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From the editor
There are some interesting changes going on in the Australian landscaping world, and I think they’re mostly good.
Change is usually a painful process, though. It can be painful because we all fear the unknown to some degree, and change implies at least some measure of the unknown.
There’s no such thing as a certainty these days. We can be certain of that.
I’ve noticed over the years that the more people involved in a change, the more di icult it is to manage, and the more e usive the reactions. One person can decide it’s time to sell all the petrol and diesel capital equipment in the shed and move to battery-powered gear. They’ll feel only mild annoyance at the inconvenience the changeover will cause.
Tell a team all their equipment will change to electric – or to another brand, or even another colour – and watch the discomfort spread like ripples on an otherwise calm lake. Then watch the ripples become larger and larger until people are wild, human tsunamis crashing against the shores of reason.
It’s an interesting and uncomfortable phenomenon for any manager of personnel, especially when the change, whatever it may be, clearly won’t have any major e ect. But the people outside the o ice door waving burning torches and pitchforks and screaming how the world will end - because the company has elected to install a new microwave in the tea room - are beyond seeing reason.
of a variation in training and qualifications, try and not be too rocked by the situation. Take a deep breath and think about what benefits those changes may bring.
There’s an old pearl of wisdom which says: ‘every challenge is an opportunity’.
Right now the opportunities in landscaping and horticulture in Australia are coming thick and fast.
Don’t waste them.
Change is a necessity for all of us, and in a developing profession like landscaping,
Tom Foster Editor
VANS
IMarc
Lest we forget
Worner explores the relevance of ceremonial plants to one of the southern hemisphere’s most honoured and humbling ceremonies.
n the aftermath of the First World War, communities across Australia built war memorials to perpetuate the memory of those who served their country and who lie buried in foreign soil or beneath the seas.
According to the Australian War Memorial’s records, in the four years of this so-called ‘Great War’ approximately 416,809 Australians had volunteered. Of these, 324,000 served overseas, 61,720 deaths were incurred on active service, and another 155,000 were wounded.
In reality, some two thirds of this remarkable force was either killed or wounded.
Pause to reflect Remembrance Day is the day Australians, like so many others around the world, pause to reflect upon those who gave their lives during times of conflict.
Originally known as Armistice Day, the commemoration sees participants pause for a period of silence to remember those who died in all wars. Much of the tradition and symbolism is directly associated with World War One, when, on November 11, 1918, the great guns that for four years wrought havoc among a whole generation of young men, fell silent.
Anzac Day is another special day of
remembrance close to all Australians.
In the early hours of the April 25, 1915, forces of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (the ANZACs) landed at a small cove on the rugged slopes of Turkey’s Gallipoli Peninsula. Over 25,000 ANZACs subsequently came ashore over the following weeks, many to be cut down by skilled Turkish snipers and machine guns nestled in the cli s and gullies towering over ANZAC Cove. The battle continued until the following December when the entire force was evacuated without achieving the planned outcome.
Australia lost 8709 of its men, and New Zealand 2701.
Grevilleas, a genus of over 360 Australian native plants, produce nectar loved by birds. Image: Marc Worner
Technical insight
Day is a special day of remembrance for Australians.
Image: jimbocymru/stock.adobe.com
Plants marking time
Now, every April 25 – Anzac Day – returned servicemen and women march through the streets of small towns and large capital cities alike all over Australia.
This year marks the 110th anniversary of this battle. Sadly, no Diggers from this conflict remain alive today.
Over the years, war memorials have been extended and additional memorials erected to commemorate Australian involvement in other conflicts. No memorial is too small or insignificant to be managed and maintained because each records a priceless sacrifice.
Plants play a significant role in Australian war memorials, and there are two plants always included in these gardens.
Commemorative
On the cessation of hostilities in the First World War, the first flowers to bloom on the battlefields were red poppies (Papaver somniferum). Many soldiers believed the red poppies had been nurtured and enhanced by the blood of their fallen comrades. Thus, the red poppy has been a part of Remembrance Day services since the early 1920s and is now worn on other commemorative occasions, including Anzac Day.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus o icinalis) is a time-honoured symbol of remembrance. The ancients believed it strengthened memory and therefore became a symbol of remembrance for so many occasions. It has particular significance for Aussies because, by an extraordinary coincidence, it can be found growing wild on the slopes at Gallipoli. Sprigs of rosemary are worn on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day by Australian vets and others attending services and parades.
A famous Australian artwork, Gallipoli wild flowers by George Lambert, was painted during an excursion to the battlefield in 1919. It depicts a bunch of wildflowers he picked, putting them in an Australian biscuit tin on a soldier’s slouch hat, and consisted mainly of Euphorbias and Anemones with sprays of
grasses and soft, grey succulents.
Interestingly, in times of war, it became customary for men to pick flowers on the battlefields, and later press and dry them to preserve the memory of comrades who were killed.
Wreaths
Commemorative ceremonies in honour of those who perished in defence of their country often incorporate a wreath-laying ceremony.
The most traditional wreath is constructed from laurel leaves arranged in a circular, intertwined pattern accompanied by a dedicatory card. As a motif in bronze, wood or stone, laurel wreaths also adorn many of
No memorial is too small to be maintained.
Image: TF
Gallipoli wild flowers by George Lambert. Image: Australian War Memorial
Anzac
Technical insight
Australia’s treasured war memorials.
The fact that the tree Laurus nobilis (Bay Laurel) is an evergreen is further symbolic, suggesting fidelity to the memory and recognition of sacrifice made by our Nation’s youth.
Kings Park in Perth, WA, is much more than one of Australia’s leading botanic gardens and bushland reserves. With more than 1100 trees with plaques at their bases bearing the names of their 7000 war dead, the park contains probably the biggest concentration of commemorative symbols of any state capital.
The cenotaph at its heart always becomes the focus for the annual Anzac Day dawn service.
Local concern
Local councils in each state are responsible for the memorial-garden plantings and the surrounding park containing the war memorial. They all vary in design and plant layout according to council’s wishes. Plants in these memorial gardens vary enormously around the country in order to meet the local environmental conditions, maintenance requirements and budgets.
Many war memorials in honour of Australian soldiers exist around the globe. Most are cared for by local populations and regional governments grateful for the presence of Australian soldiers in their area which led to their peace and freedom.
Annuals such as petunias, alyssum and violas are a most popular choice for these gardens because they’re inexpensive and cheerful and always add instant splashes of colour. They can be changed as the seasons allow, keeping up interest in the gardens, and of course, the memorial.
Commonly, many gardens are planted using Liriope muscari variegata and Ophiopogon (Mondo grass) as borders in the southern states, with Rhoeo discolor and Rhoeo spathacea gaining in popularity further north in Queensland.
The ubiquitous Murraya paniculata is another constant in most war-memorial gardens, along with the ever-popular
The first flowers to bloom on the battlefields were red poppies (Papaver somniferum). Image: Jearu/stock.adobe.com
Pittosporum and Syzygium (Lillypilly) varieties.
Cordylines and Phormiums (NZ flax) are always present in these particular gardens, even though fashions in garden design change.
Coprosma is often used successfully near the sea to help enclose gardens.
Doryanthes excelsa (Gymea lily) is used where space permits and is a stunning feature plant in flower. Many war memorials in rural areas use this Australian native plant. Duranta – Sheena’s Gold – has proven a hardy feature hedge around Australia, provided it’s planted in a frost-free zone.
Honour the memory
Whether our war-memorial gardens are small or large, utilise plants or water fountains or seating on which to sit and reflect, the most important thing is that we continue to honour the memory of those men and women who fought for our democracy and died for Australia in conflicts around the globe. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Lest we forget
The fourth verse of the poem taken from Laurence Binyon’s For the Fallen, first published in The Times in September 1914, is used around the world today. Recitations of this ‘Ode of Remembrance’ are often followed by a bugle playing The Last Post – the tune played to signify the end of the military day when the soldiers could then take their rest.
At memorial services the melody is played to suggest the last post as a metaphor. The soldiers being honoured can hear the tune and know all duties have been completed, so he or she may finally rest in peace.
The most important thing is to honour the memory of those who fought for democracy and died for Australia. Image: Marc Worner
Many war memorials in honour of Australian soldiers exist around the globe. Image: Marc Worner
A deep connection to nature can be achieved by creating a natural and seamless flow between the indoor and outdoor living areas of the home. Image: kardaska/stock.adobe.com
We have all heard it before: ‘sustainability’.
Grand design
John Gabriele has designs on a biophilic future.
Co-operation
It’s the buzzword that has been largely overused in many sectors to emphasise the green credentials of governments, local councils, multi-national companies and sole traders.
Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. Unfortunately, the word has become just another catchphrase and lost a lot of the power it rightly deserves in driving social, economic, and environmental change. How does something so important to all of us caring for our local environment – and to a greater extent the entire planet – become so passé?
The answer may very well lie in our relationship with both the natural and built environments with which we interact daily.
Urban development is undoubtedly a necessity with population growth, and the need for housing steadily increases in line with that growth. Both greenfield sites and redevelopment of existing urban areas require careful planning and consideration, both of the environment and how the sites will impact the broader environment for years to come. A future focus is necessary, and landscape design should be the first consideration in urban design, not just an add on. Our connection to the land and environment is a primeval force that needs to be sustained to ensure continual physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Governments and developers should prioritise people over profit, not chase profit at all costs. Urban designer Jan Gehl sums
it up beautifully. Gehl emphasises that the urban landscape should be experienced through the five human senses and at the speed of walking. He believes urban development should prioritise landscape design to ensure physical and mental wellbeing. Gehl’s philosophy is encapsulated in his statement: “First life, then spaces, then buildings: the other way around never works.”
This approach to planning on a human scale is the foundation on which all landscape design and construction should be initiated. The philosophy is based on biophilic design –where we can have a direct connection with nature through the built environment.
On the grand scale, we need collaboration between peak community and industry organisations and governments at all levels. The organisations need to commit to best-
practice urban design and development of quality living spaces in Australia that embrace the philosophy of biophilic design.
Simple, really
Biophilic design might sound complicated but it’s something landscape designers can achieve.
But first, what exactly is biophilic design?
Simply put, it’s the concept of increasing our connectivity to nature through architecture.
There really is nothing new about this concept, but since the term ‘biophilia’ was first used in the 1980s to describe our connection to nature and a deep biological desire to engage with life, particularly plants, it has become increasing popular.
The importance nature plays in our daily life and mental health and well-being cannot be overstated. Biophilic design can create an environment in which we can easily connect with nature through introducing nature into our living spaces. The simplest way to achieve this is through indoor plants. Our homes and o ices can provide us with a stimulating green environment, giving us an opportunity to enjoy the benefits only the plant kingdom can provide, creating a nurturing, peaceful place.
Connectivity
Biophilic design can, and is, however, so much more than just an arrangement of a few plants.
An even deeper connection to nature can be achieved by creating a natural and seamless flow between the indoor and outdoor living areas of the home and commercial precincts. Opening doors and windows to outdoor spaces and integrating similar materials, such as furnishings and floor coverings, across both areas, will give the impression of connectivity. This is one reason why modern home architecture includes alfresco areas.
The types of furnishings and materials of the exterior/interior environment also play a significant role in biophilic design. Emphasis is placed on the use of natural products – such as things of stone and wood. Even soft furnishings, ornaments, statues, water features, textile patterns and artwork can bring a sense of biophilia to any space, indoors and out.
Through using natural light, natural materials, shapes, colours and vegetation, a true sense of connection at an emotional level can be achieved.
The trick with any good design, including biophilic design, is to not overdo things. More is not always best, and the introduction of plants into an interior environment to achieve a sense of biophilia can be accomplished with even a small selection of plants of varying heights, colours and textures. Don’t be afraid to experiment with plant species and arrangements. The aim is to enjoy the nature of the space, no matter how big or small that space might be.
The City of Melbourne has designed a green-infrastructure tool to improve the quality and quantity of green roofs and vertical gardens. Image: LAYHONG/stock.adobe.com
Joining the dots
Landscape contractors and designers need to work collaboratively with architects and planners to contribute towards sustainability initiatives and shape the future of urban development. That collaboration will make our urban landscapes better places to work, live and play.
There are many organisations currently working towards achieving these goals.
The need for housing steadily increases in line with population growth. Image: karamysh/stock.adobe.com
For instance, the City of Melbourne has designed a green-infrastructure tool to improve the quality and quantity of green roofs and vertical gardens. The tool aims to help design buildings that deliver benefits in nature-related areas – areas such as biodiversity and habitat provision, stormwater reduction and urban heatisland-e ect reduction. In addition, the development of an urban forest strategy to address low tree-canopy coverage in the town of Victoria Park includes the delivery of street trees, green basins, tree and shrub plantings on public land, free trees and shrubs for private properties and so forth. Other councils have urban ecology strategic plans which aim to improve native vegetation and bushland, outcomes for local fauna species and reconnecting habitats across LGAs. These plans are implemented in the built environment through actions such as planning controls and ecological assessments.
