Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill – Second Reading speech

Tuesday 6 February 2024 

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (11:53): I, too, rise to speak to the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2023. We are so lucky to live in a city that has many beautiful green spaces, and some of those are our Botanic Gardens, where many South Australians have enjoyed picnics and weddings, the mix of historic and modern fountains, the range of native and exotic plants, flowers and trees, and the lakes and wetlands. 

Unfortunately, these beautiful places have been under attack lately and you would think that the Deputy Premier is heading down there with a padlock and a ticket booth and the adjacent Botanic Park would never see another half-eaten sandwich for the wildlife to feast upon. The allegation being made by those opposite that this bill will lead to entrance fees being introduced is total rubbish—just another scare campaign. A government amendment will ensure that general admission to the Botanic Gardens will continue to be permanently free of charge. 

The Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Act 1978 currently provides limited capacity for the Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium to pursue commercial opportunities which could support its ability to secure additional sources of funding. This bill will enable the board to raise money needed to update and maintain the gardens and their assets, to fund new projects, events and services. South Australians expect that the gardens will remain accessible, contemporary and offer new projects, events and services. 

I note the gardens have recently updated their toilet facilities, and works are underway to revitalise other parts of the gardens, but this has to take place over a period of time due to availability of funds. The ability to raise additional funds to allow the gardens to be enriched through new projects and assets will further enhance the visitor experience. 

As you can imagine, maintaining these beautiful gardens and delivering new services is a challenge, which is why, like all cultural and collecting institutions, the gardens need to raise additional funds in order to deliver a dynamic and changing array of services for the community and to carry out their extensive range of research and conservation projects. 

The changes in this bill will assist the board to find diverse ways to raise money to support the work of the organisation so they never need to charge the public. These amendments bring the act more in line with both the SA Museum Act and the Art Gallery Act and other acts of other jurisdictions establishing comparable bodies. It is about updating the act, not living in the past like those opposite who probably believe these institutions should not be accessible to the masses. 

The previous version of the act listed a specific set of functions and activities whereby the board and management could pursue commercial revenue. This bill replaces the prescriptive list with a general function, enabling the board to seek revenue to support the work of the gardens. 

The Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium could consider a range of activities such as licensing imagery from their extensive collections, developing new products for sale, either directly or through partnerships or joint ventures with the business sector, or establishing new access programs and services. 

South Australians will not be charged to picnic in the Botanic Gardens or to visit the zoo or Botanic Gardens on a Sunday. This was just another scandalous suggestion made by those opposite, which is simply untrue. Fearmongering in a cost-of-living crisis—disgraceful. 

The amendment enables the board and management of the gardens to manage car parking demand and ensure equitable access by being able to arrange and enforce parking time limitations that will ensure the gardens' car parking is not used as a free all-day parking option to access other areas of the city. 

This is a bill that will allow our beautiful Botanic Gardens to enhance their offerings to visitors and should be supported by all members. There will be no charge to enter the gardens, unless an event is occurring, and parking will remain free on Sundays. I commend the bill to the house.