Government Investment Revitalises Botanic Gardens, Boosting Conservation, Education and Tourism Statewide
The successful completion of the Growing Victoria’s Botanic Gardens Grants (GVBGG) Program will be celebrated at Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne on 26 February 2025 with guest speaker, Steve Dimopoulos Victorian Minister for Environment, representatives from botanic gardens, traditional owners, community members and government officials gathered to highlight the diverse range of funded projects.
Through this program, the Victorian State Government awarded a transformative $3.9 million across two funding rounds, enabling 42 unique projects at 29 botanic gardens. The funding supported diverse, innovative projects across the state that advance the gardens’ contributions to the environment, community and local tourism.
Key initiatives included a cloud forest garden, a Grampians/Gariwerd endemic garden, a garden trail in collaboration with traditional owners, themed and children’s gardens, nature play spaces, and plant labelling and interpretative projects, as well as infrastructure projects such as irrigation and water security, and visitor facilities.
These projects would not have been possible without the support of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), which also enabled BGANZ, the peak body representing botanic gardens across these countries, to develop two critical botanic garden management tools.
A living collections database, rolled out to more than 50% of Victoria’s botanic gardens, and an automated toolkit to assist gardens worldwide in the development of their living collections strategic plans.
Terrence Moon, Convenor of BGANZ Victoria Network states:
“These tools have provided significant capacity building for Victorian gardens. They’ve uplifted sustainable management of living collections and aid in state and national conservation efforts. For regional gardens that have limited resources, this has been invaluable”.
The GVBGG Program’s goals align with current environmental needs and Victoria’s biodiversity strategy, transforming Victoria’s botanic gardens into vibrant spaces that support research, education, experiences in nature, community wellbeing, and resilience against a changing climate.
Cassandra Nichols, CEO Botanic Gardens of Australia and New Zealand (BGANZ) states:
“These grants have been a game-changer for Victorian botanic gardens supporting new projects and essential upgrades. Growing and maintaining our gardens so they boost visitation and community connection to nature is essential. BGANZ is proud to see these gardens flourish, thanks to this incredible investment.”
To read highlights of the collective impact of the grants download the report.
