The Australian Gardens project is an important piece of social infrastructure, well used by the local and wider Victorian communities. It has provided a much needed generator for social and economic transformation in an area of largely, low socio-economic development. These communities will benefit from this resource for decades to come. The structures are mostly open to the environment but still highly insulated to protect from radiant heat. All material selection and detailing was developed for a long design life and to be low maintenance over that life, thereby reducing the life-cycle costs for the gardens. Timber cladding, both internally and externally, was selected for its environmental performance, sourced from managed plantations and radially sawn. The external timber will be left to weather naturally with little or no maintenance. Radial sawn timber was selected for its superior structural integrity in this application. Only Low VOC paints, oils and finishes were employed throughout. Lighting is limited and low energy fittings selected.