Arboretum is go

Also the water quality down there is often shocking so I wouldn’t recommend eating anything that came out of it.
Runoff from the new suburbs should turn the lower molonglo into a blocked toilet (complete with chemicals) in short order.

Ari, The redfin a few k’s below the dam are pretty scarce. I have only ever caught one there, a 45cm female.
Tho I fish *way* below the dam, not in the easily accessable stretches.
The whole river there is a series of pools, so you would need a series of floodwaters to push the little ferals further down. Plus it’s so snaggy chucking in lures redfin like is a good way to lose a lure. There are some stretches that are good if you have a yak or an inflatable, but for a yak you’d need to get vehicle access and gate keys.
Sucking water out of LBG to water the arboretum would further degrade the Molonglo, not to mention reducing flows into the already crippled ‘bidgee.
If you get down there, take a camera, lotsa wildlife (including the recent return of brown snakes) worth taking photos of. Overnight in winter is always worth a go too.
Hint: checking archive photos of the construction of LBG will reveal some interesting structures.

They say they’re planting Maidenhairs (actually Gingko Bilobas) and Sequoias and that the trees were carefully chosen:
“They’ve [trees] all been selected according to very strict criteria, they must survive on site without permanent irrigation.”
But my trusty Pryor’s ‘Trees and Shrubs in Canberra’ clearly states that for the Maidenhair:
“…it is not well suited to the dry climate, but adaptable with irrigation”
and as for the Sequoia:
“…the tree is not well suited to Canberra as summers are too dry”
Don’t know about the Wollemi although I would guess it too would require irrigation as the planted specimans I have seen in Canberra are all well watered.

KaneO, are the redfin any good in the Molonglo below the dam?

A Mushroomboretum: there’s enough bullshit coming out of the Legislative Assembly and Capital Hill combined to feed the mushies for the next 3000 years.

Having spent time cruising up and down the upper molonglo killing swimming ferals, I can say I’ve only seen *one* gum tree there. The rest is blackberries, willows and such garbage. They could spend the money hacking that lot back and replanting, whack in a few more trees (gradual reduction and replacement of mature willows) and facilities such as paths, tables etc. Of course doing that might appear to be logical, and as the area isn’t frequented by tree huggers the greenie whingers wouldn’t get any feelgood euphoria.
Greenies are more about stopping people doing things than making stuff better.

How long til someone makes bumper stickers saying “I will be voting against an arboretum in 08”?

JS thinks going against public opinion makes him strong and principled.
But sometimes it is just stupid.

a shruboretum with pixies at the bottom of the garden!

just received an ‘angry man’ media release in the email.

its a ripper.

its not wasting water at all. its only using what ten canberrans a year woudl use, and its from a bore.

the ct are against him. the liberals are against him.

yet he stands firm.

I think the cactoboretum is known as the ACT Legislative Assembly – Where all the pricks rely upon/hang onto slow growing, succulent and generally useless, tubers that serve no real purpose but to self-propograte every four years…

Coca plants please too.

Plant Opium Poppies instead: they grow well in hot dry climates.

you should know this, please read this. I understand baiting Areman is fun, but lets try and keep it to one thread. The poor dear gets a little confused after a while.

Makes areaman’s posts on a previous string look quite ridiculous now.

I never claimed it had been cancelled, what I said was:

Arboretum > Massively reduced, the only money being spent is what they would have had to spend to rehabilitate the land anyway.

And it was reduced, it was originally to cost something like 20 million, now it’ll only be 6 and apparently it’ll use bore water rather than drinking water (though I’d still rather it use grey water).

On a different note, (and without checking their website etc) is there any plan on this facility to be a multi-purpose venue – ie a large amphitheater for outdoor events such as concerts etc? Judging the popularity of Jazz in the Gardens over summer, there is a definate market for this in Canberra…

There was initially, I’m not sure now with the budget being slashed.

correct, hence the proof reader call mate.

S4anta: I think you mean et cetera, not et al.

Makes areaman’s posts on a previous string look quite ridiculous now.

I seem to remember Hargreaves previously telling everyone he couldn’t re-seed all the dead sporting ovals because there was no water, and they might all die after re-planting.

So why so many trees now? Or ever?

Does anyone know how many trees are to be planted, or what the cost of the trees is?

can anyone recommend a decent proofreader?

The folks who are thinking that this bore will be potable water (including MLA’s) go here;
Bore Water in ACT. Btw – I have no affilation intended or otherwise, with the good folks who are endavouring to manage this.

If the arboretum was being established using water from Lake BG, no worries. If recycled water from treatment works at Holt was being used, no worries.

But using tap water for the establishment of an arboretum in a time of drought, where all citizens are being asked to sacrifice their gardens in the name of water conservation is a sad joke.

On a different note, (and without checking their website etc) is there any plan on this facility to be a multi-purpose venue – ie a large amphitheater for outdoor events such as concerts etc? Judging the popularity of Jazz in the Gardens over summer, there is a definate market for this in Canberra…

And in these times of diminished green belts, and especially with the proposed development of the Molonglo area by 2010, the establishment of the arboretum may actually have some long term value – and be the legacy, if designed and administered well, that this Gubmint is remembered for in 100 years…

Differences Between Arboreta and Botanic Gardens

An arboretum is “a place where trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes.”

A botanic garden is a place “for the exhibition and scientific study of collected, growing plants, usually in association with greenhouses, herbariums, laboratories, etc.”

A common element in both definitions is the idea of scholarship. This is the most essential activity of arboreta and botanic gardens, and explains why they are usually affiliated with universities. Gardens and tree-covered landscapes whose sole purpose is pleasure or diversion do not qualify as arboreta

dont we already have an excellent botanic gardens ?

Holy crap – Queanbeyan never looked so good.

Cranky,

Some people are into trees, others are into little kiddies. Which one would prefer our Government to be pandering too?

As for why an Arboretum may be cool? Well, the word arboretum is trumped up term for a community garden or forest. An example of such a thing is The Morton Arboretum. The benefits of a planned communtiy forest include, increased space for all sorts of use, improved fire control measures and a diversity of flora, and spaces that generally isnt found in a planned community planting.

Compare such a concept with Stromlo Forest et al, bear in mind that during the consultation with the ACT public, a majority wanted Stromlo et al re-built…

As a government faced with increased debt, a pile of lawyers explaining to you the concept of public liability, which way would go? Build another fire trap around Canberra, or suck it in and build a slightly more expensive, but better planned and more asthetically pleasing space, that more people will come to enjoy (natives and tourists alike) as well as make the place look just a little bit better.

And all this before explaining the environmental benefits, which are better left to some green leaning individual, because I really couldn’t give a f**k. I just want a relatively cheap seed bank in this City.

It’s a sad day to be a Canberran, i sure that the rest of the country is glad they don’t live in Canberra. If Stanhopless gets re-elected i propose a mass exit to Queensland!

I’ve never looked forward to voting until now….

What a waste of water.

And meanwhile they are letting 40 year old established street trees die off…it makes no sense to me.

I’m amazed that there are swirling crowds of Arboretum lovers out there sweating on the grand opening of this thing, with the ACT Gov already calculating the financial windfall awaiting them.

OK, I’m no greeny. Why is this thing so much better than the Botanical Gardens?

Those wankers are going to further degrade my favourite river with this madness.
“Hey Johnny Foreigner! Come to Canberra! Look at trees you can see in your own country!”

Damn shame we vote every 4yrs now…they’d be out next year and the water waster would be non-existant.

If they use potable water on the young ‘ens, I guess it will be another message to the voters of why the Stanhope Government needs to be replaced.