Strategies such as these are being replicated by governments at all levels across Australia, and the landscape industry is deeply involved.
Technical insight
The future
In the Building with Nature Discussion Paper 2018 commissioned by the Green Building Council Australia, five principles that underpin the GBCA’s approach to biodiversity and ecology and the broader built environment were identified. These principles can form a foundation for all landscape contractors to work towards improving environmental stewardship across the sector.
Building with Nature Principles (Building with Nature Discussion Paper 2018) include:
• Protecting ecological value by encouraging development on land of limited value
• Minimising ecological impact by reducing the impact on on-site ecology and biodiversity during and after construction
• Enhancing ecological value and biodiversity by improving the site as a first priority, and only then should o -site ecology be considered. This key principle will achieve gains in ecological value
• Connecting ecological networks by linking or maintaining connections between native or built landscape corridors, and
• Creating and managing on-site and o -site natural spaces by constructing new natural environments within the built environment and encouraging the maintenance of enhancements on-site and o -site. The future of landscaping is all about creating spaces that connect people to nature and enhancing the environmental performance of the overall space. Whether it’s a small inner-city courtyard or a sprawling country estate, landscapes need to be sustainable, functional, beautiful, and resilient. Designs will undoubtedly adapt to the changing environment, and the key for landscape designers and contractors is to find the best in every change.
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Autumn colours start showing their beauty.
Image: Greg Brave/stock.adobe.com
Autumn’s here
Jonathan Garner loves this time of year.
It won’t be long before the unsavoury periods of our various climate patterns begin to settle. The heat and dry of the Mediterranean regions begin to cool and receive rain. The humid tropics begin to cool and dry up. The inescapable and draining humidity starts to reduce in my coastal Sydney zone while the autumn colours start showing their beauty in the cooler temperate zones where I prefer to work.
I know very few landscape professionals that enjoy humidity.
Through all of the climate zones, autumn is a transformative season for the plants.
This is most noticeable at the extreme ends of our climate types – by ‘extreme ends’, I mean the tropics, the cool temperate and the mediterranean climates.
It’s a time when plants (and insects) prepare for winter dormancy in the temperate and tropical zones, or adapt to the changes in environmental conditions in other climate areas. It’s the time when breathtaking autumn foliage colours can adorn the landscape.
What is autumn colour all about?
The spectacular phenomenon where the leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs change from greens to vibrant shades of yellows, oranges, reds and purples is the result of complex biological and chemical processes going on in the leaf. The colour change is triggered by shorter daylight hours, cold night temperatures, and to a slightly lesser extent, dry conditions. Most autumn-coloured plants pretty well stick to the same colour or pigment every year. This is due to the inherited colour or genes of the particular cultivar or clone. The intensity of the colour each year is generally due to the environmental factors mentioned earlier.
Chlorophyll. The green stu
Most plants are green and all plants have a green pigment called chlorophyll. Even burgundy- or purple-coloured plants have chlorophyll. It’s just hiding beneath another couple of pigments which I’ll touch on in a tick.
Chlorophyll is the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis – the process which allows plants to convert water, sunlight and nutrients into something solid like plant
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Technical insight
Most autumn-coloured plants pretty well stick to the same colour or pigment every year. Image: Norman /stock.adobe.com
Chlorophyll is the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis. Image: Quality Stock Arts/stock.adobe.com
tissue or wood. So, during the growing season, chlorophyll is constantly produced and broken down. In autumn, as the days shorten and temperatures drop, chlorophyll production in deciduous plants slows down and eventually stops. During this time the plant breaks down the chlorophyll to recover valuable nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and magnesium, which are transported back into the branches, stems and roots for re-use in spring.
Carotenoids
The name kind of gives it away. These yellow and orange pigments are always present in leaves, but are usually masked by the dominant green chlorophyll. When chlorophyll breaks down, carotenoids become visible, giving leaves yellow and orange hues. When a plant gets low on
Technical insight
Anthocyanins give the reds, crimsons and purples produced in the leaf during autumn. Image: Anne Powell/stock.adobe.com
nitrogen (the fuel for chlorophyll) the yellows of carotenoids start to show.
The yellows of variegated plants happen for other reasons. Jump on the net if you want to learn about this. We only have limited space here.
Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins give the reds, crimsons and purples produced in the leaf during autumn, and are generally sugars left over after the plant has recovered the valuable nutrients.
Anthocyanins are also responsible for the deep burgundy colours of plants like New Zealand Flax and Cordylines, so the plants that don’t look green actually are. There’s just a heap of anthocyanins sitting above the chlorophyll
Tannins
This is the boring brown pigment that’s left behind.
It’s also the frustrating, staining pigment that leaches from hardwood timbers like Merbau and Blackbutt.
Tannins play an important role in preserving plant tissue from decay. Oak and Plane tree leaves are full of tannins. This is the main reason why you see these leaves still blowing around the yard over the following year or longer.
Choosing autumn-colour trees
Something to keep in mind with autumn colour is that it’s important to buy stock propagated by clones.
If you’re buying autumn-colour plants grown from seed such as Liquid Amber and Japanese Maple, then choose your stock in autumn. If you’re wondering which trees are the best for colour in your region, visit local gardens. If you’re wondering where to position plants in the landscape for autumn colour, avoid shade and areas exposed to high wind. The shade reduces exposure to cold and necessary sun while windy areas tend to relocate the foliage from said plant to elsewhere.
Autumn planting
Planting in autumn is the best. Establishing plants in the landscape is so much easier than any other time of the year. The soil is warm and plants are preparing themselves for rest. They’re reabsorbing sugars and starches. They’re focussing energies on root growth.
With evergreen plants, the warm soil encourages root growth while the cool nights and the shorter days reduce the above-ground growth. Every leaf is concentrating on creating sugars and
Plants like New Zealand Flax give deep deep burgundy colours. Image: Brian Scantlebury/stock.adobe.com
starches for roots to grow, for storage areas to fatten and stems to bulk up. This current healthy root growth will make for strong above-ground growth through the next spring and summer.
Root pruning for transplanting
Generally speaking, autumn is the best time to either transplant or prepare for transplanting.
Root pruning during early autumn essentially works the same as pruning branches. Cutting a healthy root encourages it to branch just behind the incision. Around shrubs, I use a sharpened spade. Around trees, I use a trenching machine or highpressure water jet to sever the roots close to the base. The roots branch quite rapidly and serve to create a denser root ball close to the trunk. This makes lifting the plant much easier during the cold of winter. On old plants and more sensitive one’s like Camellia, I’ll root prune one or two years prior to transplanting.
Natives…I don’t even attempt to shift them.
If you’re buying autumn-colour plants like Japanese Maple grown from seed, choose your stock in autumn. Image: dragonDNA/stock.adobe.com
Technical insight
Stay puts
Other varieties of plants I don’t shift in autumn are citrus, palms, bamboo and warm-season ornamental grasses.
I’ll definitely root prune citrus and palms in early autumn, but will wait until the warmth of spring arrives before actually lifting the plant from the ground. The roots of citrus and warmseason ornamental grasses such as bamboo (yes, it’s actually a variety of grass) won’t grow through winter. Transplanting these creatures
through winter usually condemns them to a slow decline towards death.
Keeping records
Autumn is a great time to reflect on the previous growing season and which pest and diseases may have been challenging. Recording this information and setting reminders on your project-management app will improve e iciencies (and revenue). Having a record of when pest and disease
broke out will enable applying preventative measures rather than reactive actions next growing season.
Late summer and autumn is when some diseases – such as honey fungus (armillaria) –show their fruiting bodies (mushroom). Jump on the net if you’re unsure what these look like. Lawn army worm is another challenge that loves late summer and autumn. I think we’ll delve deeper into pest and disease in a future conversation.
IThe STIHL BGA 250 AP Battery Blower
Saving landscapers time and e ort, the BGA 250 is almost indispensable for maintaining pristine outdoor spaces.
n the world of landscaping, e iciency and ease of use are paramount. The new STIHL BGA 250 AP Battery Blower is designed to meet these needs, o ering a powerful, lightweight, and user-friendly solution for professionals and enthusiasts alike.
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The STIHL BGA 250 boasts a maximum airspeed of 306kph and an impressive air volume of 1040m3/h. These specifications make it STIHL’s most powerful handheld blower throughout the full battery charge.
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One of the standout features of the BGA 250 is its excellent manoeuvrability.
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eliminates torque on the wrist, preventing strain and discomfort during use. This ergonomic feature ensures the BGA 250 stays in place when switched on or while working, providing a stable and controlled experience. Landscapers can work longer hours without experiencing the fatigue commonly associated with traditional blowers.
The STIHL BGA 250 is an essential tool for any landscaper. Images: STIHL
The BGA 250 is STIHL’s most powerful handheld blower throughout the full battery charge.
The central positioning of the engine, fan, and battery ensures a low moment of inertia.
bend
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Noise pollution is a significant concern in residential and commercial areas. The STIHL BGA 250 addresses this issue with its extraordinarily quiet operation. This feature makes it ideal for use in noise-sensitive environments such as schools, hospitals, and residential neighbourhoods. Landscapers can perform their tasks without disturbing the peace, and while enhancing customer satisfaction and in compliance with local noise regulations.
The speed-level selection is ergonomically positioned for fast and easy switching with the thumb, allowing users to adjust settings on the fly. The boost function, activated by an overriding switch, enables quick power surges without changing hand or finger positions. This feature is particularly useful for tackling stubborn debris and heavyduty tasks, making the BGA 250 the most ergonomic boost activation on the market.
Being IPX4 rated also means the blower can be used to clean up throughout the year, making it an ideal all-rounder for any fleet of tools.
Versatility and adaptability
The BGA 250’s versatility is further enhanced by the optional hook for a harness, sold separately.
This addition is perfect for landscapers working for extended periods, providing additional support and reducing fatigue. The blower’s design allows for easy attachment and detachment, ensuring seamless transitions between tasks.
Time and e ort savings
An optional harness hook enhances versatility.
Key features for enhanced usability
The BGA 250 is packed with features designed to enhance usability and convenience.
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With the CONSTANT POWER feature, the STIHL BGA 250 maintains its blowing power throughout the whole battery charge, whereas others taper o after the first 10 to 15 seconds. This means 100% performance 100% of the time.
The cruise control function allows users to relax their index finger or change hand positions during long working periods, reducing strain and improving comfort. The LED speed-level indicator provides a clear reading of the selected speed level, ensuring precise control and energy management.
100% performance 100% of the time.
The
blow tube design eliminates torque on the wrist.
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KC500.9 60V Backpack Leaf Blower
The popular Kress KC500 Backpack Blower is a powerhouse designed for commercial use, o ering a remarkable 35N blowing force, rivalling the performance of 65cc petrolpowered blowers without fumes, noise and vibration.
Equipped with Kress QuietStorm™ technology, the KC500 delivers a powerful yet whisper-quiet operation, making it ideal
for use in noise-sensitive areas. The blower features an intuitive LED control panel, four speed settings, adjustable throttle, and cruise control for precise power adjustments. Its ergonomic design includes a breathable and adjustable backpack harness, ensuring comfort during extended use.
With a maximum air speed of 85m/s, and
air volume of 1529m3/h, the KC500 is perfect for streetscapes, sports facilities, schools, universities and other commercial applications.
KC510.9 60V Handheld Leaf Blower – NEW!
If it’s power and portability you’re after, the new Kress KC510.9 Handheld Blower
The popular Kress KC500 Backpack Blower is a powerhouse designed for commercial use. Image: Prime Creative Media
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delivers exceptional results.
This 60V handheld blower boasts 22N blowing force, speeds up to 83m/s, and e iciently handles large volumes of air up to 1444m3/h1.
Like its backpack counterpart, the KC510 features QuietStorm™ technology and comes equipped with four-speed settings, an adjustable throttle, and feathered cruise control for precise airspeed and reduced operator fatigue. Its lightweight design, coupled with a durable stainless-steel tip, ensures ease of handling and precision for detailed landscaping tasks. The strategically positioned battery and motor create a natural balance point, reducing fatigue
The KC510 features QuietStorm™ technology with four speed settings. Image: Kress
during long hours of leaf management for your crew.
Revolutionary technology. Sustainable landscaping Kress is revolutionising the landscaping industry with its commitment to sustainability, productivity, and profitability. At the heart of this revolution is the 8-minute CyberPack innovation, a groundbreaking battery
technology that utilises proprietary chemistry to deliver high-current flow without the typical heat buildup that accelerates battery degradation. This remarkable advancement provides unprecedented power and a full charge in as little as eight minutes2, all while ensuring unmatched longevity, backed by an impressive eight-year or 3000-cycle3 limited warranty.
