The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust ANNUAL REPORT 2011–2012 © The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney 2012 Mrs Macquaries Road Sydney NSW 2000 The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust is a statutory body within the Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet (NSW) Design and production of this report by Cameron Emerson-Elliott All photography by Simone Pieta Cottrell Total cost for annual report: $7,050* * Design and production of this report were outsourced ISSN 1035-0969 Cover Image: Gahnia sieberiana (seed) The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Annual Report 2011–2012 Contents Letter to the Minister ...............................................2 Section 1 Performance Snapshot ...........................................4 Chairman & Executive Director’s Report ....5 Our Organisation ........................................................6 Section 2 Achievements ............................................................10 Section 3 Community Support ..............................................16 Corporate Governance .......................................25 Appendices .................................................................30 Section 4 Financial Statements .............................................50 Annual Report 2011–12 1 Letter to the Minister THE HON. ROBYN PARKER, MP MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT PARLIAMENT HOUSE, MACQUARIE STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000 Dear Minister I have pleasure in presenting the 2011–12 Annual Report of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust for presentation to Parliament. This report covers in full the Trust’s activities and Statement of Accounts in accordance with the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Act 1980, the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984 and the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Regulations 2010. Yours sincerely Ken Boundy Professor David Mabberley Chairman Executive Director Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust 2 THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS & DOMAIN TRUST Section 1 Performance Snapshot Chairman & Executive Director’s Report Our Organisation Chamelaucium uncinatum Performance Snapshot Revenue 2011–12 Other Grants, Donations Other $49.8 million & Contributions Revenue % % % % % 5 59 6 25 5 Crown Department of Premier & Cabinet Grants Sales of Goods & Services Grants UNITS 2011–12 2010–11 2009–10 2008–09 2007–08 FINANCIAL1 State Government $’000 – 19,914 19,090 18,105 17,781 Recurrent Funding State Government Capital Funding $’000 – 8,274 2,860 2,635 3,695 Crown Grants $’000 1,918 1,574 1,966 1,641 1,308 Department of Premier $’000 29,643 – – – – & Cabinet Grants2 Other Grants, Donations $’000 3,212 7,651 2,529 3,861 2,573 & Contributions Sales of Goods & Services3 $’000 12,536 11,680 11,258 7,312 7,289 Other Revenue4 $’000 2,535 2,678 2,706 6,035 5,116 Total Revenue $’000 49,844 51,771 40,409 39,589 37,762 Total Expenses $’000 (45,434) (43,019) (41,641) (40,386) (38,577) Surplus/(Deficit) $’000 4,410 8,752 (1,232) (797) (815) PLANT BIODIVERSITY & habitats UNDERSTOOD, PROTECTED & RESTORED Grant-funded research projects no. 16 21 19 18 27 Species described or reassessed no. 20 47 64 31 82 Peer-reviewed scientific publications, no. 162 122 152 189 178 general articles & presentations THE COMMUNITY VALUES PLANTS & CUltURAL HEritagE Participants in school & public no. 75,151 80,711 75,964 65,786 69,507 education programs Volunteers contributing to no. 572 627 697 694 611 Trust programs Total visits to Trust website no. 598,941 562,188 582,620 858,878 862,629 Visitors to Trust estates satisfied with % 92 97 94 94 91 facilities, services & programs INCREASED partiCipatioN & INTEgratioN IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES Visits to: The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney no. 3,544,344 3,657,284 3,854,750 3,456,129 3,621,925 The Australian Botanic Garden, no. 325,251 116,168 84,509 88,777 100,410 Mount Annan The Blue Mountains Botanic no. 128,645 75,044 70,031 69,772 69,990 Garden, Mount Tomah People using the Domain for booked no. 59,300 65,379 72,732 89,755 71,194 sports activities Attendees at public events: The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney no. 433,482 378,618 419,717 514,004 425,020 The Australian Botanic Garden, no. 23,495 21,428 16,207 14,293 18,525 Mount Annan The Blue Mountains Botanic no. 65,498 46,295 24,384 15,850 12,856 Garden, Mount Tomah N otes 1. Financial information and data included in this section has not been subject to audit 2. From 2012 recurrent and capital grants received from Department of Premiers and Cabinet 3. Sales of Goods and Services includes investment revenue 4. Other Revenue includes insurance recoveries, cost recovery and infringements 4 THE ROYAL BotaNIC GARDENS & DOMAIN TRUST Chairman & Executive Director’s Report The journey over the last 12 months has been one of In January, a ground breaking ceremony was held at refl ection, retrospection and the realisation of a new vision the Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan with the for our