Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney deliver $140 million to NSW economy

A Deloitte report has found Sydney’s 'green lungs' - the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Domain - contributed around $140 million to the NSW economy in the 2016/17 financial year.

A walk through the gardens - An economic, social and cultural contribution of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, prepared by Deloitte Access Economics, shows that the gardens support more than 1,100 jobs and contribute more than $180 million in social and cultural contributions annually.

Commenting on the findings, NSW Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton stated “this shows that as well as being a wonderful place to relax and a major scientific institution, the Gardens are pulling their weight for the economy.

“It is not by accident that it’s one of the top 10 places for international tourists, this is the result of a lot of hard work to make sure it is well known and well run.

“Our botanic gardens are more than just parks and plants. They are living laboratories and the home of vital plant science and conservation work by dedicated and brilliant scientific minds.

“In addition, our botanic gardens are creating real jobs and boosting the NSW and Australian economies.

“This underlines the importance of the NSW Government’s recent $60 million investment in plant sciences to create a new home for the National Herbarium of NSW at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, and create a new science, horticulture and education centre at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

The report looks at the three sites under management of the RBGDT - the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and the Domain, the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah.

The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is Australia’s oldest living scientific institution, beginning its life in 1816. It is also one of the top ten most visited destinations in Australia for international visitors and was named NSW’s 2017 Major Tourist Attraction of the Year. The neighboring Domain plays a central role in Sydney’s festivals and cultural events, as well as sporting and recreational pursuits of city workers and residents.

The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah is situated in a World Heritage listed area, and the Australian Botanic Garden in Western Sydney is another important green space for Western Sydney, as well as a major scientific hub.

Key facts and figures: A walk through the gardens - An economic, social and cultural contribution of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

Economic:
• $140 million economic contribution per year

Tourism:
• $103.9 million contribution attributed to interstate and international visitors extending their stay to include the Gardens.
• Tourism is a key driver of the RBGDT’s economic contribution and 5.8 million visits were made to the three Botanic Gardens in 2016-17
• The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney was named NSW’s Major Tourist Attraction of the Year at the 2017 NSW Tourism Awards. It is one of the top ten most visited destinations in Australia for international visitors and took out Bronze at the National Tourism Awards in 2018.

Job creation:
• While the three Gardens employ 231 full-time equivalent employees, and create 1,116 jobs through the wider economy. 
• For every full-time employee at the Gardens, half a worker is employed in the supply chain, and three more are indirectly employed in tourism.

Vital Plant Sciences:
• The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is Australia’s oldest living scientific institution, beginning its life in 1816.
• The vitally important collection of 1.425 million specimens held by the National Herbarium of NSW is valued at $200 million. However specimens such as those collected by Joseph Banks on Captain Cook’s voyage in 1770 make the collection irreplaceably priceless.
• The collection and facilities at the Australian Plantbank are valued at $50 million, including 10,500 different seed collections

Social and Cultural:
• The social and cultural value of the RBGDT is estimated to be worth $186 million per year. 
• The majority of this value is derived from those NSW residents and workers who visit the Botanic Gardens to enjoy green space and attend events. Providing a broader concept than economic contribution, non-market valuation techniques are used to quantify this in monetary terms.