 61 8 8223 75 3 3
EMAIL adel@ tcl.net.au
ABN 0 0 6 128 9 6 3
CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.0INTRODUCTION - THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS
1.1ROLE OF THE GARDENS
1.2MASTER PLAN PROCESS
2.0HISTORY & SITE OVERVIEW
2.1SITE OVERVIEW
2.2PLANNING AND GOVERNANCE
2.3VISITATION
3.0LANDFORM, CLIMATE & ECOLOGY
4.0MAJOR CONSTRAINTS & ISSUES
5.0KEY PRINCIPLES FOR DEVELOPMENT
5.1COLLECTION CONSERVATION & MANAGEMENT
5.2BUSHFIRE MANAGEMENT
5.3WATER CONSERVATION
5.4SITE-WIDE VISITOR CIRCUL ATION
5.5SERVICE & MANAGEMENT ACCESS
5.6COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES
5.7EVENT SPACES
6.0THE ENTRY PRECINCT
7.0NEW CORE PRECINCT FACILITIES
8.0CONSOLIDATED ADMINISTRATION
9.0NORTHERN PRECINCT
10.0BUSHLAND PRECINCT
11.0DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR BUILDINGS & SITEWORKS
11.1BUILDING EXEMPLARS
11.2BUILDING MATERIALS PALETTE
11.3SITE INFRASTRUCTURE EXEMPLARS
11.4SITE INFRASTRUCTURE MATERIALS PALETTE
12.0IMPLEMENTATION & STAGING
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS - MASTER PLAN 2015 – 2035 | 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS - MASTER PLAN 2015 – 2035 | 1
This Master Plan, in response to the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) brief of July 16 2014, sets out guiding principles for the site over the next period, with a priorotised sequence of works to improve visitation and the visitor experience, increase revenue and facilitate the conservation and expansion of the Gardens’ collection – its living plants and seed bank.
The planning in all its aspects has been guided by the Australian National Botanic Gardens’ Vision and Mission statements, which set a clear framework for the future:
Vision
Australians value, conserve and appreciate our rich plant heritage
Mission
To inspire, inform and connect people to the Australian flora
The Australian National Botanic Gardens hold an inspiring collection of Australian plants for scientific, educative, conservation and aesthetic purposes, helping scientists and the public understand the history, present day uses and what the future may hold for plants in natural environments. At the same time, the Gardens have to tackle contemporary environmental management issues such as climate change, water management, weed mitigation, protecting against pests and diseases and managing soils. The Gardens have been considered holistically regarding their purpose, content and role in the network of gardens around the world. Defining a strong curatorial mission for plant collections is essential to guide ongoing care and rejuvenation, and the development of support, service and visitor facilities.
The gardens can never be considered capsules in time; living plants grow and community needs and expectations evolve. Similarly, significant tourist destinations, such as the Gardens, have to deliver on contemporary tourism expectations in terms of facilities, interpretation and experiences.
The Plan relates to the infrastructure of the Gardens only – its buildings, roads and paths, site services and access. The collection and landscape management remains under the guidance of the Plan of Management as realised by the expert staff of the Gardens.
A set of key principles are developed in the Master Plan, with strategies for implementation as well as guidance towards required further investigation:
- Display excellence and innovation in the design and alteration of new and existing infrastructures.
- Achieve a distinguished level of sustainability.
- Minimise adverse impacts on fauna.
- Refine visitor circulation and wayfinding throughout the site.
- Minimise ongoing maintenance and funding.
- Clarify staff workflow efficiencies.
- Resolve key occupational health and safety areas.
- Improve user access and facilities.
- Apply a high level of sustainability to visitor and staff amenities.
- Maintain water and energy efficiency to a high level of sustainability.
The new Master Plan provides a framework for all future planning of the Garden’s infrastructure, enabling the dynamic change of the Garden over time allowing it to prosper, foster and display long term botanical collections. These collections require a purpose, a narrative, a long term vision that places this garden at the forefront of contemporary gardens world-wide. This purpose will set the direction for these Gardens into this century and beyond.
The planning has defined approaches to the four core precincts of the Gardens:
Northern Precinct: to be consolidated into a new integrated Service Zone, including the new Seed Bank. Issues in this zone will include possible impacts on planted areas, security and safety concerns with visitors, screening less visually appealing facilities from main visitor circulation routes, and managing delivery and service traffic. As this is a relatively remote and inaccessible location for visitors, a new coach drop off and small visitor carpark and entry is proposed here.
Entry and Core Precincts: aims for this area focus on issues of visitor welcome, orientation and circulation, with the ability to present the Gardens in an immediately positive way. With the removal of the lower depot, areas will be released for future development, whilst the removal of service traffic will allow integration and improvement to pedestrian visitor flows. Issues with the current layout include a confusing route from car to visitor centre through to the various garden circuits, the issues of steep topography and accessible circulation, the lack of a ‘heart’ for the zone, and the outlying location of the café.
