Economic, social and cultural contribution of the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust

The Royal Botanic Garden and Domain Trust manages some of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks. The Trust manages 752 hectares of public green space across Greater Sydney and is the oldest continuous scientific institution in Australia, making critical contributions to ecological and conservation research. To develop a clear understanding of the worth and contribution of the Trust, Deloitte Access Economics has estimated the different sources of value – economic, social, cultural, scientific, and environmental – across its four sites.

The latest report assesses the economic, social and cultural, and scientific contribution of the Trust, which is informed by a citizen survey of over 2,000 people. The report extends our understanding of value of the Trust by including an Aboriginal perspective on the historical and continuing connection to land on which three botanic gardens and the Domain reside. The important ecosystem services provided by the three botanic gardens and the Domain – such as urban cooling from green space, carbon sequestration, wastewater management and providing a habitat for native flora and fauna – are analysed using the United Nation’s System of Environmental Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) framework.