organisation. In August last year, the Trust Board Minister for the Environment and VIP guests to celebrate conducted a strategic review of the organisation. This work the fi rst soil turning and beginning of construction of was consolidated and supported by the commissioning PlantBank. Despite rain delays, work continues to run on of six industry experts to further evaluate the Trust’s track and is scheduled to be completed early in the new work during December’s International Peer Review. year, heralding the start of new era in scientifi c research and conservation for the organisation. The review process recognised and praised the Trust’s signifi cant scientifi c expertise and the enormous value The inaugural Lachlan Macquarie Medal was awarded of the various collections across our three sites. It also in May to Professor Hong De-Yuan from Beijing, China highlighted our strengths in disseminating information in recognition of his outstanding achievement in helping about plants, conservation and biodiversity to the protect plant biodiversity. The Medal will be awarded public and other stakeholders. The International Peer biennially to recipients whose work promotes the role of Review provided more than 60 recommendations for us botanic gardens in conserving plants. The NSW Governor to consider, so that as an organisation we can build on presented the medal to Professor Hong at a ceremony these attributes and strengthen our position as one of and public lecture at Government House in May. the world’s leading botanic garden organisations. After fi ve years of planning and a two-year delay, the For the past six months, a Strategic Planning disturbance process to relocate the fl ying-foxes that Committee with membership from across the Trust have roosted in the Royal Botanic Garden for over 20 has further analysed the recommendations from the years fi nally began in June. After less than a week of two reviews to develop a new strategic direction and pre-dawn and dusk noise, the fl ying-foxes discontinued corporate plan for the Trust, which will guide us through roosting in the Garden. While early morning noise will the next 10 years. As the year ends and the next need to continue for some time to ensure roosting unfurls, this new strategic direction can be articulated in does not resume, this is defi nitely a big win for the Trust a new vision for our organisation: that makes way for much-needed tree maintenance and renovation of the Palm Grove. The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, celebrated as one of the world’s greatest botanic On behalf of the Trust, we would like to thank all garden organisations, internationally respected for staff, volunteers, Foundation and Friends, benefactors its work in science, conservation and horticulture, and sponsors for your collective contribution to safeguarding places of learning and pleasure for all. our organisation, particularly those Board and staff members who are retiring. It is through your In reaching this point, we have passed some marvellous knowledge, commitment and passion that we have milestones. achieved the successes that are highlighted within Both the NSW Premier and the Minister for the this year’s annual report, and that we will continue to Environment were present for the opening of the new connect people with plants and contribute to plant Narellan Road entrance to the Australian Botanic Garden conservation in New South Wales and internationally. at Mount Annan in September. This Government-funded As we embark on the next leg of our journey, $4.26 million project was completed on time and a change in direction is paralleled by a change of within budget, and was perfectly timed to deal with the leadership. We welcome Ken Boundy as the Trust’s signifi cant increase in visitor numbers since entrance new Chairman. Ken brings a wealth of experience fees to the Garden were abolished in April 2011. in high-level management, marketing, tourism and Trust botanist, Nathalie Nagalingum, was the conservation issues to the Trust that will certainly assist lead author of a signifi cant study published in us in reaching our vision. Science in November that shows the evolutionary diversifi cation of the cycad group to be much more recent than previously thought. Living cycad species have commonly been referenced as ‘dinosaur plants’ because they were considered relicts of ancient fl oras. Dr Nagalingum’s study found that in contrast to the group’s ancient origins, the modern species Greg Martin Professor David Mabberley actually evolved just 10 million years ago — well after Chairman, Executive Director, the extinction of the dinosaurs. This work received Royal Botanic Gardens Royal Botanic Gardens extensive media coverage locally and internationally. and Domain Trust and Domain Trust Annual Report 2011–12 5 Our Organisation The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust (the Trust) Mission is a statutory body established by the Royal Botanic As a living organisation, we connect people with plants Gardens and Domain Trust Act 1980. The legislation through imaginative horticulture, beautiful landscapes, defines the objectives, powers and functions of the transformative learning experiences and cultural events.