The price tag for installing and maintaining decorative flower planter boxes in Canberra's city centre has experienced a significant increase, rising by more than $100,000 per year.
Contract Details Reveal Steep Rise
According to ACT tender documents, the new contract for the flower planter program now costs approximately $386,000 per year. This covers the management of 40 boxes located throughout Civic and Braddon. The contract commenced on August 25, 2025 and is scheduled to run for three years until January 2029, with an option to extend for a further two years.
The total contract value over the initial three-and-a-half-year period is set at $1,157,945.53. This represents a substantial jump from the previous agreement. The old contract, which ran from December 2019 to March 2024, cost about $220,000 annually, with a total expenditure of $911,541.54.
On a per-unit basis, the cost for each of the 40 flower boxes is now about $9,650 per year. This price includes the planter design, supply of seasonal plants, installation, maintenance, and eight complete plant changes in each bed every year.
Funding and Justification for the Cost
The City Renewal Authority, which is funded by the ACT government to revitalise areas from Dickson to the Acton Waterfront, runs the program. It is co-funded by the City Centre Marketing and Improvements Levy, paid by commercial property owners in Civic and Braddon.
While an exact breakdown for the flower program wasn't provided, the authority's broader 2025-26 maintenance, events, and marketing program is split 50/50 between the levy and the authority, with each contributing $2.7 million.
Ryan Murphy, a Braddon business owner and member of the City Renewal Authority's advisory group, defended the expenditure. He stated the planters beautify high-traffic, highly photographed areas like the Rainbow Roundabout, which visitors use for selfies. "The cost is paid for by businesses, and so the people that are paying the levy are paying for this, and I think that the economic benefits for the area outweigh the cost," Murphy said.
Program Logistics and Community Benefits
The supplier for both the old and new contracts is Citywide Service Solutions Pty Ltd, a Melbourne-based national company. A City Renewal Authority spokesperson confirmed the boxes are maintained year-round, with plants replaced approximately every six weeks to suit the seasonal conditions.
"This beautification is regularly identified as a key priority of the businesses and property owners in the City Centre and Braddon as it makes the areas more appealing and enjoyable to visit," the spokesperson said.
In a sustainability initiative, healthy plants are not discarded after their display period ends. Instead, they are rehomed through free community plant giveaways or planted in garden beds around Civic and Braddon. The first two giveaways are planned for mid-January 2026 and early March 2026, with updates to be shared via social media and the authority's newsletter.
The authority acknowledged that costs had increased "slightly" between contracts to account for inflation and supplier expenses. This beautification effort forms part of the broader Place Experience and Marketing program, which also recently allocated $35,000 for influencers to promote Civic and Braddon during the festive season.
