Other factors have been the focus on the Canberra arboretum and the reduction in funding and staff at the ANBG. It would also help if the gardens became a statutory authority with an expert advisory board and if the director's position were upgraded.

Why aren't the gardens part of the itinerary for schools visiting Canberra? Should they not also be seeing at first hand the diversity of Australian native plants and some of the birds, reptiles and perhaps mammals? They might get an inkling of what biodiversity means and its significance. The Consultation Draft for Australia's Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010-2020, p.21 states ''Ex situ conservation (i.e. conservation of biodiversity outside of its natural habitat) can provide important insurance against biodiversity loss and a means to conserve species whose numbers have dwindled in their native habitat.

''Measures could include seed and gene banks, and living collections in ... botanic gardens.'' Exactly.

Those of us who treasure the ANBG don't want to see them turned into a theme park or circus to attract visitors.

Judy Kelly, Aranda

Plant for the future

Plantations of softwoods and blue gums, subsidised by taxpayers, including as managed investment schemes, were introduced to stop overlogging Australia's native forests. Instead, in the past ten years companies such as the Eden woodchip mill have doubled exports of native forest woodchips to Japan to one million tonnes per year.

They were supplied with ever-cheaper chip logs by the Victorian and NSW governments. NSW Forests admitted losing $14 million last year on chip logs; Victoria is selling chip logs at as low as $2.50 per tonne less than an icecream! MIS, promoted by floundering Timber Corp and Great Southern, were obviously shaky; however, state governments have also helped destroy the viability of investments in these companies.