ANBG Management Team Meeting

Admin Loft - ANBG

25 March 2009

Minutes

Chair: / Anne Duncan
Attendees: / Lucy Sutherland; Frances Verrier; Greg Whitbread; Irene Gargiulo; Stephen Speer; Murray Fagg; Craig Cosgrove; Jim Croft; Mark Clements
Apologies: / Brendan Lepschi;
Secretariat: / Donna Douglass

Anne Duncan opened the meeting at 11:46am

  1. Matters Arising From Previous Meetings

a.Future Visions: Lucy will email out today the future visions / mission information. Lucy will look at values as part of ‘tea room discussions’ rather then another all staff forum.

Actions:

  1. Lucy to distribute mission and vision information and will investigate ANBG values.

b.Logos: Steven is currently obtaining an expert opinion from ‘Couch Creative’ on the way forward for the ANBG logos. Once this advice is received he will revise policy. The ‘banksia’ logo was recently placed on water bottles for secondary school students attending a workshop that we sponsored.

Actions:

  1. Stephen will report back on outcomes of ‘Creative Couch’ consultancy once completed.

c.ANBG Web Revamp: Stephen had a meting with Rebecca Chandler (Parks Australia web manager), and it was determined that there were no issues with the proposed web architecture. Agreement was given to pass this architecture to Rebecca for action. Mark requested a staff list be placed on the web and there was a discussion re copyright issues when referring to journals on a web page.

Actions:

iii.Stephen to pass the web project onto Rebecca for the next phase.

2. OH&S – Nothing to report

3. GE Money Volunteers – Anne Duncan

  • Anne Duncan received a request from GE Money. They have 12 staff members who are able to volunteer for half a day on 17 June 2009 and they wanted to know if we had anything for them to do. Meeting agreed to support these volunteers.

Actions:

  1. Anne Duncan will respond to GE Money confirming our involvement.
  1. Frances Verrier will organise a task for them to do.

4.Plant numbers – Lucy Sutherland

  • Lucy requested a list of reasons for the decline in the number of plants in the collection. After discussion it was determined that the ANBG should have an agreed response to these queries. It was also determined that the ANBG is not like other collecting museums, in that the collection exists in a changing and challenging environment (is not protected in an enclosed room), therefore comparisons to changes in other museum collection numbers over time was not valid. It was determined that:
  • The reduction in plant numbers in the collection is a result of a multitude of inter-related factors and it can not be attributed to one factor alone.
  • The life cycle of the existing plants in the collection needs to be considered as plants may be reaching the end of their natural life cycle.
  • The drying of the climate is affecting the survivability of plants that are marginal for growing in Canberra conditions.
  • There has been a reduced effort of plant collection and plant-outs in the ANBG due to both a reduction in resource availability to undertake these tasks and as alegitimate management response to the ongoing drought conditions.

5.Exceptional Reporting

  • Murray Fagg –They are currently in the final stages of developing a quotation for the weed project.
  • Mark Clements – The orchid recovery work at Bulahdelah is progressing despite protests from a small number of locals.
  • Lucy Sutherland – Will have a meeting with the Ngunnawal leaders in May as part of planning process as they are keen to be involved.
  • Irene Gargiulo– Is currently reporting on last years budget – a reminder to ‘get the money out the door’.
  • Anne Duncan – Work planning for next year continuing.
  • Jim Croft – Spent two days in London last week at a Scientific Collection International meeting.

Next Meeting:8 April 2009

Next Chair:Anne Duncan

Meeting closed at 12:43pm.

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