To ensure continuous operation throughout the day, the Kress CyberSystem includes a unique selection of portable DC-DC chargers, enabling ultra-fast battery charging on the go, even when kilometres away from the nearest AC power source. This innovation ensures landscapers can maintain productivity and e iciency, no matter where their work takes them.
The future of landscaping
For landscaping professionals, these advances have arrived at the perfect time. As clients increasingly prioritise environmental responsibility, the ability to o er zero-emission services becomes a valuable di erentiator. Additionally, these tools protect personnel from the health risks associated with petrol-powered equipment while delivering the performance commercial operations require.
The landscape industry has always evolved to meet changing demands, and Kress’s battery-powered commercial blowers represent a significant leap forward. Kress transcends conventional battery limitations, blending advanced technology with an innovative business model to o er an ecofriendly solution that promises significant long-term operational cost savings over fossil fuels.
Transform your operations today – the Kress Commercial range is now available at select Kress dealerships throughout Australia. To find out more visit Kress.com.
1 With nozzle
2 Charging time of the Kress Commercial 8-minute batteries when charged with the CyberTank charger in boost mode.
3 5 + 3 Years^ or 2000 + 1000^ charging cycles (whichever comes first)
^ Warranty extension is subject to customer registration of their Kress products at www.kress.com/en-au/ within 30 days of purchase.
The new Kress KC510.9 Handheld Blower delivers exceptional results. Image: Kress
Property maintenance
Hustler’s Fastrak range is the best step forward for those looking to manage commercial mowing. Images: Hustler
Hustler FasTrak and FasTrak SDX
Hustler’s FasTrak and FasTrak SDX range of commercial zero turns are designed to bring power to the ambitious homeowner and light commercial operator.
With their robust construction and reliable performance, owners and operators can be confident FastTrak mowers will deliver consistent results or years to come.
Hustler’s reputation for quality and durability has been built on machines like these.
Capability
The two models have some distinct features.
The FasTrak is highly capable for both residential and light commercial use. Its powerful Kawasaki V-twin engines and e icient fuel system make it ideal for medium to large lawns, mowing up to 3.9 acres per hour and handling tough terrain with ease.
The SDX takes capability to the next level with its Kawasaki FX Series engines. The superior torque and power makes
the SDX ideal for more demanding commercial applications, such as large properties and rough terrains.
The SDX’s advanced 10-gauge steel deck also ensures it can tackle tougher grass and debris e ortlessly.
Comfort and convenience
Designed with the operator in mind, the FasTrak features a comfortable highback seat, ergonomic armrests and a handy cup holder, ensuring comfort and convenience during extended mowing sessions.
The FasTrak SDX builds on the features of the Fastrak with a premium, extra highback suspension seat which includes advanced cushioning to alleviate pressure on the tailbone and lumbar region. The SDX also features upgraded Hydro Gear ZT3400 transmissions for smoother
handling, making long hours of mowing far more comfortable.
Confidence
The rugged engineering of the FastTrak means the mower is covered by a fouryear/750-hour domestic and commercial warranty, and its large, 32L fuel tanks allow for long mowing periods without the need for frequent refueling.
It’s a tough mower ready for hard work.
The SDX steps up to a four-year/1000hour domestic and commercial warranty, as well as an open-rear design for easy engine maintenance when a quick service is needed.
Additionally, the Fastrak range includes the SmoothTrak™ steering system for precise and e ortless manoeuvering around obstacles,
Upgraded Hydro Gear ZT3400 transmissions make long hours of mowing far more comfortable.
“
thanks to its dual industrial-grade transmissions providing a highly sensitive response to direction input.
A great option
Hustler’s Fastrak range is the best step forward for those looking to manage commercial mowing.
The FasTrak o ers a great balance of a ordability, capability, and comfort, making it ideal for homeowners and small-business owners, while the FasTrak SDX, with its enhanced power, elevated machinery, and advanced features, is the leading choice for more intensive commercial applications.
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The SDX takes capability to the next level with superior torque and power ideal for more demanding commercial applications.
The FasTrak is highly capable for both residential and light commercial use.
GAutumn clean up
Whether maintaining a small garden or a larger lifestyle block, Masport has a comprehensive range of quality products to cover most outdoor needs.
reat gardens and professional-looking landscaping demand hardworking and reliable equipment. Masport outdoor power equipment will help make any job easier. All chainsaws in the range feature:
• An easy-start system to ensure easy and smooth operation
• An anti-vibration system for comfortable use and to minimise fatigue
• A side chain tensioner providing convenient access to the chain tensioner, and
• A five-year domestic warranty.
MC140
The easy-start system on the MC140 chainsaw makes powering up the 1.5kW/40.1cc engine a breeze, and the ergonomically designed handle minimises fatigue during prolonged use, ensuring a more comfortable cutting experience.
MC342
The MC342 chainsaw is suitable for both home use within the garden and more demanding forestry work, with a more
powerful 1.7kW/2.3HP engine that starts e ortlessly.
The lightweight design (2.8kg) and advanced shock absorption with ergonomic grips ensure a comfortable and fatigue-free operation.
Straightforward maintenance – including an easy-to-open tank cap – make upkeep quick and hassle-free.
MC546
A very powerful 46.5cc engine in the MC546 delivers 2.0kW of power for the most demanding tasks. Extreme loads and hard woods are sawn with ease.
With its durable, three-part forged crankshaft, and an 18” Oregon bar with 0.325” chain, the MC546 will provide a guaranteed e icient cutting experience for even the hardest job on the to-do list.
MC556
If you’re after a chainsaw that’s versatile for demanding tasks, the MC556 will meet your needs.
The MC556 boasts the biggest engine
in the range – 55.5cc – delivering 2.4kW of power, combined with a 20” Oregon bar and 0.325” chain, all with a 3/8” sprocket rim providing added versatility for any task.
MB26
Clean up the outdoor space with the MB26 petrol blower.
At just 4.6kg it’s lightweight and easy to use without compromising on its high performance, delivering 265kph air speed for quick and e ective results.
Interchangeable blower tubes allow for both targeted or wide cleaning, and make the MB26 ideal equipment to ensure a pristine yard.
Learn more about Masport
Supplied with an industry-leading five-year domestic warranty, the Masport range of outdoor power equipment is suitable for all levels of tasks.
For more information, please visit masport.com.au or contact your local Masport dealer.
Turn your skid steer into a land-shaping machine
From brush-busting to stump removal, Diamond Mowers attachments make you the master of your domain.
Colbrook Industries brought the Diamond Mowers range to Australia in 2017. In those seven industrious years the Diamond Mowers name has gone from being almost unheard of, to one synonymous with quality and reliability and trusted by land-clearing and vegetation management specialists across the country.
Diamond Mowers attachments come in a range of sizes to suit a wide range of vegetation-management applications, and has built a reputation in Australia for being
Brush cutters
The iconic Diamond Mowers brush cutter Pro and Pro X are among the most robust and versatile attachments on the market. Known as the ‘Swiss army knife’ of vegetation-management attachments, with the ability to tackle the most challenging of land-clearing and maintenance tasks – like mowing the tallest and thickest of grasses, mulching dense brush like gorse,
the hardest working land-clearance gear in the industry.
Well-respected for its reliability and ease of maintenance, it’s at the top of its game for e iciency and e ectiveness, with a solution to cover all core and specialist vegetation-management challenges.
Backed by Colbrook Industries’ industry leading after-sales service and support, the Diamond Mowers range is hard to go past. For more information, jump onto colbrookindustries.com.au
blackberry, lantana and small trees. The Diamond Mowers brush cutters also have the capability to take down trees up to 255mm (10") in diameter.
The Pro X was engineered and built for the full-time contractor, while the recently released Pro series was developed as a more economical solution for land owners and entry level operators looking to expanding their landscape-maintenance business.
Drum mulchers
Versatile performance with precise results. Tackle tough vegetation with a drum mulcher that delivers superior cutting and mulching capabilities, along with enhanced motor protection. Smoothly and e iciently work through the largest of trees and brush. Producing a finer mulch and more controlled output than the Disc Mulcher, the drum makes for a safe solution for in and around populated areas. Available in Pro X models with open drum and depth-control configuration, and also a DC Pro for smaller loaders up to 75hp
The SK-Brush-Cutter-Pro-X 1. Image: Colbrook Industries
Diamond Mowers SK Drum Mulcher OD Pro-X 2. Image: Colbrook Industries
Stump grinders
Remove stumps below ground level e iciently with a stump grinder o ering powerful grinding capabilities and precision engineering. Add value to your current landscape-maintenance business with a stump-grinding attachment. Available in two models, the Miller: with six-way grinding wheel positioning with swing, lift, and telescoping functions; and the Reflex: simple, strong, and cost-e ective.
Disk mulchers
Rapid, rugged and reliable – The Skid Steer Disc Mulcher is built for rapid land clearing. Make short work of trees and brush with a disc mulcher designed for high-speed cutting and long-lasting performance in demanding conditions. Tackle the toughest vegetation with confidence, knowing the power and precision is there to get the job done e iciently and e ectively. Available for large and mid-sized machines, in either the Pro X or the beltdrive Pro X.
• Reduces your labour requirements and costs.
• Single operator can generate the same revenue as a crew of three.
• Manage fewer employees with greater productivity.
• Grow your business with less labour.
• Remote operated for optimum operator safety.
• Mow slopes and hazardous terrain in half the time with just a crew of one.
• Designed to secure niche revenue, maintaining: Hillside and steep inclines; Golf course rough; Dam, water course, drainage & levy embankments; wet or swampy terrain; hard to access roadsides 50° SLOPE CAPABILITY
Available in two models, Miller and Reflex. Image: Colbrook Industries
Designed for high-speed cutting in demanding conditions. Image: Colbrook Industries
Ditch Witch SK900 mini skid steer
Muscle where you need it most.
With its superior power, torque, and speed, along with its user-friendly features and durable design, The Ditch Witch SK900 is a gamechanger for any construction or landscaping project.
From the ground up
Equipped with a Yanmar 24hp (18.5kW) turbo-diesel engine, the SK900 o ers a powerful package with a narrow footprint, optimising power without sacrificing the manoeuvrability and versatility.
With increased torque-to-the-ground drive, this machine outperforms the competition, making it a must-have for any construction and landscaping project.
The manual throttle lever from the Ditch Witch® SK1550 has been added, and an improved ground-drive hydraulic system improves longevity while daily upkeep is made easier with an accessible fuel cover and thicker exhaust pipe, and Ditch Witch® o ers a full line of compatible quick-change attachments.
See the SK range
Visit the product page at ditchwitchcea.com to use the interactive attachment selector, or ask your Ditch Witch CEA dealer about additional attachment options.
The SK900 puts in the muscle on landscaping and construction-grade jobs. Image: Ditch Witch CEA
Rated operating capacity (35% of tipping capacity): 422kg
Machine weight (no attachment, fluids full): 1447kg
Hydraulic system
Auxiliary circuit: Double gear pump
Flow rate: Pump 1 23.8lpm. Pump 2 21.5lpm
Pressure: 207 bar
Power
Engine: Yanmar 3TNV80FT
Fuel: Diesel
Gross power rating (SAE J1995): 18.5kW
Emissions compliance: EU Stage V
Number of cylinders: Three
Displacement: 1.27 litres
Bore: 80mm
Stroke: 84mm
Rated speed: 2600rpm
Fluid capacities
Hydraulic reservoir capacity: 35 litres
Engine oil, with filter: 4.7 litres
Fuel tank capacity: 40 litres
Noise level
Operator ear sound pressure: 89dBA
Sound power: 99dBA
Battery
SAE reserve capacity rating: 110 min
Electrical system: 12V
* Specifications are general and subject to change without notice. If exact measurements are required, equipment should be weighed and measured. Due to selected options, delivered equipment may not necessarily match that shown.
A game-changer for any construction or landscaping project.
Image: Ditch Witch CEA
Renault and Vogue Plus
The Renault Master Van has proven a winner for a high-end property-maintenance company.
Based in Victoria’s Collingwood, Vogue Plus specialises in lawn and garden maintenance for several architects and blueribbon landscaping companies. With six sta – two admin and four on the tools – and a client list of around 50, Vogue Plus is thriving.
The company recently acquired two Renault Master Vans and is finding them an excellent choice for hard work and excellent presentation.
But deciding to run with Renault possibly wasn’t navigated in the usual way.
Fast decision
“We didn’t do a hell of a lot of research,” General Manager Andrew Toogood told Landscape Contractor with a wry smile. “One of our directors had noticed a couple of companies running the Renault Master Van for similar services, and we went for a test drive.
“We were blown away by the value.”
It didn’t take long for the Vogue Plus crew to make a decision, as Andrew explained:
“We were surprised. We saw the price, the value, and it met all our needs, and there was one sitting there ready to go.”
