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Annual Report 2010-2011 (PDF - 2.47 mb) - Royal Botanic Gardens ...

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Contents<br />

OUR achievements – Strategic Priority 3A<br />

Business Plan specific outcomes<br />

(and associated Corporate Plan actions)<br />

Progress against specific outcomes<br />

and actions<br />

Specific Outcome 55<br />

Continue implementation of the annual feral<br />

animal control program at RBG Cranbourne,<br />

including the control of foxes and rabbits.<br />

Specific Outcome 56<br />

Increase the <strong>Royal</strong> <strong>Botanic</strong> <strong>Gardens</strong>’ capacity<br />

to generate revenue to facilitate the development<br />

of new resource management initiatives by:<br />

a. continuing to develop new, and refine existing<br />

tourism products to meet the needs of the<br />

tourism market<br />

Feral animal control programs at RBG Cranbourne<br />

were successful, again resulting in major gains<br />

for biodiversity management.<br />

A focus on integrated rabbit control strategies in<br />

the Australian Garden included the operation of a<br />

multi-disciplinary rabbit control program utilising<br />

increased fence fortification, trapping, shooting,<br />

camera monitoring, and a netting and dogging<br />

program. Gates in the rabbit-proof fence<br />

surrounding the Australian Garden were signed,<br />

installed and monitored. These gates allow<br />

bandicoots to move through to the Australian<br />

Garden, while blocking entry by rabbits.<br />

Foxes took 18 poison baits across the site during<br />

the five poison baiting events. In addition, 76<br />

free-feed baits were taken during the continuing<br />

free-feed program. On-site, fox nu<strong>mb</strong>ers remained<br />

low, with a 14 per cent decrease in poison bait<br />

takes and a 37 per cent decrease in free-feed bait<br />

takes compared with 2009–10.<br />

Increased knowledge of predator control programs<br />

including predator-proof fencing and threatened<br />

animal protection programs was acquired by a<br />

me<strong>mb</strong>er of RBG Cranbourne’s Land Management<br />

and Infrastructure branch, with the support of an<br />

RBG Melbourne Friends’ scholarship. This<br />

scholarship enabled the staff me<strong>mb</strong>er to visit three<br />

conservation reserves specialising in predator<br />

control and threatened species management and<br />

gain a national perspective on the conservation<br />

measures used at each reserve.<br />

The <strong>Royal</strong> <strong>Botanic</strong> <strong>Gardens</strong> continued to work with<br />

key stakeholders, among them industry groups,<br />

philanthropic foundations and donors, to strengthen its<br />

revenue base and capacity to deliver new initiatives.<br />

a. The Marketing and Communications branch<br />

continued to bring advice and feedback from<br />

the tourism industry’s peak bodies into the<br />

planning process. The branch also worked<br />

with independent providers to develop concepts<br />

for new tourism products.<br />

<strong>Royal</strong> <strong>Botanic</strong> <strong>Gardens</strong> Board Victoria <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> <strong>2010</strong>–11 page 89

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