The work will be facilitated by Mossman Botanic Garden’s Project Manager, Rebecca Pearse, who said the project will improve cultural understanding, landscape connectivity and ecosystem resilience at the site.

“This is a really exciting community project that will repair and protect the ecosystem function of Goobidi Creek, a valuable natural asset in Mossman,” Ms Pearse said.

“The project will start in the coming months with a cultural heritage approval process carried out by Jabalbina and a vegetation survey by the Australian Tropical Herbarium. Once this baseline is established we will be working with Terrain on a restoration and monitoring plan which will call on community volunteers to assist Jabalbina’s rangers in the restoration and biodiversity monitoring of the creek.”

MBG Chair John Sullivan welcomed the news, which comes off the back of the work done on a Draft Strategic Plan and the successful bid for funding through the Australian Government’s Regional Jobs and Investment Package (RJIP).

“We’re really pleased to have been successful with this Landcare grant because once the Plan is established, it’ll provide an opportunity for members and volunteers to get involved. This might be through tree-planting along Goobidi Creek and also future work to maintain the restored creek line, which forms such an iconic, scenic backdrop to the site.”

Mr Sullivan said a lot of work has been done over the past 12 to 18 months to establish a proper structure for the organisation and build a strong financial case for investment in Mossman.

“The idea is that MBG is here to run a world-class Botanic Garden that is complementary to our rainforests and other local Botanic Gardens,” he explained. “Through partnerships developed with the Eastern Kuku Yalanji, the ATH, James Cook University and many others we’ll be able to not only deliver a great tourism experience but also provide essential plant education and research programmes.

“There’s no doubt that other activities on the site could foster or grow local businesses particularly with tours in culture, food and art, and also with weddings and performance events.”

The not-for-profit organisation, consisting of over 100 members, has already invested $1.2m on acquiring the land opposite the Mossman markets. A further $200,000 invested in the development of an extensive Master Plan and Business Plan. This has led to a further grant through the Australian Government’s Regional Jobs and Investment Package of $100,000, which the organisation must match over the next three years.

Three months into this grant MBG has received $40,000 in private donations towards securing management capability and preparation of documentation for construction of the Garden.

The planning process will continue to involve the Eastern Kuku Yalanji, the ATH, WTMA, DSC and a host of tourism groups. The MBG is now working to secure an investment of $500,000 to complete the detailed design works (Architecture & Engineering) of Stage One construction, and to get planning approvals from
Local and State Authorities.

Together, these will take the project to a ‘shovel ready’ stage enabling the MBG to apply for funding through major State and Federal Government infrastructure and regional development grants programmes.

For further information and regular updates on the Mossman Botanic Garden project, please visit

www.mossmanbotanicgarden.com.au

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