The Sunshine Coast’s much-loved tourist attraction Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World has launched its upgraded accessible buggy fleet.
Visitors using wheelchairs can now explore the 23 acres of gardens, lakes, waterfalls, and birdlife using two custom-designed buggies.
With $25,000 funding from the department’s Accessible Tourism Infrastructure Grants, the locally manufactured buggies were designed in consultation with Spinal Life Australia at a total cost of $100,000.
Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World Owner Frank Shipp said the venue had invested overall more than $1.5 million dollars over the past two years to enhance accessibility for guests.
“It has been an extremely positive outcome to receive funding to support these initiatives in the Year of Accessible Tourism,” Mr Shipp said.
Year of Accessible Tourism: Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World
As recipients of the Accessible Tourism Infrastructure Fund, Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World purchased two wheelchair accessible buggies and upgraded the rest of the fleet to improve safety and accessibility.
General Manager, Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World Venera Olesch said the fleet of buggies was integral to the experience at the venue and the upgrade ensured accessibility of an otherwise challenging site.
“There will be a number of very excited annual passholders to the Gardens and Bird World, who will finally be able to see the whole site with our new buggies,” she said.
The upgrade recognised the “huge potential market represented by people with disability,” Spinal Life Australia Senior Advisor Access and Advocacy Dane Cross said.
“In 2023, the Year of Accessible Tourism, we applaud the efforts of tourism operators who are taking steps to make their tourism offerings more accessible for all,” Mr Cross said.
“This Queensland innovation will improve access at the Maleny Botanic Gardens, and we encourage other tourism businesses to embrace improvements such as this in their own operations.”
The buggies were manufactured by E-Z-Go Australia.
Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World is home to over 600 native and exotic birds, eight kilometres of winding paths, terraced gardens and numerous waterfalls and lakes.
Grants of between $25,000 and $500,000 were available to support small to medium size tourism and events businesses to improve their accessibility through infrastructure upgrades, vehicle and vessel modifications and adaptive technology and equipment.