General News
6 September, 2025
People angry over Botanic Gardens plan
ANGRY Edge Hill residents are planning to bombard Cairns Regional Council with submissions critical of the Botanic Gardens masterplan.
They also believe the consultation period is too brief to allow more people unhappy with the proposal to respond.
The council released its masterplan on August 18 and submissions close on September 15.
Proposed upgrades
Key features of the upgrades include:
New themed gardens in Flecker Gardens, showcasing diverse tropical species
Centenary Lakes Nature Play upgrade ($300,000) to inspire outdoor exploration for families
New interactive nursery and depot facilities to support ongoing plant conservation and horticultural excellence
Removal of ageing café and toilets, replaced with new accessible amenities in a more suitable location
Improved pathways and connectivity across the precinct
Enhanced pedestrian safety on Collins Avenue with upgraded crossings and speed management
More shade, seating and picnic facilities to improve comfort for visitors.
A spokeswoman for residents, Linda Jones, said the so-called transparency by the council was a joke.
Feral pig ‘nonsense’
“The ‘pigs of Collins Ave’, as indicated by our mayor (Amy Eden) on ABC Radio last week, that require a new pig-proof fence to replace the present pig-proof fence, are definitely transparent, as none of us locals can remember feral pigs sneaking into the gardens through this access,” she said.
“The many plants and bushes that are being removed to accommodate this new fence are certainly becoming transparent.
“The much-loved cafe is about to become transparent (bulldozed) along with one of our hardest working ratepayers and it seems that all of the money and effort she was required to invest in the café … yes that has disappeared as well and she will see none of it.
Distraught cafe owner
“For 27 years she has slogged away, seven days a week and since February, when she was notified her lease would not be renewed, has run it with one friend helping her.
“She cannot hire any of her normal 15 or more staff as she cannot offer long term employment and, unfortunately, all of her local suppliers are about to lose a loyal customer.
“The masterful ‘plan’ for this site is a temporary coffee cart.
“The ‘Japanese garden’ is obviously still a problem item, flickering in and out of visibility. In 2005 it may have been easier to spot with all of the Japanese companies that were located in our city, but most of them have vanished.
‘Blurry’ vision
“Very important sections of the revised masterplan for our treasured gardens are being left out of its scope, like the ‘exciting new entertainment and dining’ options, the entry gates from Collins Ave, the fencing on McDonnell St and much more, are very blurry, to say the least.
“So, it’s very generous of some of our council people to take on the burden and worry of these really important projects, keeping the stressful details to themselves as long as possible and releasing the important details only when we need to know, then thoughtfully sending us ratepayers the bill.
Fails pub test
“The Cairns Botanic Gardens 2005 masterplan review unfortunately fails the transparency pub test dismally and as we have had our employees in council struggling over this since July 2022, we think that a clear vision needs to be produced for public perusal before any work commences.”
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