The ACT has been chosen to take part in a new project to save one of Australia’s rarest plants, the Banksia vincentia.
The project, led by Parks Australia, involves new seed orchards constructed at the Territory’s Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) in Acton and Booderee National Park at Jervis Bay.
Assistant Federal Minister for the Environment, Melissa Price said Parks Australia managed Australia’s Commonwealth national parks, which included Booderee and the ANBG.
Ms Price said the new orchards would become a safe haven for the rare flowering plant, which is a targeted species under the Threatened Species Strategy.
“With only four known to exist in the wild, the Banksia vincentia is listed as critically endangered and is in grave danger of becoming extinct in the wild,” Ms Price said.
“This piece of Australiana is only located in the wild near the small town of Vincentia on the NSW South Coast.”
She said Booderee National Park had propagated about 520 individual plants, which were destined for the orchards as the park entered its second year of propagation.
“The plan is to generate another 500 plants, with the ultimate goal of having at least 800 within the Booderee orchard to secure genetic diversity and guarantee the survival of the species,” Ms Price said.
Commissioner for Threatened Species, Dr Sally Box said that by protecting the nation’s flora, we also protected Australia’s fauna and the health of the environment.
“The work being done to secure the future of the Banksia vincentia is important for us all; it means we’re holding on to a part of what makes our country so unique,” Dr Box said.
The Banksia vincentia was only discovered a decade ago.
Only 14 plants were ever found and bushfire and a soil-borne disease reduced the count to four.