Bushland Precinct: this zone, partly conservation-value bushland and partly degraded areas of landfill, can be developed for important new facilities, focussed on eco-tourism and active recreation, celebrating the relatively pristine bushland setting. Issues here include the separation from the main site due to Black Mountain Drive and its associated embankments, affecting both visitors and servicing and management. To link the two campuses, a graded footbridge with shared cycle path is proposed. The issue of bush fire protection and building siting and design will be allied to the task of identifying areas of high conservation value.
Site-Wide Strategies: Overall, the rationalisation of the pathway system to create more intuitive wayfinding and increase visitation to under-visited core attractions is proposed. This will improve the landscape character of the gardens by reducing the perceived dominance of roadways through the site. The future inclusion of the abandoned John Dedman Parkway to the east of the site will allow a closer integration between CSIRO’s planned visitor and education core and the ANBG, as well as reaching eastwards to the ANU and Canberra City. Existing bushfire buffers to the west should be retained, whilst high-value collection areas are retained and enhanced.
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS - MASTER PLAN 2015 – 2035 | 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION - THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS
1.1 ROLE OF THE GARDENS
The Australian National Botanic Gardens Master Plan comes at a time when botanic gardens world-wide are questioning existing research and recreational paradigms and focussing anew on messages of conservation, collection management and a renewed interest in meaningful visitor engagement.
The Master Plan aims for a real and viable future for the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Coordinated with government and stakeholder representatives the Plan guides the delivery of a world class botanic precinct, in one of the world’s most beautiful settings. The Master Plan aims to create an environment that is engaging at all levels, from the way in which all architectural and landscape design is ‘intrinsically interpretive’, down to the way in which stories are told through interesting and absorbing interpretive media. Engagement is also a product of programming of buildings and spaces over time, as well as a desired outcome of the stakeholder and community consultation.
Careful and thoughtful appraisal of how people move through landscapes, how these are connected, utilised and where experiences of arrival and departure are heightened is a subtle but critical objective on this site. This extends to the appraisal and siting of infrastructure, roads, access paths, buildings and facilities and to ensure they are fully integrated with their topographic and botanical context.
Further, safe and operationally effective servicing and management is crucial to the ongoing viability of the Gardens, and needs to be holistically integrated into the planning.
UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF BOTANIC GARDENS IN A MODERN SOCIETY
Botanic gardens, particularly nationally significant ones, have a multitude of roles to play, beyond their core objectives in research, conservation, collection, display and horticulture. Their iconic role as a representation of a nation’s connection, care and stewardship of the environment is juxtaposed with the utilisation of their settings for a wide variety of recreational and cultural pursuits, informal and organised. The consideration and integration of the experiences of locals, gardeners, children, domestic and international tourists and of course staff, is paramount in the master planning process. Each seek different experiences and will take away different memories.
ROLE OF BOTANIC GARDENS AS SCIENTIFIC AND CULTUR AL INSTITUTIONS
Botanic gardens are highly valued cultural institutions with missions related to science, horticulture and education, with the primary role to maintain scientific collections of living plants. Worldwide, these organisations have a long and distinguished history as significant contributors to the understanding of our environment, in particular related to plant species, horticulture, plant sciences and conservation.
Over the past two decades in response to key issues such as climate change, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of biodiversity and an increased understanding of the need to protect species and ecosystems to safeguard the world’s biological heritage. Botanic gardens and their associated herbaria have therefore become increasingly understood as important centres for biodiversity conservation with global partnerships and alliances becoming the norm.
ROLE OF BOTANIC GARDENS AS A VISITOR DESTINATION
Botanic gardens are also major visitor destinations. Visitors not only come to explore the plant collections in garden beds, conservatories and galleries but also to enjoy the beauty of the landscapes. Increasingly these landscape assets have also been seen as unique locations for events and products such as cinema, shops, cafes and restaurants. These products are now major considerations in creating sustainable business platforms for the work of the gardens.
CORE VALUES OF THE GARDENS
The ANBG have defined a series of core values, which have guided and informed the Master Plan at many levels:
SCIENTIFIC VALUES
The ANBG conducts research into the taxonomy, horticulture and biology of native plant species utilising the extensive herbarium collection linked to the living collection.
The living collection, with its national focus, provides a valuable resource for research into conservation on the impacts of climate change and adaptation of native plants.
The ANBG plays a critical role in holding and disseminating knowledge on native plants.
NATUR AL AND CULTUR AL HERITAGE VALUES
The ANBG was the first public garden composed of Australian native plants including a large number of rare and threatened plant species. It ensures the preservation of rare genotypes and provides some protection through cultivation.
The ANBG is recognised on the Commonwealth Heritage List.
The Australian National Herbarium includes a collection of preserved plant specimens closely associated with the living collection and has voucher specimens dating back to Joseph Banks’ explorations during Captain Cook’s voyage to Australia in 1770. The herbarium houses over 8,000 type specimens i.e. preserved specimens nominated by botanists to describe a new plant as the benchmark or standard for the name given to a plant when it is first described.
