Ōtari Landscape Plan stays in the Long-term Plan
In November, Wellington City Councillors voted to keep the $3.1 million Ōtari Landscape Plan in its Long-term Plan recommendations. The landscape plan includes building a new, much-needed, fit for purpose plant nursery and conservation science laboratory. 
The current nursery is a jumble of spaces and buildings, added to over the years, without even an adequate irrigation system. Laboratory staff share a Portocom for administration. The new purpose-built facility would also encompass public access to allow education and awareness about the work being done with some of New Zealand’s rarest native plants at Ōtari. The plan has been on the council’s books for some years.
In November, council officers had proposed a last-minute axing of the plan, along with many other community projects, as part of Council cost-cutting measures. In response, Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush Trust emailed all city councillors, explaining the critical nature of the work undertaken by the botanists, gardeners and conservation scientists at Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush, New Zealand’s only botanical garden devoted to native plants and a six-star garden of international importance. The Trust also presented an oral submission (along with other community groups) to the Council’s Long-term Plan, Finance and Performance Committee meeting, on November 9.
Happily, councillors voted to keep the Ōtari project in the Long-term Plan. However, it’s not over yet. At this stage these are only LTP recommendations. While we are grateful to the support we already have from many councillors; we will need to continue pressure to retain this funding when the LTP goes out for public consultation in March 2024.
Posted: 17 November 2023