Blooming union at the Botanic Gardens

Your Public Service Association delegates are calling a members’ meeting across the three Botanic Gardens sites.

Agenda

• Horticulture and Living Collections staff benefits and satisfaction survey
• Functional Review and Temporary reporting arrangements
• Ice Machine

Feedback on the temporary reporting arrangements following the deletion of the Director, Asset Management Planning and Portals role is due COB Monday 9 November. Please send any feedback you have – critical, positive or neutral – to

Annual General Meeting

On Thursday 8 October delegates in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney Advisory Group held their AGM to elect the group’s executive at PSA House.

Executive

Madeline Ward Chair – (Sydney)

Patrick Chaumont Secretary – (Mt Annan)

Lachlan Ellis Deputy Chair – (Sydney)

Bianca Meier Assistant Secretary – (Mt Annan)

Delegates

Kristina McColl (Mt Annan)

Alex Zaroyko (Sydney)

Vacancies remain at Mt Tomah

Following the AGM, your delegates got straight to work discussing the priority issues including the recent review, safety concerns in a warming climate and responding to the bird flu outbreak, and growing the union across the three Gardens sites to ensure representation for all staff.

Picture: Botanic Gardens delegates (right to left) Madeline, Alex, Lachlan, Bianca, and Patrick with PSA Organiser Michael Parsons (not pictured, Kristina McColl)

The climate is cooked. Botanic Gardens staff don’t have to be

Your delegates have worked incredibly hard to achieve a commitment from management to procure an ice machine ahead of the 2026/27 summer. As we head into an El Niño period and are facing rising average temperatures across all seasons due to global warming, heat stress presents a growing hazard for the workers undertaking the essential conservation work and maintenance of these important public green spaces. The PSA praises Royal Botanic Gardens management for their constructive engagement with delegates on this issue and commitment to safety.

Contacts

Michael Parsons Organiser

Shane Howes Industrial Officer