The ANBG library is a valued resource and covers taxonomy, botany and the horticulture of Australian plants with a significant collection of international publications on cryptogams and orchids.
CONSERVATION VALUES
The ANBG holds a significant living collection, seed bank and gene bank essential for managing the risk of species loss in the wild.
The ANBG provides an urban biodiversity haven with over 100 native bird species having been recorded on the site.
EDUCATION VALUES
The ANBG provides a valued education role for students from primary to tertiary level from across the nation, including horticultural and taxonomic training. The living collection is particularly important for this function.
The ANBG demonstrates design excellence in construction of certain garden features, in particular the Rainforest Gully representing a geographic transect of Australia’s eastern ranges, and the rockery area with its carefully composed combination of rocks, pools and running water.
1.2 MASTER PLAN PROCESS
The ANBG Brief set out the following stages for the Master Plan:
STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS
In consultation with the ANBG, undertake a series of workshops with key ANBG staff and stakeholders to collate ideas, issues and opportunities for consideration during the Master Planning process.
Regular reporting and meetings with the ANBG Project team as required throughout the process.
REFINE BRIEF
Following input from the ANBG and key stakeholders, a refined Brief and project plan is developed that identifies the key issues to be considered in the development of the Master Plan.
CONCEPT PLAN
Development of draft Concept Plans that will be used during the public consultation period.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
Provision of advice to the ANBG on the consultation process, including provision of presentation material.
Consultation process will be implemented by the ANBG.
MASTER PLAN
Development of draft Master Plan for review by ANBG. Presentation of final Master Plan to the ANBG.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Development of an implementation plan with indicative costings for each element.
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS - MASTER PLAN 2015 – 2035 | 1
2.0 HISTORY & SITE OVERVIEW
The Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) is an internationally renowned botanic garden and national institution. The ANBG has been growing, studying and promoting Australian plants and related flora for over 40 years, and has stewardship of the world’s most comprehensive collection of living Australian native plants. It has a strong international reputation for scientific and horticultural research, and for its important contribution to the understanding, conservation and sustainable use of Australia’s plant biodiversity. As a national scientific and educational institution, the ANBG is recognised for its lead role in disseminating knowledge and information about Australian plants.
The ANBG is a Commonwealth reserve managed by the Director of National Parks in accordance with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The ANBG is a listed place on the Commonwealth Heritage List under the EPBC Act for its significant heritage values.
The ANBG receives more than 420,000 visitors per year including tourists, education groups and social groups. The ANBG also hosts concerts, exhibitions and educational and community-orientated programs to involve the Canberra community and tourists.
The ANBG is open every day except Christmas Day from 8.30 am until 5 pm.
The ANBG was officially opened in 1970 and the opportunity exists for the Master Plan to become the blueprint for a major capital funding campaign to focus on the 50th anniversary of the ANBG in 2020.
2.1 SITE OVERVIEW
The ANBG occupies an 85 hectare site on the lower eastern slopes of Black Mountain in Canberra and is a valuable part of the city’s landscape. It is an integral part of a group of national research institutions including the Australian National University (ANU) and CSIRO.
The ANBG site has several distinctive features including its comparative steepness and elevation and its vistas towards Canberra. The site’s topography is characterised by a series of five broad ridges that fan out to the east and south-east and are separated by four incised gullies. The site’s eastern and northern sections are protected from prevailing westerly winds.
In the upper half of the northern extension and in the southern extension the steep gradients, ranging from 25 to 60 per cent, constrain pedestrian and vehicular movement, site access and the building of infrastructure and have implications for the use and development of these areas. The remnant open forest in these areas, dominated by Eucalyptus rossii and E. macrorhyncha, is retained and managed for conservation, wildlife habitat and education.
The living collection is displayed across 35 hectares of the 85 hectare site. The topography of the site’s central part provides a range of opportunities, and favourable microclimates, for displaying and managing the diverse living collection that has been developed to showcase Australia’s flora and to educate and raise awareness about its biological diversity. The collection showcasing Australia’s flora and focuses on several broad themes including taxonomy, ecology and geography, ornamental, conservation and ethnobotany. The collection displays about one-third of all Australian flowering plant species and is used to interpret iconic plants, such as eucalypts and wattles, and different Australian landscapes.
The ANBG is a haven for native fauna, especially birds. The site is also a haven for the local community and tourists seeking a place for passive recreation, peaceful reflection or to socialise, as well as a place to learn about Australian plants. It serves as a cultural recreation, entertainment and exhibition venue. An annual program of events attracts a diverse audience and provides opportunities to inspire interest in Australia’s unique flora and fauna in an accessible nature based setting.
The ANBG is rated as a bush fire prone area, and a regime of hazard reduction burns together with a boundary sprinkler system are used to minimise the impacts of bush fires.
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN CONTEXT
FIGURE 1
Australian National Botanic Gardens
Australian National Botanic Gardens North Annex Australian National Botanic Gardens Bushland Precinct