The right choice
The Renault must’ve performed well, because before long Vogue Plus had a second Master Van – one fitted out to serve the petrolpowered equipment and the second with an
The rearview camera and all the sensors are there for parking…it’s incredibly safe “ “
Vogue Plus has found Renault Master Vans an excellent choice for both hard work and excellent presentation. Image: Vogue Plus
The experience with Renault has Vogue Plus looking to expand its fleet. Image: Vogue Plus.
inverter to serve the battery equipment –and there’s plans to increase the size of the fleet as the whole company moves to battery power.
The loads being transported by the Renaults include the usual propertymaintenance catalogue of equipment: hand tools, mowers, materials, and of course, people.
“We’ve kitted out both vans,” Andrew outlined. “We’ve got roofracks for our ladders and we’ve fitted out the insides with storage units. And of course, we have two people in each van every day.”
While Master Van’s cargo capacity has been a big drawcard for Vogue Plus, the opinions of the crews who actually drive them has been overwhelmingly positive.
“They’re very spacious and comfortable,” said Andrew.
“With all the devices we have these days, it was really easy to plug in and utilise maps, CarPlay, and take calls and do everything.
“The visibility is really good as well, not only for what’s in front, but for all around. That’s really important for us. We do a lot of work in the city, and having the cameras and all the sensors is a big plus. It can take some time to park a big van in the city, but the team has said this is the best van they’ve used.”
“The lane assist and cruise control are incredibly easy to use. Everything’s on the steering wheel. There’s no chasing across the van to get to the touchscreen. Everything is right at the driver’s fingertips to take a call, use the cruise control, use lane assist…the rearview camera and all the sensors are there for parking…it’s incredibly safe.”
More to come
Andrew went on to detail how well the rear barn-doors and side access suited the crews for the loading and unloading of material and equipment, before summing things up nicely.
“We’re very happy with the Renault Master Vans we have, and for the way they present. There’s no doubt we’ll continue to use this model.
“We’re also looking at extending our services, and we’re looking at the Trafic.
“We’ve had a really good experience across the board with Renault. Not just with sales and with the van itself, but we’ve had a few phone calls with the dealer setting up servicing, and everyone’s been amazing.
“That obviously helps a lot. A quality van is important, but add the aftersales care and it makes life a lot easier.”
To learn more about Renault’s Master Van, visit renault.com.au.
We’re very happy with the Renault Master Vans we have, and for the way they present. There’s no doubt we’ll continue to use this model
“
Both vans have been kitted out to service landscapers and their equipment. Image: Vogue Plus
Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bobcat
Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World must be one of the most scenic and peaceful establishments within one of Queensland’s most peaceful and scenic destinations. The facility is kept in fabulous condition by dedicated sta and some hard-working Bobcat equipment.
The area above Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, and especially the town of Maleny, have long been considered one of Australia’s most beautiful locations. Rolling green hills and valleys are home to co ee shops, boutique stores and quaint villages much sought after by in-the-know travellers.
A jewel in the crown of this gem of a region is the botanic garden – to give it its correct name, Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World. The immaculately presented panorama of horticultural magnificence is a lush green precinct of food, shopping, walk-through aviaries, and of course, impossibly gorgeous gardens.
Overseeing this amazing facility is someone who seems to radiate the joy and happiness reflected in the gardens themselves, General Manager Verena Olesch.
A dynamic duo
Care for an establishment like Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World – we’ll just call it Maleny Botanic Gardens – must have its stresses, but it’s not immediately obvious when speaking to the glowingly cheerful Verena.
“We have 23 acres of manicured gardens and pathways,” o ered the smiling General Manager. “We have a lot of bitumen roads. We run a fleet of 20 golf carts for people because we’re on a very steep hill, so it’s a challenge for even able-bodied people to walk it.”
A considerable part of the maintenance and upkeep of the 23 acres is handled by two Bobcat machines, and if Verena seemed to be bubbling over with joy talking about the gardens, she positively beamed when speaking to Landscape Contractor of the Bobcats
“The excavator we use to dig trenches, holes and drains, and we plant stu – ’cos we’ve got the auger attachment and a couple of buckets – and we use it for anything we might need to reach,” she o ered. “It’s really a very flexible machine we can use for lots of di erent things.”
The T450 has a bucket and a streetsweeper attachment, which, with the considerable network of roads and pathways to be maintained, gets a great deal of use.
“A lot of people, probably 80 per cent of our guests, will hire a golf cart to get around,” detailed the enthusiastic Verena. “They use the concrete pathways, and once we found out there was a streetsweeper attachment, we were like, ‘Whoa. We need to have that’.
“It’s definitely been a good thing.”
Happy sta
When we asked about the sta ’s thoughts on the Bobcats, the response was as positive as we suspect just about everything is at Maleny Botanic Gardens.
“We have our regular operators for the Bobcats who we know treat them with respect,” she smiled. “They are our precious machines.”
Maintenance and downtime are big considerations with any machinery, and as General Manager, Verena has to be across any problems the equipment might have. But it seems there just haven’t been any.
“I can’t think of any issues we’ve had with those two Bobcats,” she mused. “They’ve both been really good.”
“We maintain our equipment ourselves as much as we can,” she continued, “and if there are any issues we ring the experts at Clark Equipment. They’re basically the reason we stay with Bobcat: we get good service, we don’t have any issues, and if we did have an issue we know it would be dealt with.” Bobcat’s E20z
“We have the E20z zero-tail-swing twotonne excavator and the T450 PosiTrac tracked loader,” she listed, “and they’re good workhorses.”
Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World sits in one of Australia’s most beautiful locations. Images: Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World
the 18Z-1 may be, but it’s also quick, powerful and productive.
Compact
Image: JCB CEA
JCB 18Z-1 mini excavator
JCB mini and compact excavators are designed to excel in areas most important to landscapers: comfort, controllability, reliability, serviceability and performance. The JCB 18Z-1 mini excavator is an excellent example.
JCB’s 18Z-1 mini excavator provides precision control, unrivalled service access and an exceptional operator environment…all in a compact package that’s easy to transport and ideal for confined job sites.
Compact the 18Z-1 may be, but it’s also quick, powerful and productive.
A quick overview
Featuring steel bodywork for maximum impact protection and ease of repair, the 18Z-1 runs a full-width solid-cast 173kg counterweight, while a heavy-duty, strong, H-frame undercarriage provides rigid support.
An open design allows spoil to fall readily through to the ground, and the 1800mm main boom with top-mounted lift ram
provides maximum protection for the hydraulic cylinder components. A tough ‘Power-Matched’ engine and hydraulic configurations give this machine the digstrong performance others in the market find hard to match.
• Transport weight: 1680kg
• Maximum dig depth: 2.4m
• Maximum dump height: 2.6m
See the range
With JCB, choosing your next mini excavator or compact excavator just got a whole lot easier.
For more information on new small excavators contact your local JCB dealer, call 1300 522 232, or log on to jcbcea.com.au.
The top-mounted lift ram provides maximum protection for the hydraulic cylinder components “ “
Construction equipment
The Kramer KT144 isn’t just a telehandler, it’s a revolution in landscaping equipment.
Images: Brandt
Kramer KT144 telehandler
A landscaping game-changer.
When it comes to landscaping, professionals demand compact yet powerful equipment that’s versatile and reliable. Enter the Kramer K 144, the telehandler designed for landscapers.
Built with precision German engineering and distributed locally by Brandt, the KT144 redefines e iciency, durability, and performance. It’s an absolute must-have for any serious landscaping professional.
Purpose built
While Kramer telehandlers are celebrated in the agricultural world, the KT144 is tailored to meet the demanding needs of landscapers. It’s the most agile, powerful, and featurepacked telehandler in its class, outshining the competition in every respect. Among the five Kramer models available in Australia — the KT144, KT276, KT307, KT407, and KT457 — none match the KT144 when it comes to
tackling tight job sites with outright precision and power.
The Kramer telehandler naming system is as intuitive as the machine itself: the first two digits indicate lift capacity in tonnes, while the third digit represents reach in metres. The KT144 boasts an impressive 1.4-tonne lift capacity and a four-metre reach, o ering an ideal balance of strength and compact design to master any landscaping challenge with ease.
Why the KT144 reigns
Landscapers often face tight working conditions, and the KT144 is built to dominate those environments. Its compact dimensions allow it to weave through narrow pathways, urban projects, and confined garden spaces e ortlessly—all without sacrificing power. And despite its small footprint, the KT144 packs a punch. With an impressive 1.4-tonne
lift capacity and four-metre reach, this telehandler e ortlessly moves soil, mulch, stones, and heavy materials, making it an ideal all-in-one machine for landscapers.
The KT144 is also a workhorse built to last. Designed for the harshest conditions, its robust construction ensures minimal downtime and maximum productivity. When you invest in a Kramer, you’re investing in exceptional durability and longevity.
So why settle for a one-trick pony? The KT144 excels in every landscaping task, thanks to its compatibility with a wide array of attachments — from buckets to pallet forks. With the KT144, you can dig, transport, lift, and load with one incredible machine.
Operator comfort and e ortless control
Comfort and ease-of-use are at the very heart of the KT144’s clever purpose-specific
design. Featuring a spacious, ergonomic cab, exceptional all-’round visibility and intuitive controls, this telehandler ensures operators stay comfortable, focused, and e icient—even during long hours on the job.
Industry-leading features
• Bluetooth radio for seamless connectivity and entertainment on the job
• Air-suspended operator’s seat for maximum comfort during long shifts
• Powerful work lights to keep productivity high, even in low-light conditions
• Yanmar 33.3 kW/45hp engine for unrivalled power and fuel e iciency
• Hydrostat 30 kph transmission for smooth, precise movement.
• Three steering types: all-wheel steering, front-wheel steering, and crab steering for supreme manoeuvrability, and
• Hydraulics power-flow of seven litres per minute for superior hydraulic performance.
The Kramer KT144 is not just a telehandler: it’s a revolution in landscaping equipment. For professionals who refuse to compromise on power, e iciency, and durability, there is no better choice.
Brandt’s distribution ensures easy access to Kramer telehandlers, backed by expert support and service. If you’re looking for a machine that will take your landscaping business to the next level, the Kramer KT144 is an excellent option.
Contact your local Brandt dealer today for a free demo on 1800 237 887.
A Yanmar 33.3 kW/45hp engine gives unrivalled power and fuel e iciency.
Construction Equipment
Merlo DM 9
Merlo’s reliable, versatile dumper is built to handle big loads over almost any type of terrain, and is now available in Australia.
A 180-degree powered swivel tipping skip is manufactured from 6mm fixed steel with 15mm reinforcements.
The DM dumper range has been in the Merlo model line up since the company itself first kicked o . The agile DM 9 is designed to transfer loads across all types of sites and terrain, thanks to a 180-degree powered swivel tipping skip.
The skip is manufactured from 6mm fixed steel with 15mm reinforcements, and Hardox steel ensures the strength and durability of the skip floor.
The DM 9’s excellent o -road agility is thanks to its high ground clearance, fourwheel drive, and three steering modes. Maximum load capacity is nine tonnes, and it’s designed to move large loads of material, load and unload in challenging situations, and to perform those tasks safely and e iciently.
Tough build
The DM 9 runs a rigid chassis for excellent stability and good driver comfort, even on undulating terrain, and features Merlo’s own EPD-managed hydrostatic transmission. Merlo’s aim was to provide the dumper with a ‘smooth, infinitely controlled, jolt-free drive’ which ultimately makes for shorter cycle times over longer transfers. The DM 9’s 40kph top speed also helps to keep travel times as short as safety allows.
A fully enclosed operator cab featuring
ROPS and FOPS level 2 protection is standard, and a great reassurance to operators and owners, as is Merlo’s bidirectional dual-view which allows the operator to swivel the seat 180 degrees for all-around vision, especially while working with the swivelling skip.
Cab
Access to the cab is simple and easy thanks to the 180°-opening door. With the swivelling suspension seat and controls replicated at the rear, operators enjoy comfortable barrel-side driving, ensuring minimum stress and fatigue during loading and unloading.
Visibility
The DM 9 has been designed with an innovative ‘Dual View’ feature to ensure maximum visibility in both driving directions, facilitating all operational phases. This enhancement in visibility not only increases driving comfort, but also improves safety during on-site operations, allowing the operator to work in the safest possible conditions.
To learn more of the Merlo DM 9, log on to merlo.com/aus/en.
