• Industry Overview

    • Industry Overview

    People living in Australia are fortunate to have access to numerous national and state parks, public gardens, sporting grounds and open spaces where they can enjoy the benefits of plants and the natural environment. Many are also able to enjoy their own gardening and growing activities with the support of amenity horticulturalists, landscapers and retail nurseries.

    As cultural attitudes, government policies, and the natural environment itself shift, new skills needs and job roles are emerging in the amenity horticulture, landscaping and conservation and land management sector. Updated digital skills are needed to keep abreast of new technologies, interpret data, and identify links along the supply chain to make better-informed business decisions. Technical skills and knowledge are required to facilitate the integration of green spaces into different environments in ways that are safe, effective and sustainable, with consideration given to how these spaces might co-exist in proximity with each other while minimising cross contamination of pathogens, pests or noxious weeds. Knowledge of the impacts of human activities on the environment are also needed to conserve Australia’s vast and varied nature reserves and bushland.

    Between 2016 and 2022 Industry Reference Committee (IRCs) were the formal channel for considering industry skills requirements in the development and review of training packages. In 2023, Jobs and Skills Councils will be established to support a greater voice to industry in its skills and training needs.

    The Amenity Horticulture, Landscaping and Conservation and Land Management Industry Reference Committee (IRC) worked alongside the Agriculture and Production Horticulture IRC, which together represented the broader Agriculture, Horticulture, Conservation and Land Management Industry. The Amenity Horticulture, Landscaping, Conservation & Land Management Industry Reference Committee covered the following sectors:

    • Arboriculture
    • Irrigation
    • Landscaping
    • Nature reserves and conservation parks
    • Parks and Gardens
    • Permaculture
    • Production nursery
    • Retail nursery
    • Turf
    • Vertebrate and invertebrate pest management
    • Weed management
    Download the 2021-22 Year in Review for Agriculture, Horticulture, Conservation and Land Management

    Want to know more about the work to improve skills standards for this industry?

    Industry trends, challenges and opportunities were gathered through consultation with industry stakeholders and research to determine the skills industry will need in the future. They were documented in Skills Forecasts, which the Australian Industry and Skills Committee considered to determine future training package (skills standards) projects. Each project was overseen by the relevant Industry Reference Committee (IRC) and managed by Skills Impact. Click on the menu to the left for more information about the IRC, projects undertaken, Skills Forecasts, as well as units, skill sets and qualifications within the Training Package.

    Statistics sourced: IBISWorld Industry Wizard, 2020