Bendigo Botanic Gardens project gets the nod

THE Bendigo Botanic Gardens in White Hills is one step closer to fruition.The City of Greater Bendigo last night adopted the master plan, which will expand, conserve and upgrade the gardens. The project is expected to take between 20 and 30 years and cost between $20 and $32 million.Epsom ward councillor Lisa Ruffell moved the plan and said it was the council’s chance to improve upon what was already a much-loved area in Greater Bendigo.“It’s been 18 months of hard work,’’ she said.“It’s not only for us, it’s for future generations.“Let’s price it and stage it and see if we can get it into the council’s budget.”The draft master plan received 79 responses and the report noted that they were almost uniformly positive.The plan will mean that the gardens get a facelift and the animal enclosures will be phased out.Two new sections will be built on vacant blocks and will include a garden of the future, featuring contemporary garden collections and experimental garden beds.The other new features include an arboretum, a multi-use playing area, a children’s garden, and a billabong, all incorporated around the Bendigo Creek.Restoration of the creek will be a focal point of the plan, with boardwalks built in conjunction with a realignment of the creek. A feature will be the installation of several big pools.The White Hills Recreation Reserve will be incorporated into the complex, with a new aquatic centre being the final piece of the vision.The works associated with the plan will be made a consideration of the 2010-11 budget.