14 minute read
WHAT IS A TREE
Despite their immeasurable value to us and the planet we inhabit, the majority of professionals simply don’t understand the most basic things about trees. And it’s having disastrous consequences on our landscape. In the fi rst of a series of features Terry O’Regan gets to the root of the problem
Does this simple question o end you? If you ever aspire to be a fi ction writer you will learn the importance of the fi rst line of a novel – you must draw in your reader. I am practicing. Do I have your attention or are you about to move on to the next page muttering, “He’s a right eejit asking a question like that; sure everyone knows the answer to that stupid question!”
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Ask a child to draw a tree and a beautiful picture will take shape – trunk, branches, leaves, possibly fl owers, and there’s always a bird in a nest. That is only half the story. Maybe the teacher doesn’t know what a tree is?
Ask Google and it might direct you to The Royal Scottish
Forestry Society website, which will tell you, “A tree is a large, perennial plant with a single woody stem which is hard and strong. This allows a tree to grow tall or very tall, to stay upright without fl opping over, and to withstand wind and other pressures. Plants are built basically of cellulose, but lignin in trees is what makes wood hard. Tannins and resins in wood give each species a distinctive colour and odour.”
THAT TOO IS ONLY HALF THE STORY
I put my pen to paper on this topic on the eve of National Tree Week 2018, but that was not my inspiration. The inspiration came from recent consultancy commissions to do with challenging in-fi ll planning applications with existing mature trees on site or nearby. More specifi cally, the inspiration relates to the question of how existing trees are understood in the development and planning process.
Now, I am not an Architect, so I would not design a house, I am not an engineer so I would not design a bridge and I am not a planner so I would not adjudicate on all aspects of a planning application. However, I am a qualifi ed, experienced landscape horticulturist, so I do know what a tree is and I have learned over the years to respect the skills of other professions and to understand the implications that Architects’ and engineers’ design and planner decisions have for trees.
In relation to both planning and legal matters, I have had cause to refer to the legal status of trees and the law surrounding matters sylvan, and as most of you know it is a blundering disgrace like so much else legislation in this incompetent state. The only sane legislation available has been the case law derived from common law that we share with the UK as it predates the foundation of the Republic. (This may have been repealed under a process initiated by the state in September 2014, but I doubt we could ever be that legislatively e cient.) The only bit of law we have added is the tree felling licence requirement, a ponderous outmoded piece of big brother feudal control.
But I have to admit that my spirits did rise somewhat when BS 5837:2012 Trees in relation to design, demolition and construction – Recommendations was published. It is not a perfect document by any means and I would argue with some
E E , B Agr Sc Hort(Hons), FILI, MIoH, founder of Landscape Alliance Ireland, has served the landscape industry in Ireland for some 45 years and promoted the intent and aims of the European Landscape Convention, Florence 2000, for some 22 years.
In recent years he has divided his time between his landscape services/consultancy enterprise in Munster and working as a Council of Europe international landscape and heritage expert in Southeast Europe. He continues to promote and refi ne his ‘jargon free’ landscape circle methodology and modifi ed it for use at local and regional administrative levels in Kosovo, Croatia and Cyprus.
The LAI website www.lai-ireland.com will shortly be relaunched with exciting news of National Landscape Forum 2018. Contact Terry at terryjoregan@gmail.com or 021 487 1460.
aspects of its key recommendations, not least the extent of the root protection zone, but it is a civilisation ahead of what we have had in place in Ireland.
That said, we have no legislation underpinning these borrowed recommendations. So what has happened? Well, in my experience some Architects and engineers seem to think if they stick in an aspirational reference to BS 5837:2012 on a drawing that masquerades as a landscape plan, then everything will be fi ne on the day (and pigs might fl y). But it gets worse. Planners think if they request a tree survey based on BS 5837:2012 and if that comes in the planning package or in response to a request for further information, then they can grant permission even if it is patently evident that there are glaring confl icts and inconsistencies in the project documentation.
The problem at the heart of the issue is the simple reality that the majority of these professional people do not know what a tree is. And they fail to either undertake the necessary continuous professional development or to engage with experienced qualifi ed experts.