Merlo DM 9
Maximum load capacity: 9000kg
Heaped volume (ISO6483): 4.9m3
Struck volume: 3.7m3
Water volume: 2.9m3
Maximum tipping angle: 75 degrees
Fifth-wheel rotation: +/-90 degrees
Unloading height: 1150mm
Anti-pollution technology: Stage V
Fuel capacity: 200 litres
AdBlue tank: 18 litres
Engine: Deutz TCD3.6
Axles: Portal
Hydrostatic Merlo transmission: EPD
Maximum gradeability fully laden: 40%
Maximum gradient unladen: 50%
Maximum cross gradient: 15%
Brakes: Four with dry disc
Standard tyres: 18 -19.5”
Battery: 100Ah - 12V
Tool-carrier compartments: Two
FOPS/ROPS cab: Yes
Double driving position: Yes
Parking brake: Yes
Permanent four-wheel drive: Yes
All-wheel steering: Yes
Three steering ways: Yes
Front and rear towing hooks: Yes
Automatic battery disconnect switch: Yes
Rear Camera: Yes
The nine-tonne DM 9 is designed to transfer loads across all types of sites and terrain. Images: Merlo
The DM 9’s 40kph top speed helps keep travel times as short as safety allows “ “
Proven LiuGong electric range sparking interest
There’s been plenty of global fanfare about LiuGong’s wide range of electrically-powered equipment. Several machines are already rolling in the Australian market with strong appeal.
LiuGong was one of the first equipment companies to identify the potential of the battery electric vehicle (BEV) for the construction, civil and landscape industries. Since recognising that potential Liugong has invested more than $100 million in research, development and machine testing over the past eight years.
Cost benefits
There are nine product areas in total, from skid steers and aerial-access equipment to excavators and wheel loaders, and a sign of LiuGong’s confidence in the range is the company’s o ering of five-year/10,000-hour warranties with the machines, covering batteries, motors and controllers.
James Lipman, from the LiuGong distributor in Australia, said significantly reduced energy and maintenance costs compared with operating diesel machines, as well as reduced carbon emissions, was quickly attracting the interest of numerous operators around the country.
“Companies and operators can now buy a machine to help hit their corporate responsibility and sustainability targets, as well as their cost of ownership targets,” James said. “They recognise they can pay significantly less in costs over five years while still taking advantage of all the benefits.”
Reducing emissions
LiuGong data from more than 200 customer job sites has shown BEVs reduce five-year operational costs by up to 70 per cent and maintenance costs by up to 50 per cent.
A mid-size wheel-loader comparison indicated fuel and maintenance savings of $210,000 over five years, as well as emission savings of more than 330 tonnes, which was significantly more than the emissions produced by the diesel machine and, hence, would be available for o setting other emissions.
James said electric transmissions improve transmission e iciency and reduce noise for smooth shifting, while operators also enjoy a significantly higher comfort level in the machines compared with a constantly
running diesel or petrol engine.
Electric power delivers a quieter operating environment with reduced vibrations, creating a less stressful working atmosphere for operators. The elimination of exhaust fumes also improves overall air quality, enhancing operator health and well-being.
Low maintenance
Holcim, a global leader in innovative and sustainable building materials, has commenced a strong relationship with LiuGong Australia for its electric machines after initially trialing an electric wheel loader in Victoria. Its Australian operations include quarries, batching plants, manufacturing and corporate o ices.
Holcim Operations Manager for Gippsland
East, Michael (Mick) Radford, said the company was committed to decarbonising its operations on the journey towards net-zero emissions.
“The use of zero-emission vehicles like the LiuGong wheel loader aligns with our roadmap, bringing us closer to achieving our goals,” he said.
And there were other features of the 856HE which impressed.
“It performed better than we all expected,” Mick said.
“The loader could work long hours between charges and could keep up with the production, which meant it didn’t have to stop in the middle of the day to charge up. That means the charging time is less, so the cost is less.”
LiuGong’s electric excavators o er superior control, reduced energy consumption and faster response times across diverse applications. Pictured is the 9027FE compact excavator. Image: LiuGong Australia
“Electric machines, unlike diesel ones, also only need to be serviced every thousand hours, so the maintenance cost is much lower. And you haven’t got things like oil-filter changes and labour time to worry about.”
Service
Mick was also pleased with the design that enables hydraulics to be programmed via software to make them harsher or softer.
“So we can make adjustments like the speed of the machine,” he said.
Mick was also particularly pleased with the service aspect of LiuGong.
“When we first bought the LiuGong equipment, the team spent a lot of time with us, checking that all was good and coping with any problems that arose,” he said.
“After a couple of months, you’d think that this level of service would fade away, but not so…I’d still be getting phone calls every couple of weeks checking on any issues.
“The level of support is outstanding.”
Industry operators interested in further information or viewing a demonstration of the LiuGong electric range can contact James Lipman (QLD, NSW and VIC) on 0475 901 639 and Johnny Inferrera (WA and SA) on 0429 904 870.
Construction Equipment
Having air-conditioning on a sub-twotonne excavator used to be a dream. Not anymore. Images: Caterpillar
TCat® Next Gen Mini Excavators
Caterpillar® has developed a range of mini excavators that pretty much sets the standard for keeping cool on the job.
he Cat® dealers have actively showcased their Next Gen Mini Excavators to a diverse range of Australian landscapers and contractors, highlighting the machines as reliable, e icient, and economical.
Cat Next Generation Mini Excavators are a versatile suite of machines that provide great choices to meet the various demands of landscape construction.
For instance, there’s the 301.5 with an open canopy, weighing in at 1.7 tonnes, suitable for standard tailswing applications. Then there’s the 301.6, equipped with an airconditioned cab, also at 1.7 tonnes, ensuring a comfortable working environment. Other models include the 301.7 CR, a compact tailswing machine at 1.75 tonnes, the 301.8 with options for either a canopy or airconditioned cab at 1.8 tonnes, and finally, the 302 CR, which follows suit with canopy or air-conditioned cab configurations at two tonnes.
The air-conditioned cab configuration is a major drawcard for landscapers dealing with high on-site temperatures typical of Australian summers.
Cool and calm
The air-conditioned cab represents a commitment by Caterpillar® to provide a superior working environment for operators.
Insulating workers from the harsh Aussie heat enables maintaining focus and minimises heat-induced fatigue.
Together with the mini excavators’ advanced design and engineering, operators can enjoy the dual benefits of comfort and enhanced productivity, making these machines an invaluable asset on any job site.
When summer rolls around, many operators face the challenge of maintaining comfort during long hours of operation. The importance of a well-designed cab can’t be overstated, especially when it comes to preventing operator fatigue and getting the job done. The automotive-inspired sealed and pressurised design ensures cooling is maintained, even in the hottest weather
The airconditioned-cab configuration is a major drawcard for landscapers trying to stay cool on-site “ “
conditions, allowing the operator to focus more on the task at hand rather than battling the heat.
This becomes especially critical in environments where temperature and humidity levels can soar.
The air-conditioned cab is more than just a luxury; it contributes to the overall e iciency and safety of operations. With temperatures rising, keeping cool is essential for maintaining high levels of concentration and performance.
The advanced climate-control systems incorporated into the control monitor in the cab allow the operator to set their desired temperature, which helps reduce the risk of heat exhaustion and dehydration during summer months. This is vital not just for comfort but also helpful for safety, as it keeps the operator sharp and aware, ultimately improving the quality of work performed.
Locked and loaded
In addition to the premium comfort o ered by the air-conditioned cab, the Cat Next Gen Mini Excavators are equipped with a host of technologically advanced features that further enhance their performance. A prime example is the load-sensing hydraulic system, which enables powerful lifting and digging capabilities.
The system ensures machines perform optimally by adjusting the hydraulic flow based on the actual load, delivering both e iciency and fuel economy.
Operators can enjoy the powerful response of the machinery without sacrificing stability, allowing them to tackle even the most challenging tasks with confidence.
Another important element of the Next
Gen range is the ergonomic and innovative Cat Joystick Travel mode.
This feature revolutionises the control interface by replacing traditional lever and foot-pedal steering with an intuitive skid-steer-style joystick, resulting in greater control, especially for tasks such as backfilling and levelling, which can often be tricky with conventional travel-pedal controls.
Operators can easily switch between di erent steering methods at the press of a button depending on the requirements of the job, and this cutting-edge capability is made possible by the advanced electro-hydraulic (EH) control system which replaces traditional pilot-hydraulic controls.
Feedback from operators has highlighted several standout features that enhance the user experience.
The introduction of an optional keyless start system in Cat one-tonne and twotonne excavators signifies a first in the industry, improving security and convenience. Additionally, innovations like blade float, auto idle, and joystick thumb controls have been well received, making daily operations simpler and more e icient.
Landscapers need to keep cool in compact excavators just as much as bigger diggers –and the Cat Next Gen Mini Excavators deliver in this class.
As the demand for innovative solutions continues to grow, it is clear Caterpillar is prepared to lead the charge with its exceptional mini excavator lineup.
Find out more by checking out cat.com/nextgenmini-au.
Caterpillar remains at the forefront when it comes to using the latest tech to make users’ lives easier.
The Cat Next Gen mini excavator range – including the 302.7 – is built to tackle a variety of demanding jobs in a variety of environments.
Hitachi and Perfection Landscape Services Case study
After nearly a quarter of a century in large-scale landscaping, Perfection Landscape Services in Sydney’s Hills District knows what works. For the past 15 years, it’s been Hitachi Construction Machinery.
Perfection Landscape Services’ ZAXIS55U excavators ‘hit the sweet spot’ for the Sydney company.
Images: Bruce Robinson Photography/Hitachi CM
The
Sean Murphy is a cheerful sort of bloke and was very happy to chat about the Hitachi excavator fleet currently doing service with his employer, Perfection Landscape Services.
“We have two 13-tonners and four fivetonners – two new ones we’ve bought and two older ones – and an eight-tonner,” he listed for Landscape Contractor magazine before pointing out, “We’ve been using Hitachi for around 15 years.”
All jobs covered
All the excavators do their assigned tasks well, but it’s the smaller machines which currently have management smiling.
“We have two 13-tonners that do a lot of the heavy lifting and bulk handling,” Sean explained. “We might be prepping, for example, 500 tree pits in a subdivision. That’s perfect for a 13-tonne excavator, because it knocks them out in no time.
“But when we’re doing detailing, as in physically planting the trees, that’s where the five-tonne excavators come into it, because they’re smaller and more manoeuvrable. They’re safer to work around on the ground, there’s a lot more visibility around them, and our new ones have the tilt hitches, which the operators love.”
“The eight-tonner isn’t as manoeuvrable as the five-tonners, but you get that little bit of extra power,” he pondered before telling us, “The five-tonners hit the sweet spot. We can float them ourselves on our trucks, but they’ve also got enough grunt to do a lot of the landscaping work we need done.”
Loyalty earned
Fifteen years with the same brand is a strong indication Perfection Landscape Services is happy with Hitachi Construction Machinery, but we queried which aspect of the excavators had most impressed.
“We know what we’re getting,” he stated.
“They’re not the cheapest excavator and they’re not the most expensive, but for their price, the buyer gets a good product.
“And from my point of view as the company’s QSES manager, accessibility to information on the machines is excellent. I can log in to the portal and everything about the machines is right there. I can look at location and hours and all the essential information.”
Good reputation
It was actually experience which led Perfection Landscape Services to purchase its first Hitachi, as Sean recalled.
“We started buying Hitachi because when we were using subcontractors, they had Hitachi and we found they were good machines.”
“We’ve never heard anyone complain about Hitachi,” he continued. “I won’t mention other brands by name, but sometimes we’ll get someone saying, ‘Oh, no. Not this or not that,’ or, ‘Don’t get this one because of that.’ But everyone we’ve spoken to says Hitachi has a good name and a good history.”
That real-world recommendation has stood the test of time. When we asked about any common maintenance delays with Hitachi excavators, Sean looked a little confused before answering, “Very minimal over the years.” And when we asked about resale value, he thought for a moment and replied, “We actually haven’t moved on any of the machines in my time with the company.
“We’d had our two 13-tonners for – what is it? 2025? – so this will be the seventh or eighth…No! The ninth year of service for those two! And they’ve never missed a beat.”
Time does seem to move quickly when things are going well…and it seems for over a decade, Perfection Landscape Service’s Hitachi machinery has been going very well indeed.
Learn more at Hitachicm.com.au.
operators at Perfection Landscape Services are big fans of the tilt hitches on the two newest excavators.
And the winner is…
Tasmania’s Jamie Woolley not only has his Landscape Contractor magazine delivered every issue, he’s now the proud owner of a Husqvarna 525iRXT brushcutter.
Throughout 2024 Landscape Contractor magazine was under siege from people frantically subscribing to the magazine.
“Nothing new about that!” we hear you cry, quite correctly. But in 2024, one incredibly fortunate subscriber was in line to win a topshelf Husqvarna battery brushcutter: the 525iRXT.
“It was a massive surprise!” said a very happy Jamie Woolley from Hobart in Tasmania when Landscape Contractor phoned. “I didn’t know a thing about it.”
Jamie had naturally subscribed to the mag – what sensible person wouldn’t? – and by the time the draw was done he’d forgotten all
about prizes and brushcutters. The call to say he’d won was a total bolt from blue.
He’d had some time with the 525iRXT before we spoke to him, and had formed an opinion or two.
