Gardens on show

Mackay’s Regional Botanic Gardens will be on show in October as over 300 delegates converge on the city for the 2009 Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand Congress.

The congress will be the first international conference held in the city’s new $29 million Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre.

This year’s theme, ‘Plan(e)t Priority: Regional Reality’, will focus on global warming, climate change and how humans impact on our natural environment.

Regional centres are an ideal location to focus attention on reducing the impact of our human footprint on the planet and to recognise the unique role each region can have towards achieving results.

During their stay, delegates will have the opportunity to explore Eungella National Park, west of Mackay, or the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens.

The Botanic Gardens showcases flora of the Central Queensland Coast bioregion – a diverse area featuring lush tropical rainforests, wide sweeping beaches, mangrove lined creeks and waterways and open eucalypt forests.

The gardens were planned to interpret many of the natural physical features of this region of Queensland.

Boardwalks span sections of the lagoon to allow closeup viewing of wetland species and newly created wildlife habitats.