A botanical garden will transform parkland on the east side of the Queanbeyan river into a Botanical Sister City Garden, reports BELINDA STRAHORN

MAJOR changes are planned over the next 50 years for Queanbeyan’s urban landscape, including the creation of a botanical garden.

Delivered in stages, the project – currently in the concept design stage – will transform a city-owned parcel of parkland on the east side of the Queanbeyan River into a Botanical Sister City Garden.

One of only a handful of major regional cities without its own botanical garden, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council’s (QPRC) mayor Tim Overall sees the project as “visionary” and a “long-term investment” in the city’s tourism.

“This will be a real asset for Queanbeyan and the community and more so for future generations and visitors,” Mr Overall said.

“In years to come, I see this project as a must-do attraction for southern regional NSW.”

QPRC has endorsed the initial concept for a botanical garden, a working group has been formed, designs are being developed and the community will be asked to have a say. 

Nine-hectares on the east bank of the Queanbeyan River – from the Morisset Street low-level bridge to the railway in the north – has been earmarked for the project, which involves extending landscaped green space along the river.

The project is based on council’s River Corridor Strategy and CBD masterplan, and the creation of a botanical garden would fall under stage eight of the masterplan. 

QPRC’s urban landscape manager Tim Geyer said there was a lot of potential for a botanical garden given the city’s connection to the river. The project would rehabilitate degraded river area and open up a large area of under-utilised parkland, for the community to enjoy.

“Essentially the whole corridor becomes a botanic garden,” Mr Geyer said.

“While we have a really great river walk on the other side, there’s an opportunity to continue it on this side [east] and link it back to the caravan park or the CBD. 

“The river corridor is a beautiful place, there are so many magical spots here that people don’t know about and could be using and enjoying.”

For some years QPRC has held sister-city ties with Minami-Alps city in Japan and a friendship agreement with Ohrid in northern Macedonia.

“When delegations visit, trees have been planted at Sister City Park in Macquoid Street, however, space is now getting tight at this location,” Mr Geyer said. 

With Queanbeyan being one of the most culturally diverse communities outside the major cities of Wollongong, Sydney and Newcastle, Mr Geyer said the garden would include include all sorts of native trees from countries across the globe.

“So, if we were to be doing something that would tie in with our sister city relationship with Minami-Alps, we would have a Japanese theme in the garden for example, or if it was with our sister city in Macedonia then we would select things that would grow in that part of the Mediterranean,” Mr Geyer said.

“There are so many cultures in Queanbeyan that all could be celebrated in this space using the botanical gardens.”

The creation of a botanical garden helps the council tick its environmental goals and reach its target of planting 1200 trees each year. 

QPRC tree-management officer Christine Rampling said she imagined the whole community getting involved.

“I envisage Queanbeyan Wildcare and other groups being down here monitoring birds in boxes that the Queanbeyan men’s shed built and educational talks being run for school kids,” said Ms Rampling.

“It’s an exciting project, when I’m 60 years old I could be coming back here and saying: ‘I planted that tree’.”

While it will take time for a botanical garden to grow and develop, initial stages of the project – including opening up unused parkland for the public to enjoy – could start soon.

“We are thinking of taking a central location like near Blundell Park, opening up some routes along the river corridor of the river path itself and that gives people a chance to start exploring it,” Mr Geyer said.

“We hope to do some early tree planting, too, because that’s what’s going to take a long time.”

However long it took, the project had the potential to leave a “lasting legacy” on the community’s well-being, Mr Geyer said.

“The community can live and breathe this project for the next 50 years; they can be a part of it.”

Visual concept designs for the Sister City Botanical Garden should be completed soon.