“I live on 100 acres,” he told us quietly, “so the Husqvarna gets bashed around out here a fair bit, and it’s good not having all the noise of the petrol equipment.”
Jamie was also very impressed with the battery power compared to his experience with petrol-powered equipment, and how easy it was to use.
“It’s the best part,” he beamed. “You just click a button and it’s good to go,
and it’s just so much lighter, too.”
“I love it,” he said. “It’s been great!”
So there it is. A very happy and deserving winner.
That could be you this year. If you haven’t subscribed yet, log on to landscapecontractor.com.au or call the subscription line on (03) 9690 8766. The 2025 subscription prize is another unit from Husqvarna’s premium battery-powered range, the 5222iHD75 Hedge Trimmer. There’s a battery and charger included, and the whole prize pool is worth a staggering $1467 RRP.
Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.
Jamie Woolley (right) collected his Husqvarna 525iRXT from Joe Curtain at Sorrell Mowers & Chainsaws. Image: Sorrell Mowers & Chainsaws.
ResourceCo
ResourceCo puts its considerable resources to work recycling material and putting it to good use. Image: ResourceCo
A leader in the recovery and re-manufacturing of primary resources, ResourceCo extracts maximum value from materials otherwise destined for landfill. What does that mean to landscapers? A company which can not only make construction jobs far more environmentally friendly, but considerably more profitable.
ResourceCo provides complete material supply, transport and disposal services for site remediation, rehabilitation, and development projects.
With more than 30 years’ experience in earthworks projects, the company has strong relationships with Australia’s largest bulk-fill producers and movers, and partners with a national network of government and Tier 1 companies to deliver landfill diversion and material-supply solutions to a diverse customer base.
Landscape Contractor magazine spent a very pleasant afternoon chatting with Deane Reid, State Manager, Victoria, for Soil Reuse & Recycling at ResourceCo, and it became obvious that, although ResourceCo can handle the biggest jobs this country has on o er, it’s also capable of – and ready to – make serious contributions to lifting the e iciency and cost e ectiveness of some of the smaller works which are happening all day every day.
Recover and reuse
“ResourceCo operates nationwide, handling a diverse range of material – diverting it from landfill, and, in doing so, producing quality products for supply to the market,” Deane explained. “The company identified it was
moving a lot of soil, initially through its bulk operations, that had potential to be turned into quality garden soil or made available for use in civil projects.”
Instead of this potentially valuable asset being used as bulk fill, or worse, landfilled,
Recovered soil is blended with di erent additives to make it into a medium which meets the AS449 standard. Image: ResourceCo
ResourceCo has leveraged its 30-year pedigree of value adding to materials to help a wider range of customers resoil with recovered and enhanced soils. ResoureCo has put considerable resources behind recycling a wide range of materials to ensure their value is maximised and applied in a higher-order use. It’s a principle the company was founded on; refining waste materials across construction, demolition, commercial and industrial waste streams, and even tyres, re-manufacturing them into quality products.
“When material comes to us, we seek to maximise its highest-order potential. We ask ourselves, ‘Would this material benefit from sorting? Screening? Crushing? Added nutrients?’,” said Deane. “Our advanced resource-recovery processes prioritise removing the recoverables – glass, brick, rock, metals plastics and timber.
“As a company we have a capability to recycle or reuse all of this material, minimising or even eliminating landfilling at every opportunity.
“Our recovered soil goes through a screening process and is then blended with di erent additives to make it into a medium which meets the AS449 standard – the standard commercial-grade soil for most civil projects.
E icient
Deane went on to explain the incredibly tightly controlled screening and recycling processes ResourceCo has available, and the list and detail was staggering. Not only is a great deal of excellent material rejuvenated and turned to good use instead of being landfilled, but the company is often able to o er very cost-e ective systems to clients.
Deane gave us an outline of a recent case.
“We’ve just finished a project for a company called Landscape Plus in Caulfield,” he remembered. “They were developing a retirement home and hospital and had a heavily compacted area with no organic matter that needed to be upgraded to an up-to-date garden bed. We were able to supply what we call ‘backloading’. We collected the compacted soil on the site, moved it to our Brooklyn facility, treated it, and we took fresh soil back.
“We did that on repeat for about a month until the ground was useful and productive again.”
The soil being returned to the Caulfield site was what ResourceCo calls ‘RM blend’ – Reclaimed Material blend. It’s the company’s ‘standard’ garden soil, suitable for horticultural and lawn areas.
All shapes and sizes
While ResourceCo generally caters to the civil market, it does supply products through a range of di erent distributors, including garden-supply centres and operators with smaller trucks supplied directly as a wholesaler.
“For us, the notion of resoiling with ResourceCo is a vast proposition. From a garden bed or community park to rehabilitating a quarry or transforming a landscape, we’re agile enough to work with a wide range of customers,” said Deane.
There was little doubt ResourceCo – and Deane – were ready to take on just about any challenge which confronted them.
The customer still comes first Historically, soil-recycling companies take in what’s referred to in the recycling industry as ‘cleanfill’ or sandy loam. It’s a relatively clean, easy-to-deal-with product. Deane pointed out that ResourceCo, thanks to its huge investment in technology and resources, was better positioned than most.
“One big advantage for ResourceCo is our
versatility,” Deane continued. “A customer may have four or five di erent material types they need to dispose of – cleanfill, soils, mixed fill, concrete, rock, bitumen and so on – and instead of having to find di erent companies to deal with each of those materials, ResourceCo can accept all of that material. We’re a genuine ‘one-stop-drop’ o ering. No matter the material we receive, we prioritise reuse, recycling and value adding as much as possible.
“We also o er backloading to maximise e iciency with our soil, rubble and aggregate products. Customers can drop o unwanted or unneeded material and backload our wide range of made-to-specification rubble and aggregate products.
“We pride ourselves on our ability to be versatile. With versatility comes e iciency. Resoiling with ResourceCo is just one part of an integrated service that we’re constantly adapting to meet the evolving needs of clients.”
See more of ResourceCo’s huge range of products and services at resourceco.com.au.
Tightly controlled screening and recycling processes allow a great deal of material to be put to good use. Image: ResourceCo
Eye on the industry
Honda’s HHC36BXB Chainsaw will have you cutting through hardwood and large logs with ease. Images: Honda
Honda’s battery-powered chainsaw
Featuring the durability, quality, and reliability shown by all Honda products, the company’s first battery-powered chainsaw rounds out its battery-powered range.
Honda’s new HHC36BXB Chainsaw completes Honda’s Domestic Battery Range Circle. It joins the Lawn Trimmer, Hedge Trimmer, and Blower in a Battery Range like no other. Boasting exceptional 36V power, Thermo-Smart Technology and outstanding ergonomics, a Honda Chainsaw can be used comfortably and safely to enhance the user experience.
Higher power
Boasting a superior brushless motor to provide longer run times gives increased e iciency and power with higher speeds and less noise. Honda’s HHC36BXB Chainsaw cuts through hardwood and large logs with ease, and is an excellent companion for cutting the firewood, pruning large trees and can even be used to fell smaller trees.
User friendly
Featuring a 35cm blade length, 31cm cutting size and 0.375” chain pitch gives users the confidence to complete any task at hand with ease.
The Oregon 90PX chain and bar ensures low kickback and low vibration, and is paired with automatic oiling and easy-to-open chain adjustment to make maintenance easy. The skin being extremely lightweight at 3.5kg makes it an ideal chainsaw to add to a growing Honda battery-powered collection.
The HHC36BXB Chainsaw is compatible with the 2Ah, 4Ah and 6Ah batteries in Honda’s Universal Battery System, and can be charged with either the 36V 2A or 36V 8A Fast & Smart charger.
Honda’s HHC36BXB Chainsaw is available to purchase now from Honda’s authorised dealer network and online via the o icial Honda Website.
The Chainsaw has a RRP of $429.00 skin only. Kits will be available that include a skin, battery and charger, and can be purchased at your Local Honda Dealer.
For more information visit honda.com.au or head to the local Honda dealer. The power of Honda in every cut.
The Oregon 90PX chain and bar ensures low kickback and low vibration.
The TSA 300 is ideal for processing materials such as bricks, paving stones, natural stone, concrete, reinforced concrete, and rebar.
Power meets compact design without compromise
In the ever-evolving world of construction and hardscaping, professionals demand tools that deliver both power and precision. Enter the STIHL TSA 300, the latest innovation in the AP Battery System.
STIHL’s 12" (300mm) battery cut-o saw is designed to meet the needs of those who require a niche product that o ers clear ROI (Return On Investment) and exceptional performance.
Unmatched handling and versatility
The TSA 300 stands out with its compact and well-balanced design, making it exceptionally easy to handle. It’s ideal for professionals in construction, hardscaping, and pipework, and is capable of processing materials such as bricks, paving stones, natural stone, concrete, reinforced concrete, and rebar.
Its versatility is further enhanced by the standard K-ME abrasive cutting wheel, which delivers cutting performance comparable to the TS 420 petrol cut-o machine. The narrow cutting kerf and absence of engine vibrations ensure precise and accurate cuts
every time, with a maximum cutting depth of 4.3" (110mm).
For even greater cutting e iciency, the TSA 300 can be fitted with a D-SB90 diamond cutting wheel.
Superior performance and low emissions
One of the standout features of the TSA 300 is its battery-powered operation, which results in low noise emissions during cutting.
The powerful EC motor operates almost wear-free, providing smooth running and low vibrations, ensuring the tool performs optimally throughout the entire battery charge, delivering 100% performance at any battery level.
The high level of reliability means the TSA 300 can be counted on to get the job done, no matter the task.
construction, civil engineering, and roadconstruction applications.
The LED display on the handle provides real-time information on operating speed and overheating warnings, ensuring operators are always informed and ready for work.
Maximising ROI with the AP Battery System
To achieve maximum performance, the TSA 300 should be used with the AP 500 S battery.
While it can operate with the AP 200 S or AP 300 S batteries, these will only allow the machine to function at the lowest performance settings. On a full charge with the AP 500 S, the TSA 300 o ers a working time of up to 20 minutes, making it a valuable addition to any fleet of AP Battery System tools.
To sum up, the STIHL TSA 300 is a powerful, compact, and versatile tool that provides clear ROI for professionals in need of a niche product. Its superior handling, low
emissions, enhanced durability, and flexibility make it an indispensable asset for any construction or hardscaping project.
With the TSA 300, STIHL continues to set the standard for innovation and quality in the industry.
Scan the QR code to watch the TSA 300 video, or log on to stihl.com.au to learn more.
The TSA 300 with the standard K-ME abrasive cutting wheel delivers cutting performance comparable to the TS 420 petrol cut-o machine. Image: STIHL
Eye on the industry
WRubber Mulch by A1 Rubber o ers the same benefits as traditional bark, but it’s a more durable, sustainable, and cost-e ective choice. Images: A1 Rubber
Rubber Mulch by A1 Rubber
A
smart alternative to traditional bark mulch.
hen it comes to landscaping and garden surrounds, choosing the right mulch is crucial.
Traditional bark mulch has long been favoured for its natural look and ability to retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds. Rubber Mulch by A1 Rubber o ers the same benefits as traditional bark – plus additional advantages that make it a more durable, sustainable, and cost-e ective choice. Unlike bark mulch, rubber mulch is non-toxic, longer lasting, and resistant to pests and termites, making it an excellent option for homeowners and landscapers.
Eco-friendly
Rubber Mulch by A1 Rubber is made from 100% recycled rubber, primarily sourced from discarded tyres. This eco-friendly product repurposes waste materials, preventing them from ending up in landfills. Through a thorough manufacturing process, the rubber is cleaned, shredded, and refined into mulchlike pieces that mimic the look of traditional
mulch while o ering superior performance.
Like traditional bark mulch, rubber mulch provides essential benefits for gardens, landscaping, and playgrounds, with benefits which include:
• Moisture retention – rubber mulch helps retain moisture in the soil by reducing evaporation, ensuring plants and grass stay hydrated for longer
• Weed suppression – by creating a protective barrier over the soil, rubber mulch prevents sunlight from reaching weed seeds, reducing unwanted growth
• Soil insulation – rubber mulch acts as an insulator, protecting plant roots from extreme temperatures in both hot and cold weather, and
• Aesthetic appeal – available in a brick-red colour, rubber mulch enhances the look of gardens and surrounds while maintaining its appearance over time.
Benefits
While rubber mulch o ers the same advantages as bark mulch, it goes even
further by addressing some of the common drawbacks associated with organic mulch options.
• Rubber mulch is non-toxic and safe for all uses: unlike some wood mulches that may contain harmful chemicals or dyes, rubber mulch is clean and free from contaminants before being finished and sealed in a polyurethane coating. For additional safety, a small percentage of polyurethane binder can be added to the rubber mulch while being laid to secure it in place. This makes it an excellent choice for gardens and landscaping around schools and homes.
