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REALISATION OF GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria (NGIV) welcomes the release of the “Realisation of Growth Opportunities within the Victorian Nursery and Garden Industry” report, which was launched on Monday 15th August by the Minister for Agriculture, the Hon Gayle Tierney, at Garden City Plastics (GCP) in Dandenong South.
This report is a great resource for the nursery and garden industry, and I look forward to seeing the industry respond to the insights and ensure future growth across the sector,’ she said
The Victorian Government is supporting the sector to identify opportunities for growth, including attracting workers for the future and addressing skill gaps.
The report revealed that NGIV’s membership base provided the Victorian economy with an estimated $2.5 billion of economic worth and employed more than 24,100 people in 2020/21.
It also found that 75 per cent of businesses are looking to expand their operations, reflecting a positive outlook for growth within our industry.
These facts underscore the significant contribution horticulture makes to our local economy, wellbeing and the livability of our state of Victoria and make the case for even further support to drive the highest quality in our supply chains and economic activity.
While the outlook for the sector remains strong, the report also identified priorities for ensuring future growth, including:
» attracting skilled and casual labour
» pursuit of a scoping study for a Horticulture Centre of
Excellence » strategic collaboration with targeted local government
» exploring export opportunities, and
» promotion and investment in green infrastructure solutions to help facilitate action on climate change. NGIV was awarded $110,084 through the Labor State Government’s $15 million Food to Market Program to commission the report.
NGIV CEO Craig Taberner welcomes the release of the report.
‘The Victorian nursery and garden industry is a complex, yet important industry within the Victorian economy and the report shows that with the right investment and support we can offer even more,’ he said.
Located in Dandenong South, GCP is one of the country’s largest manufacturers of plastic pots and containers for the horticulture sector.
General Manager of Garden City Plastics Geoff Allison said ‘Garden City Plastics is passionate about creating quality, sustainable and value for money products. We are a proud partner and major contributor to Victorian horticulture and play our part to ensure it remains sustainable.’
The full report is available at ngiv.com.au.
L to R: NGIV CEO Craig Taberner, Fran Coyle – Managing Director Norwood Industries, Geoff Allison – General Manager Garden City Plastics, Ben Wilson – Operations Manager Garden City Plastics, The Hon. Gayle Tierney MP, Minister for Agriculture, Lee Tarlamis MP, Simon Gomme – President NGIV L to R: NGIV CEO Craig Taberner, Lee Tarlamis MP, The Hon. Gayle Tierney MP, Minister for Agriculture and Geoff Allison, General Manager Garden City Plastics.
