National Botanic Garden to be returned to former glory

The National Botanic Garden of Belgium in Meise, just outside Brussels, will cost the government of Flanders €4.6 million a year when it comes under the region’s control in 2014, the government’s financial auditors have reported.

After more than a decade in which much of the infrastructure of the garden deteriorated because of an unresolved question of which region was responsible for which upkeep, this week will see the establishment of the Flemish Agency for the Botanic Garden, which will take over the running of the institution in January.

The Botanic Garden is considered one of the 10 most diverse in the world with, 18,000 species of plant and a scientific institution of international calibre.

In addition, the government faces a bill of €71 million for repairs to buildings, which are suffering from years of neglect. The two expenses for 2014 come to €11.1 million, of which €6.5 million will come from the federal government, leaving Flanders with €4.6 million.

“The Botanic Garden will present the Flemish government with a major budgetary challenge, thanks to federal under-financing and dilapidated infrastructure,” the report concludes.

Flemish minister-president Kris Peeters said that “the amount we will have to pay to make up the difference will of course have to come from general resources. We always knew the Botanic Garden would come with extra costs.”