… although heckler says price is not right

– Sarah Schwager
NOT everyone in the crowd at the Australian Garden opening on Sunday was in a good mood.
As Premier Steve Bracks took to the podium, Cranbourne’s Geoff Cousins decided to speak his mind about the controversial issue of admission prices now that the Garden is open to the public.
Mr Cousins said residents had already paid for the gardens through taxes, and the fee should not apply.
“For tourists to travel all this way and then find it costs $9 to get in, it is not value for money,” he said. “The cost is exorbitant and downright rude. I haven’t spoken to anybody who has said it is worth $9. A gold coin donation would be more than fair.”
A State Government spokesman said the entrance fee was decided by the board of the Royal Botanic Gardens, and not by the Government.
Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne divisional director Chris Russell said entrance to 351 hectares of the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne was free and the fee only applied for entrance to the Australian Garden, the first stage of which comprises 11 hectares.
“An admission fee is necessary in order to recover the costs of maintaining a new botanic garden and to provide a high quality visitor experience,” Mr Russell said.
“The revenue generated by the Australian Garden will be directed towards maintaining the high level of horticultural maintenance and support that is necessary to maintain a young garden to an acceptable quality.”
Mr Russell also said Casey ratepayers would receive a free entry voucher in the mail over the coming year, as well as a two-for-the-price-of-one entry discount for years two and three.
But Mr Cousins said Royal Botanic Gardens benefactor Maud Gibson, who set up a trust in 1945 to build the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, had the idea of making the Australian Garden a free public garden for everyone.
“Her philosophy was for it to be a bush native garden for all Victorians to enjoy, the same as the gardens in Melbourne,” he said.
One of the features in the Australian Garden has been named Gibson Hill, in honour of Miss Gibson.