Applicant: WILLY OSTWALD, FRIENDS OF NOOSA BOTANIC GARDENS Topic: MASTERPLAN FOR NOOSA BOTANIC GARDENS Speakers: WILLY OSTWALD, JILL BROWNLEE

Good morning chairman Wilkie, Councillors, other ladies and gentlemen. Thanks the opportunity for presenting this deputation from the Friends of Noosa Botanic Gardens representing the friends today myself the secretary and I'm also one of the friends representatives on their Stakeholder Reference Group for the Noosa Botanic Gardens master plan and also Jill Brownlee our long-standing president and also a life member of the friends of Noosa. The Botanic Gardens was established over 35 years ago through the advocacy of the group of Lake Macdonald residents who had a vision and convinced the Council time to turn what was a dumping ground and an eyesore into a Botanic Gardens, not just a park. The collaboration and vision between Council and residents 35 years ago ensured that we and future generations can enjoy this wonderful asset. How often have you heard of the Botanic Gardens being Noosa's hidden gem? The draft master plan is designed to guide the future of the Botanic Gardens over the next 25 years. The community feedback clearly endorses the revamped entrance zone and new arrivals area, the establishment of accessible pathways, including the garden promenade, the rejuvenated amphitheatre, including additional seating and shade to make the space more usable, and a community shelter and information hub with kiosk and public amenities. These changes will allow more users to access the gardens and enjoy the 8 hectares of collections and gardens. Have carefully considered the draft master plan and although we agree with many aspects we believe there is a lack of focus on stewardship and development of the plant collections. Without this there is a real risk turning Noosa Botanic Gardens into a beautiful park with plants rather than a true botanic institution with purpose, scientific value and educational integrity for future generations to enjoy. Primary concern is that the draft master plan has not addressed one of its key objectives: to be stewards of the botanical collection through respecting, enhancing, protecting and promoting the legacy of the existing and future collections. Currently the draft master plan is all about structural improvements to the gardens, with next to no planning for the actual gardens and future botanical collections, which is the key reason why people visit a Botanic Gardens in the first place. International research data attests that a region's botanic garden is usually the first or second destination for most tourists to an area. The Botanic Gardens of Australia and New Zealand, or BGANZ, is the organisation that most Botanic Gardens in Australia and New Zealand belong to, including Noosa Botanic Gardens. Are BGANZ believes that a master plan, and I quote, should set the direction and priorities of a botanic garden over the medium to long term and will have direct implications for the development of. Its living collections. Development and or implementation of a living collections plan should be a recommendation of any Botanic Gardens Master Plan. A living collection management plan for the gardens would include thematic planning and interpretation, evaluation of the existing collections, identification of gaps in the Botanic Gardens collections, a management plan which covers criteria for assessing whether a plant is to be added or removed from the gardens, records management, managing invasive species, coping with climate change, etc. It would also provide a framework and plan for the future of the Botanic Gardens in respect to plantings and collections, thereby assisting in the detailed design stage of the master plan implementation. Thank you. From the outset, the friends have been advocating for, if not a curator, then at least a living collection management plan as part of the master plan for gardens. We requested that the brief to the consultant include this. At all the Stakeholder Reference Group meetings, I raised our concerns regarding the plantings and collections. Our formal response to the draft master plan reiterated these concerns. The gardens has faced and is faced with several issues and challenges. All these bear out the importance of implementing a living collections management plan. It's worth me touching on some examples of these issues in a bit more detail. Noosa Botanic Gardens has had five different garden supervisors over the last six years, all of whom have different ideas on the plantings in the garden. This has resulted in a latter. Of clarity in the thematics of the garden. Being planted up and then pulled out 12 months later, plus a lack of forward planning. Existing plant collections have become fragmented over this time, diminishing the garden's educational, conservation and curatorial value. There has been little focus placed on record keeping of the plants, which is a key requirement for any Botanic Gardens. In the absence of Council action, the friends have taken the initiative and have spent many man hours over the last two years identifying, classifying and mapping the existing plants in the garden. This information was provided the consultants preparing the master plan. Several rare and endangered trees that were mistaken by Council staff for more common varieties have been removed from gardens the last few years. These trees have been donated to the gardens and represented a significant conservation asset for the community that has now been lost. In some areas. Of the garden, the plantings are replicated, overgrown, dying or simply placed in the wrong spot. This has resulted in overcrowding and deep shaded areas in the garden, resulting in poor growth and understory species as well as poor growth in the development of the existing trees. The Noosa Botanic Gardens. Doesn't have its own budget and there is no maintenance or development program in place. Recently the brighton bridal structure walk was removed and it has rotted so badly over recent years. This area can no longer be used for weddings and we understand that there is no budget for its replacement. Years management plan would assist in overcoming many of these issues and provide a detailed plan to assist in the future development of the Botanic Gardens. It would also assist in identifying the future funding required to maintain the gardens. With each other. The friends want to collaborate with Council to achieve a living collection management plan using the toolkit provided by BGANZ as the starting point. We strongly recommend that as a minimum the draft master plan be amended to include the immediate appointment of. A project working group to develop a living collection management plan for the gardens in the short-term. The project working group should include representatives from Council, the friends and external horticulturists with Botanic Gardens experience. We are ultimately. Asking Council to value the Noosa Botanic Gardens as a Botanic Gardens and not just another park. Still have a lot of memories.

It's one last thing. Yeah. But I thought it was probably worthwhile just for those who may be not as familiar with what the friends are all about, just to give you a little bit of a rundown. The friends have been involved. With the-- Botanic Gardens since 2013, and we currently have over 160 members, and we've steadily increased our presence in social media and the like. One of our key objectives is to assist in the management of Noosa Botanic Gardens, our MOU with Council, focuses on the collaborative relationship between Council and the friends. All our activities serve as a positive, interactive link between the gardens, the community and Council. I think some statistics. To speak to our are worth mentioning. Last year we clocked up over 2,000 volunteer hours assisting with the removal of fallen palm fronds, of which there are many at the moment, weeding, pruning, planting and mulching. On average, once a month we conduct either guided walks or botanic themed workshops in the gardens. In 2025, our propagation team not only propagated plants for the gardens, but raised just over $25,000 at our three plant sales. Now that the master plan offers a way forward, we expect to collaborate with Council as to how best to invest the funds raised last year and accumulated over the last five years. So not to blow our trumpets. But in our feedback submission, as Willy has mentioned, we pointed out on page three of the draft plan, which states all proposed works around the existing collection will be a matter for detailed design. We'll include the survey. Existing collections and key species. We'd like us to reiterate that the friends have spent the last two years doing just that, so that is already available and won't need to be done. Unlike the proposed structural improvements under the master plan, the implementation of living. Collection management policy within their draft master plan could be achieved in the short-term, you know, in the next 12 months, at minimum cost, but will provide huge benefits in protecting and planning the future of Noosa Botanic Gardens. So as a major stakeholder in the gardens, we ask the Council to support the friends' request for a living collection management. Plan to be included as part of the master plan. Thank you.