Brookfield garden plans set for council verdict

An exotic botanical park set in the middle of Brookfield could become an exciting new attraction for visitors and Tauranga garden-lovers.
A paper will go to the new council in December, setting out options for the 3ha of parkland next to Brookfield Primary School in Millers Rd.
City parks team manager, Steve Webb, said the paper would contain a list of suggestions on the development of the land, along with management and funding options.
If Tauranga City Council backed putting the project into the 2011-12 annual plan, it could finally settle questions around the future of the land, which was earmarked to become the city's botanical gardens in 2003.
The land is owned by the estate of the late Frank Sydenham, who established a garden business on the site soon after World War II. It was later used for training polytechnic horticultural students after Mr Sydenham, a bachelor, died in the early-1970s.
The block runs down to Jonathon St.
It is administered by Guardian Trust on behalf of the estate, with the council responsible for maintenance. If the project survived the annual plan process, the land would be given to the city in perpetuity.
The proposal builds on a grove of  Pacific kauri trees which are already thriving on the land. Mr Webb said the world-class collection of trees was gifted by a local enthusiast and included species of kauri from New Zealand, the Solomons, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji and Australia.
The araucaria family of trees that were around when dinosaurs roamed the earth 65 million years ago would be added to the  Pacific kauri grove. These included  Norfolk pines.
Mr Webb said three other themes were proposed for the botanical park. They were a wetland walk incorporating indigenous plants themed on Ngaitamarawaho hapu's story of Hinewa; a garden feature based on plants grown by Mr Sydenham, including subtropicals; and a collection of climbing and trailing plants.
Mr Webb said the proposals have been scaled back from the original botanical gardens concept, which included a visitor centre.
The original idea was for the botanical gardens to be a community project, along the same lines as the Te Puna Quarry Park, but the volunteer trustees resigned en masse in 2007 over emotionally charged issues surrounding a family's burial of a baby's placenta on land earmarked for the gardens. The family previously lived in the old cottage at the Millers Rd end of the block.
Mr Webb said the issue had been resolved. There was no intention to disturb the placenta and the family's wishes were being respected.