• Rubber mulch is longer lasting than bark mulch: one of the biggest disadvantages of traditional bark mulch is that it breaks down over time and needs frequent replenishment. Rubber mulch doesn’t decompose, rot, or fade, making it a far more durable option. Its longevity means less maintenance and fewer replacement costs, saving both time and money in the long run.
• It’s resistant to pests and termites: organic mulches, including bark, can attract insects, termites, and other pests that thrive in decomposing wood. This can be a concern for homeowners, especially when using mulch near wooden structures or homes. Rubber Mulch by A1 Rubber is naturally pest-resistant, eliminating the risk of attracting termites, ants, or rodents.
Drop in
Rubber Mulch by A1 Rubber is an excellent alternative to traditional bark mulch, o ering all the essential benefits of organic mulch while providing additional advantages like non-toxicity, longevity, and pest resistance. Its eco-friendly manufacturing process, durability, and safety make it an ideal choice for landscaping, playgrounds, and gardens. By switching to rubber mulch, users can enjoy a low-maintenance, cost-e ective solution that not only enhances outdoor spaces but also contributes to environmental sustainability.
Rubber Mulch is available in convenient 25kg bags, and stocked in A1 Rubber warehouses in Yatala (Queensland), Sydney and Melbourne. Find your nearest warehouse at a1rubber.com, then visit the friendly sta to check out the Rubber Mulch alternative.
Made from 100% recycled rubber, cleaned, shredded, and refined.
Mulch-like pieces mimic the look of traditional mulch while o ering superior performance.
From grass to greatness
Christchurch City Council’s electric fleet revolution.
Local councils transitioning to an electric fleet to help achieve their net zero targets require an often-elusive alignment between fleet, maintenance and infrastructure teams. To achieve this alignment, it usually requires a champion within the organisation to drive change.
Christchurch City Council is an example of where this alignment is happening with great success. From trial to large-scale adoption of electric vehicles across much of its fleet, the transition has shown how sustainable practices and operational e iciency can coexist.
The council is proving you can have your cake and eat it, too.
Transitioning
The idea for Christchurch City Council’s transition to an electric fleet was sparked
when its parks-maintenance contract was up for renewal. The parks-maintenance team proposed bringing maintenance in-house and investing in fit-for-purpose vehicles and machinery which would give them greater control over their fleet and operations. Council accepted the suggestion and directed as much of the fleet as possible be electric.
Previous trials of electric mowers to ‘test and learn’ had given the council the insights and confidence needed to transition.
The council purchased twenty-nine 60inch and 74-inch electric mowers for regular parks maintenance, supplementing them with larger diesel models for activities with largescale mowing requirements where electric alternatives were not yet available. However, with the arrival of the EcoMow R9c – a 96inch electric commercial mower designed for large-scale applications – the council had the
option to invest in electric mowers once the diesel models reached their end of life.
As well as the electric mowers, the council began converting its passenger vehicles to electric, and it plans to phase out diesel utes over the next five years. Electric rideshare services for short trips have also been adopted where feasible.
“We’re doing the best we can with the equipment that can’t yet be transitioned,” explained Brendon Cowles, the council’s fleet manager. “Reducing carbon emissions is a priority, but reducing operating costs is also a significant driver for us.”
Key to the transition’s success, and getting the maintenance team on board, was focusing on matching equipment to specific park requirements. The team aims to mow fortnightly, striking a balance between maintaining high presentation standards and
electric models is simpler and less frequent compared to diesel or petrol counterparts, resulting in further cost savings over the equipment’s lifecycle.
Infrastructure upgrades
Transitioning to electric equipment required significant upgrades to council’s infrastructure, but Brendon and Rupert said their planning ensured the process was relatively straightforward.
The council commissioned an engineering report to work out its power requirements. It then installed additional power points to support electric mowers, weed eaters and blowers. Brendon and Rupert are confident these investments will pay o in the long term. They also plan to build new solar-powered depots with the power infrastructure in place to recharge the electric fleet.
While the transition wasn’t without challenges – many of the electric passenger vehicles in the fleet are parked in a public car park where council couldn’t install charging infrastructure – it forced the a search for innovative solutions. It’s now using external transformers and is in the process of forging a partnership with an electric ride-share company to use its charging ports.
Training sta to safely charge and handle electric equipment was a priority, ensuring a smooth and safe adoption of new processes.
Getting the maintenance team on board
minimising resource use.
“Three days into my role, an operator pulled me aside, worried we’d change everything to electric,” recalled Brendon. “I assured him we’d only adopt electric equipment if it was fit for purpose.
“Today, those same operators are leading the way in adoption.”
Cost benefit
Council’s ambitious carbon-neutral goals set for 2030 also made sound financial sense.
“The cost of petrol and diesel in New Zealand is incredibly high, which has a massive impact on our operating costs. We estimate we will save NZ$600k in fuel,” noted Rupert Bool, Parks Maintenance Manager. Electric vehicles, mowers and equipment o er substantial savings in fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid and general maintenance. Servicing
Gaining operator buy-in was crucial for the success of the transition.
“We didn’t force it on operators…overall the operators found them nicer to use. They enjoy the low noise and low vibration, so we’ve received positive feedback from them so far,” said Rupert.
The council provided training on operating the new zero-turn mowers and safely loading and unloading them from trucks.
“We transport mowers on flat-deck trucks. The zero turns can be tricky for novice mowers. So, we’ve focused training on loading and unloading,” said Rupert.
This collaborative approach involving the whole maintenance team has fostered a sense of ownership among them, helping to drive the successful adoption of the electric mowers.
Outcomes and impact
The transition to electric equipment has delivered clear benefits for both the council and the community. Quieter operations have improved public perception, while reduced
emissions contribute to better air quality across Christchurch.
The council is already tracking reduced maintenance and operating costs and plans to evaluate electricity savings against fuel costs in the near future. Older diesel and petrol mowers, which required frequent and costly repairs, have been largely phased out, with the morereliable electric models taking their place.
“Overall, we’re very happy with the electric mowers,” said Rupert. “There are only a few things that can go wrong, and when they do, it’s usually as simple as replacing a part. We have far more issues and downtime with diesel and petrol mowers than electric.”
Lessons learned
Christchurch City Council’s experience o ers valuable insights for other councils considering a similar transition. A road map might include:
1. Adopt a staged approach – start small, test the technology and scale up based on results
2. Prioritise electric options – diesel models now require a strong business case to justify their use
3. Invest upfront to save long-term – higher capital expenditure leads to lower operating costs, directly benefiting ratepayers
4. Secure internal buy-in – engage operators and maintenance teams early to ensure a smooth adoption process, and
5. Plan for infrastructure needs – adequate power and safe charging points are essential.
These lessons have already inspired other councils in New Zealand to explore electric solutions. Christchurch City Council regularly fields calls from its counterparts at other councils asking for advice on electric mowers.
“We fully endorse what we’ve done,” Rupert said. “It’s been very successful.”
Looking ahead
Christchurch City Council continues to push forward with its sustainability goals.
Closer to home, more than 90 Australian councils are already using EcoTeq outdoor landscaping and cleansing equipment.
The next step towards a fully electric fleet is clearer than ever.
Ready to move forward?
Talk to EcoTeq about trialling electric mowers or planning your fleet transition today. Call 1800 100 150 or visit ecoteq.com.au.
Electric vehicles, mowers and equipment
o er substantial savings in fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid and general maintenance. Image: Christchurch City Council
Are you leaving money on the table by not claiming all your tax deductions?
According to the ATO, small businesses, including landscapers, often miss out on claiming thousands of dollars in deductions each year
If you’re a landscaper in Australia, you’re no stranger to the costs of running your business, especially when it comes to tools, vehicle maintenance and insurance.
All of those things can – and do – add up quickly.
That being said, did you know your public liability insurance premiums might qualify as a tax deduction?
Yep, that’s right. Let’s break down what you need to know to maximise your tax savings and avoid missing out.
Can public liability Insurance be claimed on tax?
Yes, it can.
According to the Australian Tax O ice (ATO), any sort of expense directly related to generating your income can be deducted from your taxable income. Public liability insurance is technically considered a business expense because it protects you financially if a claim is made against your work.
The premium you pay for public liability insurance isn’t just protection for your business, but an opportunity to also reduce your taxable income.
How do you claim public liability insurance as a deduction?
Claiming your public liability insurance premiums isn’t complicated, but you need to get it right. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help:
1. Keep detailed records: ensure you have receipts, invoices, and policy documents for your public liability insurance premiums. These will serve as evidence in case the ATO requires proof of your claim.
2. Categorise expenses properly: include your insurance premiums under ‘Other Operating Expenses’ or the relevant category on your business tax return.
3. Divide up personal use: if your policy covers both personal and business use, you’ll need to separate the expense and claim only the business-related portion.
4. Use accounting software: most accounting software can help you track deductible expenses and generate reports for your tax return.
5. Consult a tax professional: for added assurance, seek the advice of a tax professional to ensure your claims are accurate and compliant with ATO guidelines.
Important insight
According to the ATO, small businesses, including landscapers, often miss out on claiming thousands of dollars in deductions each year due to a lack of awareness about deductible expenses like insurance premiums.
What about other types of insurance?
Not all insurance premiums can be claimed as business deductions. For example:
1. Life insurance: premiums for personal life insurance policies are not tax deductible, even if you are self-employed.
2. Health insurance: health insurance premiums are generally considered personal expenses and cannot be deducted.
3. Income protection insurance: while deductible in some cases, this often depends on whether the policy is tied
to your business activities or personal income.
But here’s the good news: in addition to public liability insurance, several other types of insurance premiums are tax deductible for landscapers, such as professional indemnity insurance, business interruption insurance, and commercial vehicle insurance.
What happens if you don’t claim?
By not claiming, you’re essentially giving away free money to the tax o ice. Even a small deduction, like your public liability insurance premium, can add up over time. Multiply that by a few years and the savings become significant.
The bottom line
Public liability insurance goes beyond just meeting your legal obligations—it’s a proactive investment in the resilience and credibility of your landscaping business. By understanding and claiming all eligible tax deductions, including your insurance premiums, you not only protect your operations, but also position your business for sustainable growth.
So, take the time to review your financial strategies and make every dollar work smarter for you.
For more information on broker services, or for expert insurance advice, contact Midland Insurance Brokers. You can find the phone number of your nearest o ice at midlandinsurance.com.au, or just jump in and dial 1300 306 571. If you’d rather email, send to landscape@midlandinsurance.com.au.
Day-to-day workforce management
Anna Turner underlines the importance of sharing information for company and team success.
In the January/February issue I wrote about how to look after sta by engaging, understanding and supporting them. In this article the focus is on the day-to-day practicalities of running a team.
Managing a mobile workforce comes with some unique challenges, the most obvious being that it’s impossible to be with them 24/7. As a result, communication is key to managing a team. You must invest in systems that streamline communication throughout your business in order to run it smoothly.
Set them up for success
You need your team to be productive so you need to set them up with everything they need to be productive. Build a streamlined
smoother the job will run. When the foreman has the answers at their disposal, they’re far less likely to call you unnecessarily or get steamrolled by the client.
A well-informed foreman will save you time and money.
Communication is key
Find a project-management app (or two) that works for you and put it to good use.
You may not find all the features you need in one app, so be open to the idea of using more than one. You need to map your client’s journey and project through your business and put a process in place for each step.
Start at the start. You need a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system to host all the client and project information. You need an estimating, take-o and quoting tool (in my personal experience, the best estimating tools live separate to the rest of the system). You need accounting software to raise invoices and deal with all things cashflow. As mentioned above, you need somewhere to house all the documentation. You need a system/app to track time and create timesheets. Ideally this feeds into your accounting software (and the gold standard would be for it to give you realtime updates on the labour costs incurred on each project). You need a day-to-day communication tool to make communication throughout the whole company as easy as possible, and finally, you need to be able to analyse the progress and outcome of each project. It’s important to know how profitable it was and why.
process for sharing all the information they require to carry out the work.
For a landscape-construction project that includes:
• Up-to-date plans
• The contract (you can remove sensitive information, even the prices, but the foreman needs to know what the client has agreed to)
• All subbie and supplier quotes
• SWMs, and
• Any other information relative to the job. Luckily, we have tools like Dropbox and Google Docs to make sharing easier, but that’s not enough. You must create a procedure for handing that information to the team. The more thorough the handover, the
Only with that information, knowing where you made or lost money on a specific project, can you expect to increase your profitability with any measure of success.
I’ve broken down the steps above because I’m yet to find an a ordable app that will do it all, but they’re improving every year.
Expectations are important
Once you’ve set up your teams with everything they need to do the project, you need to clearly define and set your expectations for their performance – both for individuals and for a team.
