Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Fire Abatement System Cost Benefit Analysis

The Challenge
BGS needed to demonstrate the economic viability of its fire abatement project at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah to secure funding under the NSW Disaster Relief Grant Program. The key challenge was to quantify benefits without overstating regional bushfire impacts, ensuring the case focused on direct advantages to the Garden.

The Action
Polis Partners evaluated the fire abatement system’s benefits—including avoided property damage, reduced biodiversity loss, and lower suppression costs— against project costs. The analysis was conservatively framed to reflect localised impacts and maintain credibility.

The Results
The cost-benefit analysis provided a strong economic rationale, supporting BGS’s funding application and enhancing its case for investment in fire resilience infrastructure.