Chair’s report

Hayley Allen, BGANZ Ltd Chair

It is with pleasure I write my first piece for The BOTANIC GARDENer as the incoming Chair of BGANZ Ltd. I am honoured to accept this appointment, following the incredible work of former Chairs, Lucy Sutherland and Chris Russell. I thank them for their support of members and stakeholders through the transition to the new company structure.

I endeavour to continue this culture of support. There is much strategic potential to grow BGANZ, through how the Board enacts governance, develops strategy, supports members and member services, and builds our resources to deliver on these priorities. Through my meetings with individual Board members over the last month, I know they match my enthusiasm and desire to support BGANZ taking the next steps in its evolution.

I bring strong governance aptitude and interest to the role of Chair. I currently fulfil the role of Manager of Governance and Capital Projects at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, I am a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and I chair another organisation, This Life International, which delivers on development programs in Cambodia. I have worked in government and the not-for-profit sector for many years with a particular focus on the cultural sector and creating positive social impact.

I have grown my knowledge of botanic gardens in my time with RBGV and I’m grateful for this opportunity to learn more about the sector. Botanic gardens play a vital role as keepers and teachers of plant knowledge. We demonstrate best practice; creating beautiful green spaces while assisting our communities to learn about our living and specimen collections. Our role is increasingly critical in the face of climate change and other environmental stressors. As we saw during the height of the pandemic, people flocked to our gardens for connection, healing and respite.

I was delighted to attend the 7th Global Botanic Gardens Congress (7GBGC) in September 2022 in Melbourne. This was a fantastic opportunity to engage with the amazing work happening in botanic gardens within the BGANZ membership and across the globe. The theme for this magazine issue is taken from the Congress and I look forward to reading the articles inspired by attendees.

I am thrilled that the Botanic Gardens Day event is once again on our calendar for 2023. This, and many other BGANZ events, are made possible by the enthusiasm and commitment of our members, Friends and volunteers. Thank you.

The 2023 Botanic Gardens Day ‘Inspirational Plants and People’ will be held on the last Sunday in May, on the 28th. Our partnership with Seasol International includes the Botanic Gardens Seasol Plant Challenge, which engages members to share photos and videos across the whole month, showcasing their outstanding knowledge and story-telling skills. BGANZ Botanic Gardens Day Ambassador, ABC TV Gardening Australia host Costa Georgiadis, will again host webinars around four themes (yet to be announced – stay tuned!). Thousands of people watched or replayed live webinars this year. We are excited to see that participation again next year and continue to grow new audiences.

BGANZ’s four Regional Groups (New South Wales/ACT, Queensland, Victoria and New Zealand) and BGANZ’s two Professional Groups (BCARM and BGEN) are all actively engaged and also planning for 2023.

Our first meeting of the new Board is on 24 November 2022 where we welcome new members including our new Treasurer and Secretary. Three members of the Member Committee, Chris Russell (RBGV), Wolfgang Bopp (Christchurch Botanic Gardens) and Leonie Scriven (Botanic Gardens SA) are also members of the BGANZ Board. This member representation on the Board is guaranteed through the new BGANZ Constitution. These members are there to represent you and welcome your feedback.

As the end of year break approaches, I wish all members a wonderful holiday season. I look forward to opportunities to meet and hear from more members in 2023.

Hayley Allen Chair, BGANZ Ltd.