Concern for future of Hunter Region Botanic Gardens amid M1 to Raymond Terrace extension plans

Works on the 15km, four lane Pacific Motorway missing link are due to begin in September. The new road is expected to transform travel in the Hunter by removing thousands of vehicles from high congestion areas.

But HRBG directors Robert Beautemont and Ken Page fear the upgrade will cause financial woes for the not-for-profit organisation.

"We're told there will be four plus years of construction work and we're concerned about the drop off in visitation because that impacts heavily on our dollars," Mr Beautemont said.

"Similarly after the construction period with the new highway at the front, people will be on the bypass and a lot of our business is passing traffic."

The new bypass will contain exits both north and south of the gardens, meaning motorists would have to leave the motorway to visit. The existing Pacific Highway will be reconfigured and will be the main route from Newcastle.

"There will be traffic lights and a bridge under the new highway, now all of those things mean a very new sort of presence for us, which we will need to adjust and adapt to," Mr Page said.

Planning approvals require Transport for NSW to maintain access to Hunter Region Botanic Gardens throughout construction.

"We acknowledge this major work may cause disruption and are working with the Gardens to minimise any impacts," a TfNSW spokesperson said.

TfNSW has committed extra signage to the gardens and is addressing some concerns related to access arrangements and development of landscaping plans.

"Once the project is complete, the reduced traffic volumes on the existing road network will improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, which Transport for NSW anticipates will encourage more visitors to Hunter Region Botanic Gardens," the spokesperson said.

Mr Page said the gardens had strong local promotion, support from local businesses and occasional government grants, but the facility was "very dependent" on visitor income for day-to-day expenses.

"There are people around Newcastle who will say to us they've lived in the area for 30 years and never been here, so we've always got the simple message that we really encourage people to come in," he said.

Mr Beautemont said he knew he had a role to play in making the gardens a destination, not "a drop-in".

"We've got to make this place a place they want to come to, to turn off the bypass," he said.

"Clearly the big challenge for us is to continue to expand that type of business to make up for what we might lose from the passing traffic."

University of Newcastle emeritus professor and HRBG patron Tim Roberts said as well as a tourist attraction, the gardens was a scientific institution and needed to remain for future generations.

"We are here to make sure that our grandchildren have the plants visible and surviving that are in the whole of the Hunter Valley," he said.

"The Hunter Valley is a unique set of biology that we are here representing and to save. It's certainly more than a park."

Mr Beautemont and Mr Page said they were in cooperative discussions with TfNSW.

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