Contrast the treatment of trees with the treatment of tra c or waste water concerns. You will fi nd that the planner will refer the design of the project to qualifi ed engineers in the local authority for guidance. But of course we have few parks departments in Ireland’s local authorities and even fewer qualifi ed horticulturalists, arborists or Landscape Architects with tree knowledge.
So the planner often takes a decision based on their own knowledge of trees. We have all used the saying about not seeing the wood for the trees, describing the failure of getting too bogged down in the detail and not seeing the bigger picture. In this case people who should know better cannot even see the bloody trees, so what hope is there that they might ever see the wood? If you’ve read this far and are still with me, I’m sure you will agree that it is time for us to admit that not only has the emperor no clothes, but also he is also hiding behind the fecking trees. It is time for us to talk seriously and responsibly about trees in the planning process.
With the benefi t of having BS 5837:2012 as a starting point, the problem is not insurmountable, but it still needs qualifi ed, experienced tree experts, it needs clear guidance, it needs regulations from the Department of Environment and it needs a well-structured continuing professional development programme for planners, Architects, engineers and building contractors. Only then will we get to the root of the problem.
In a future article I will elaborate on how to build on the resource that is BS 5837:2012 and also share with you some of my misgivings with the standard. ✽
www.dublingrass.ie 01-8386867
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RECRU ITM EN T C RISIS
Ireland’s recovering horticulture sector is facing a problem it hasn’t had to deal with for over a decade: a hiring shortage. Joseph Blair of Horticulture.Jobs provides some context and shares some salient advice to frustrated employers
dvertising for jobs has increased by 400% in the last 12 months. Applicants for each role have decreased by 50% across all sub-sectors. The writing is on the wall, we have an issue with recruitment.
As with the previous boom, the economic upswing which is positively a ecting the Irish horticulture sector is largely down to a resurgence in construction. And just like before, the building sector is sucking up the labour force. Not only can employers not fi ll new vacancies, but also they are struggling to retain sta in the ones they have. “They’ve gone o to start their own business…moved back to the construction sector… were o ered terms that I just couldn't match…have gone back to Poland, Lithuania” etc are the all too familiar responses from employers when asked what happened to previous employees? The employers typically describe their ideal employee as a carbon copy of themselves; complete with years of experience and unparalleled multitasking abilities. If only I could clone people, I’d be set.
The Republic is not alone; Northern Irish companies have begun advertising more frequently and are reporting similar di culties. Mainland UK companies began advertising with us in 2016 in response to their own crises and many Irish graduates move over in search of the wider range of opportunities on o er. Even the Netherlands are not immune to the problems.
On a recent press trip to the Netherlands, Horticulture.Jobs visited many nurseries of varying sizes and found they had one thing in common, they were all were trying to automate, but with limited success because they couldn’t rely on the usual sources of sta at peak busy times.
DRIVING FORCES
Many di erent factors aggravate the recruitment crisis, particularly in relation to general positions in horticulture. The ones I most frequently hear are: ● Low wages ● Physically hard work ● Unfavourable weather conditions to work in ● Competition from the construction sector ● Reduced infl ow of labour from eastern Europe ● High cost of living ● Choice of receiving social welfare and rent allowance, or accepting minimum wages and a tough job outdoors ● Limited age range because of the nature of the work
FINDING SOLUTIONS
Employers face a challenge to recruit the right people but there are some things that can be done. ● Communicate company values and culture rather than job specifi cation. ● Horticulture isn’t everything: in areas such as retail it’s as important to attract people with a passion for retail as it is to be interested in plants. ● Look to add additional benefi ts such as accommodation, health benefi ts and fl exible hours. ● Communicate more about the health and wellbeing aspects of work.
● Communicate clear career and wage progression from the outset. ● Seek employees from abroad. Ireland is a very attractive place for students and graduates of horticulture. ● Use existing employees to help fi nd new ones. ● Explore ways in which you can sponsor employees from non-European countries. ● O er in-house training. ● O er incentives for productivity and investment. ● Seek out partnership with other companies in your area to share marketing costs, particularly in relation to getting the word out in Europe that we’re hiring.
RETENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Ask any employer, and they will tell you that it’s easier to keep good employees than it is to fi nd new ones. While money is important, it’s not everything. ● O er the use of company transport. ● Consider supplying a phone or device. ● O ering health insurance shows you really do care. ● Give One4all tax-free gift vouchers for punctuality and dedication. ● Allow personal time o on top of normal holidays. ● Organise yearly team visits to at least one consumer garden or trade show. ● Consider profi t sharing initiatives. ● O er continual professional development opportunities. ● Ensure they understand how promotion is achieved. ● Hold regular meetings and keep the lines of communication open.
In addition to the above I would say there is one more key thing to consider in relation to retention and that’s value. We’re human beings and we love to feel valued. It doesn’t have to be the grand gestures, it’s the small thing that counts.
While my own insight has been gained from professional experience I thought it would be good to hear some additional points of view from others in the sector. Here’s what Ross Carew, executive secretary of the Association of Landscape Contractors and Dermot Callaghan, head of horticulture at Teagasc, have to say.
IRONIC SUCCESS ROSS CAREW
By some distance, the biggest issue currently facing our members (and the broader horticulture/landscaping/nursery sector) is the di culty in recruiting and retaining good sta . I’ve been hearing this from our members for 18 months now and it is only becoming more frequent, urgent and slightly panic-stricken. Several members have told me that the shortage of sta is a major obstacle to them growing their business and that they have had to turn down work as a result.
As one member said, “We have worked really hard on the di cult part – marketing and generating new business – and have been successful. Now, ironically, we are not able to carry out all the work that we have managed to win”.
I tell our members there is no silver bullet here, and that realistically the problem is going to get worse before it gets better. A recent newspaper headline said “Recovery threatened by shortage of builders”, going on to say that 80,000 additional workers would be needed by 2020 to meet the demand for new housing.
The construction industry pays much better than our sector. While the new national minimum wage, as of 1 January 2018, is €9.55 an hour for an “experienced adult worker” i.e. an employee who has an employment of any kind in any two years over the age of 18, the mandatory minimum hourly rate of pay for new entrant workers in the construction sector is €13.77 per hour. Pay rates for landscape operatives vary from €12 to €15 per hour, depending on what they are doing and on how long they have been employed by the contractor. I advise our members that it is worth paying a good employee an extra euro or two an hour to keep him, rather than losing him and then having to replace him which will often cost more in the long run.
I am often told that, while they would like to pay their sta more, they can’t a ord to as the rates they are getting for contracts are too low and under pressure. This raises a bigger issue of landscapers often getting sucked into a race to the bottom in terms of what they charge. I don’t see a good future for anyone pursuing that strategy but some guys are not able to break out of that mindset.
Another member told me that he recently lost two of his Polish employees because the economy and pay are improving in Poland, and they could get the same money at the end of the week as they would be getting in Ireland.
There is no doubt that the cost of rent in the greater Dublin area is a major contributory factor here. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The ALCI has recently started working with Teagasc, along with other stakeholders, to develop a two year apprenticeship programme, 70% of the time on learning the job and 30% in a classroom, leading to a FETAC level 6 qualifi cation on successful completion. This is something the ALCI has wanted to see happen for many years and we are most enthusiastic about this development, which it is hoped to have in place by autumn 2019.
A STRUCTURED SUGGESTION DERMOT CALLAGHAN
The current shortages of labour in the horticulture sector are very serious and pose a threat to the various subsectors. By its very nature, horticulture is labour intensive, with approximately 40% of all input costs coming under the labour heading. What is notable about the current shortages is that they are being felt by all operators. Having an administration and HR function which is top class does not guarantee successful recruitment. Producers who are o ering very structured employment packages covering fl ights, accommodation of a high standard, transport, induction and training are faring best but are still carrying the shortfall. ✽
E is a lifelong horticulturist who specialises in business support & development for horticulture businesses. Through his management of Horticulture.Jobs he has a unique insight into recruitment and employee retention. Contact him joseph@horticulture.ie
