BotSoc presented written and oral submissions to Wellington City Council (WCC) on the draft Otari-Wilton’s Bush Management Plan. WCC has now approved the final Plan and sent it to the Minister of Conservation for final sign-off under the Reserves Act.
Although WCC responded positively to many of the 80+ points in our submission, we were not successful in some key areas. We know this because the papers that WCC staff presented to the Strategy and Policy Committee record the staff reaction to each of the points in all of the 28 submissions received. The following table shows some of our successes and disappointments.
| BotSoc | Council response |
| Range of native plant species grown at Otari is too restricted … the alpine genera and species are grossly under-represented in the collections. |
There is potential to manage our current collections better and there are also opportunities to better utilise the space available within the collections area. This is a priority before we’d look to extend any collection area. Also we do not believe that quantity is necessarily a reflection of quality. We will be in a better position to understand the need for an extension of collection space by the next management plan review, along with the additional resources that would be necessary. |
| Cultural heritage section should include reference to … the Druce and Dench collections held at Otari. |
Amend historical outline appendix 2
2004 A duplicate collection was initiated of the Dench Collection, a private plant collection held by Arnold and Ruth Dench. This consisted of predominantly alpine plants, several of which were rare in cultivation.
2005. A duplicate collection was initiated of the Druce Collection … held at Percy Scenic Reserve … predominantly alpine plants several of which were threatened species in the wild, and rare in cultivation.
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| There should be an alpine house |
At this point we consider the resources required for specialised buildings to be too expensive for too little return. We are better served by growing what we can well and establishing strong relationships with partner sites / gardens that can grow these plants. |
| The Plan should include measurable targets for the control of adventive weeds. |
Any measurable targets will be included in the next level down, as part of the Weed Management Plan. This could be changeable from year to year and would be down to implementation as to how it would occur. |
| Hybrids and cultivars and plants of dubious provenance, lacking value for education or research should be moved to the Botanic Garden, Bolton St Memorial Park or Truby King Park. |
We have needed to balance this opinion with that of others, for example, that cultivars are an important aspect of native plants in horticulture (one of the historic roles of OWB). However, only cultivars of historic or horticultural significance are to be retained and these must be clearly labelled and in keeping with collection themes. In addition, plants may be deaccessioned if hybridising … |
| Hybrids and cultivars and plants of dubious provenance, lacking value for education or research should be moved to the Botanic Garden, Bolton St Memorial Park or Truby King Park. |
We have needed to balance this opinion with that of others, for example, that cultivars are an important aspect of native plants in horticulture (one of the historic roles of OWB). However, only cultivars of historic or horticultural significance are to be retained and these must be clearly labelled and in keeping with collection themes. In addition, plants may be deaccessioned if hybridising … |
| Recommend the scope of the library be increased by purchase of more books … if library were to be expanded, our Society would consider adding to the collection. |
Thank you for the offer. We have included a new implementation statement. Enhance reference library by recording and documenting all resources in an easily accessible manner. |
