The “Growing Victoria’s Botanic Gardens Collective Impact Report” details the outcomes of a grants program initiated by the Victorian Government to enhance botanic gardens across Victoria. The program allocated $3.9 million to fund 42 projects across 29 botanic gardens and arboreta over two funding rounds in 2019 and 2020. The funding supported climate change adaptation strategies, plant conservation, and the improvement of amenities and accessibility, contributing to local tourism and community well-being.
Key impacts include environmental benefits such as increased green spaces, conservation of rare and threatened plant species, and greater community awareness of plant value. Social and community benefits include improved accessibility and visitor amenities, and stronger links with First Nations communities. Heritage benefits include the maintenance of heritage-listed gardens and renewal of living collections. Economic benefits include boosted tourism and job creation in urban and regional areas.
The report highlights significant advancements in living collections, infrastructure, interpretation and community education, water security, and strategic planning. The program facilitated the establishment of new botanic gardens, major landscape development projects, and the implementation of digital plant record-keeping systems. It also supported infrastructure improvements, interpretive signage, and water-efficient irrigation systems. Strategic planning documents, such as climate change and sustainability analyses, were developed to guide the management of the gardens.
Overall, the investment has had profound positive impacts on Victoria’s botanic gardens, enhancing their environmental, social, heritage, and economic value.