Individuals need goals and KPIs (I touched on this last issue) so they understand your expectations. You also need to set expectations for your workforce as a whole and for working teams. Empower your project managers to manage their jobs autonomously – give them the tools to run the jobs to budget. Showing your project manager (PM) the numbers might sound scary, but the worst thing you can do is keep
the costs from the PM. When you do, they are not fully informed, so it’s hard for them to make executive decisions. Of course you can keep the numbers from your PM, but expect a lot more work on your end when you do.
The foreman and other sta should also have access to a breakdown of labour and materials. Let them know how much time they have to do each task on the job. You might think this will make them lazy, but that’s not the case. When they know how much time they have they know what is expected of them.
Productivity tracking
Which leads us to productivity tracking. In my opinion, this is the most overlooked yet import step in the process.
How can you improve your productivity if you’re not tracking it? Imagine having the knowledge to make small tweaks to your business that result in large profits. Try to find a project-management app that will automatically track productivity. What you want is to identify how a team is performing as well as project profitability. You need to first identify which types of jobs you make or lose money on, and why. Separately, you want to look at how each team is performing. If or when you identify an underperforming team you need to look at why. It may be something simple as communicating, that the team lacks the confidence to be e icient, or it may be a bad egg in the basket. The first step is to identify the problem. Only then can you start to solve it.
Another element of productivity tracking is feeding site data back to the estimator. The estimator can only get better at estimating when they know where they are overpricing and underpricing. Try to record how long it takes to do x, y and z, and compare that to what the estimator allowed for (you need a detailed breakdown of the estimate to start with). Ideally you should track this information across every job, but if it’s di icult, track it over a couple of jobs so your estimator can see an average of time. They can use this information to be more accurate with pricing.
Trust
You can’t be everywhere all the time, so you must trust and empower your sta . Give them all the tools and information they need to get on with the job, expect them to work at 80% of the capacity you do (and be okay with that), and let them get on with it. Put the processes in place to set them up for success, and the processes in place for tracking everything. This is the only way you can run multiple teams and not burn out.
It could happen to any landscaper: arriving at the ute at the start of the day reveals thieves have taken o with the vehicle – and the tools and equipment kept locked and secured inside.
That’s what happened to one NSW tradie interviewed by 7News this past September. Somebody stole a ute with thousands of dollars worth of tools. Tools the tradie had collected over 10 years were gone overnight. The theft was especially tough because the tradie was a sole trader, so replacing the ute and nicked tools fell completely on his shoulders.
Tool theft: who’s next?
With property crime on the rise, there’s a risk of more landscape contractors finding themselves in the same boat. Australian Bureau of Statistics’ data recorded over 60,000 motor-vehicle thefts across the country in 2023, a nine per cent increase from the previous year.
But while tools and equipment may be a
lucky find for some car thieves, others are targeting these items specifically. Nearly $40 million worth of tools were stolen in Victoria between October 2023 and September 2024 – up more than 22% compared to the year prior. Power tools and Tools were the sixth and seventh most stolen categories during that same period, with over 36,700 items stolen.
Protect your tools with BizCover
Landscape contractors have become resourceful when it comes to keeping tools and equipment safe – think car alarms, locking up toolboxes and storage sheds, attaching GPS tags to items, and installing security cameras – but sometimes the best e orts are no match for crafty criminals. That’s why you might want to consider insuring your landscaping tools. Portable Equipment* insurance, an optional part of a Business Insurance Pack*, may cover you for loss and damage to your tools and stock due to theft, fire and other perils listed in the
policy wording.
So, if your tools are nicked (despite keeping them securely locked up or under your watch), Portable Equipment insurance may help you replace them.
Landscape contractors can find Portable Equipment, Theft, Public Liability insurance and other essential cover on the go with BizCover. Compare policies, buy online and get covered in minutes.
Visit bizcover.com.au or give the BizCover o ice a call on 1300 805 821 today.
* This information is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be relied upon as advice. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording. The news story cited is for illustrative purposes only and should not be seen as an indication as to how any potential claim will be assessed or accepted.
The Master Landscapers of South Australia (MLSA) has appointed its new CEO: Chris Wiltshire.
After a short time with interim CEO Miriam Whitford, Master landscapers of South Australia (MLSA) is now operating under the watchful Adelaide Hills’ Chris Wiltshire.
Prior to assuming his duties with MLSA on February 17, Chris was Assistant Director for the Housing Industry Association of South Australia and previously worked for the Master Builders of SA. He’s been in the building industry for over 20 years, working in both the public and private sectors.
Chris is highly experienced in advocacy and education and will bring to the MLSA strong connections with the government, and years of experience and dedication to working in and with member-based associations.
Experienced
Chris’ appointment came about after some months of communication between he and the MLSA board, and while Chris’ experience is mostly in the building industry, he pointed out there’s common ground between landscaping and building.
“I’ve had experience in government advocacy and training,” said the very wellspoken CEO, “but in terms of my background, some of the work that relates to building also relates to landscaping, such as periphery siteworks and licencing requirements.
“From a regulatory perspective, there’s all sorts of rules that need to be considered when working around new and existing buildings.”
Members’ advocate
Chris underlined the importance of issues like governance, promoting trade, ensuring landscapers are seen in a positive light and helping the sector grow in SA as important parts of his function at MLSA, and that those pursuits weren’t new territory for him.
“There’s many similarities in that both my previous employer and MSLA advocate for members. We also provide services to the members.
“There’s a lot of crossover from the role I’ve moved from to the role I’m in now.”
First things first
We wondered aloud how Chris intended to break into his new role, and his answer pretty
much amounted to, ‘hit the ground running’.
“Obviously, working in a member-based association, the most important thing is the members. Without them there’s no association or organisation, so I think my initial moves will be making contact,” he explained. “I’d like to get to know them and find out what are the pressing issues they’re dealing with in the industry.”
Long term
As for Chris’ vision of the future for himself and the MLSA, it once again revolves around servicing the association members.
It’s clearly a passion for the new man.
“I really enjoy working for member-based associations, and the reason for that is, in my experience, members are really hard-working and great people,” he said with obvious con victioon. “It gives me a great buzz if I can provide any sort of help for them.”
We’ll look forward to joining Chis on his journey with MLSA.
Save the date
Master Landscapers of South Australia is thrilled to announce the 2025 Awards of Excellence Gala will be held for the very first time at the Ian McLachlan Room at the magnificent Adelaide Oval.
With breathtaking views over the iconic oval and its legendary pitch, prepare for a spectacular evening at this historic venue. Join others celebrating the incredible achievements of MLSA members in a night filled with glamour, inspiration, and unforgettable moments
The Awards of Excellence Gala serves as a celebration of craftsmanship, skill, and creativity in design, construction and maintenance in both commercial and residential landscaping projects. It also provides a valuable networking platform for industry professionals, fostering collaboration and innovation.
Beyond showcasing artistic talent, the awards recognise the hard work and dedication of the individuals and teams driving South Australia’s landscaping industry forward.
For more information about the MLSA Awards of Excellence or the association, log on to landscapesa.com.au.
In my experience members of associations are hard-working people, and it gives me a great buzz if I can provide any sort of help for them. “ “
MLSA’s new CEO, Chris Wiltshire Image: MLSA
A detailed maintenance schedule at Discovery Point includes clipping hedges and clearing
A welcome discovery
A new residential development has created a vibrant community that includes lush parks and natural beauty – all needing regular maintenance.
The residents of new Sydney suburb Discovery Point are living the dream – enjoying resort-style accommodation surrounded by greenery and lush parks. And all close to a major capital city. However, it’s a dream that requires high-quality construction work and a thoughtful maintenance schedule to ensure it stays Instagram-worthy and lives up to residents’ expectations. This was the challenge for landscaping company Green by Nature, who looks after the facilities.
Maintenance
Green by Nature’s maintenance work won accolades at the 2024 Landscape Excellence Awards, including Gold and Best in Category in the Commercial Maintenance Retail/ Business Parks section and Landscaper of the Year – Commercial Maintenance.
Home to more than 3500 residents, Discovery Point enjoys architecturally designed apartments with waterfront access to Cooks River, expansive parklands and playgrounds, a piazza-style village market,
indoor/outdoor heated swimming pools, gymnasiums, and walking trails.
Maintenance involves ensuring public areas, gardens and hard surfaces are kept in pristine condition with minimal disruption to residents and visitors.
Turf works
Green by Nature maintains five main sites in terms of turf maintenance for Discovery Point. These site assets include the Village Green, waterfront park, retail areas, Foreshore Walk, and street verges. Maintenance includes clearing areas of litter, edging, mowing, irrigation management and nutrition. Blowing down of all hard surface areas is completed at the same time as mowing operations.
Paving is used at corners to protect the lawn and make the turf more resilient, and hybrid cloverlawn was chosen, along with periodic barricading to allow lawn recovery when necessary. Cloverlawn provides a durable, lowmaintenance alternative to traditional grass.
Horticultural works
The Green by Nature team also provides horticultural maintenance to a range of di erent features within Discovery Point. This work includes daily inspections, pruning and shaping of trees to ensure all plants are straight and hedged at a uniform height, weeding, as well as the removal of dead leaves.
Palm trees add to the tropical-resort feel of the development. Image: TLA.
The team maintains pedestrian access on pathways, stairs, and around entrances to the apartments. It’s a busy site, so in pedestrian areas, overhanging branches less than 2.5 metres from the ground are removed during each maintenance operation.
The team also replaces or repairs stakes and ties where necessary. Any existing weeds are removed, mulch levelled around tree bases and any notable issues are reported.
Hardscape features
Construction of the main hardscape features at Discovery Point was designed to ensure functionality, safety, and visual appeal throughout the community. Green by Nature integrates proactive maintenance strategies and regular inspections to uphold the quality and durability of these features of the development. Some of the strategies include:
• Conducting routine checks for leaks, cracks, and surface damage on the pools. Pool equipment is regularly inspected and serviced to maximise e iciency and longevity, and all gates and fences are inspected to ensure they’re up to safety requirements and standards. If they aren’t, they’re reported to the clients
• The team regularly sweeps and cleans paths and roads to keep them free from debris, reporting any any cracks or uneven surfaces to minimise tripping hazards
• Lamps and lights are regularly inspected to ensure proper functionality. The team also cleans fixtures to remove dirt and debris that can a ect lighting e ectiveness, and
• Gutters are regularly checked and cleared to prevent blockages, ensure proper drainage, and inspected for leaks, rust, or damage, with repairs completed if required.
and established trees
Watering
Water e iciency is a crucial aspect of maintaining lush and healthy garden and turf areas, especially in varying seasonal conditions. Green by Nature’s watering regime is carefully tailored to adapt to the needs of the plants on-site throughout the year, ensuring optimal hydration while conserving water.
All irrigation and water points are supplied from an on-site recycled water facility. Irrigation controllers are equipped with rain sensors for e icient water management.
Approximately 80% of garden beds are watered using drip-line irrigation, and planter boxes in streets are hand watered on an as-needed basis. Drought-hardy and native plants are chosen for areas without drip-line irrigation to minimise water needs.
Raised garden beds are hand-watered when necessary, while plantings are chosen to provide a green outlook without obscuring views.
Lawn areas are maintained through popup sprinkler irrigation and KISS sub-surface irrigation, along with non-irrigated areas.
General maintenance
Other areas the team works on include hardsurface clearing, including access roads and shared footpaths. All plants and trees are regularly inspected for insects, scale and fungi. If any pests are identified, a treatment and/or control method is undertaken by appropriately trained sta . Mulching is completed with mulch created from tree works completed on the site.
About the awards
This award-winning maintenance program was highlighted at TLA’s 2024 Landscape Excellence Awards, announced at the Landscape Excellence Awards Gala Dinner on Friday, November 08, 2024 at Doltone House, Heritage Wharf, Sydney. These awards celebrate the very highest standards and achievements in landscape construction, design and maintenance in residential and commercial sectors.
Joining The Landscape Association
Membership of TLA is open to eligible residential and commercial landscape businesses involved in construction, maintenance, and design, as well as trade and service providers to the industry. The benefits of joining include supplier discounts via the TLA Member Rewards Program, as well as business promotion, resources, services and advice, events and networking, industry information, advocacy and representation.
To find out more, visit landscapeassociation.com.au.
Clipped hedges
add to the resort-style atmosphere of the development, located next to the Cooks River.
With the launch of a brand-new website in March 2025, a refreshed suite of exclusive member benefits, and new industry requirements for Waterwise accreditation, LIAWA is setting the benchmark for professional landscaping in Western Australia.
Whether you’re a landscape designer, contractor, supplier, or apprentice, joining LIAWA connects members to a thriving network of industry professionals, high-quality training, and business support that helps you stay competitive in an evolving market.
Not a member yet? Forgot to renew your membership? It’s not too late.
Contact o ice@landscaping.net.au.
A new digital home
LIAWA’s new website will be more than just a membership portal—it’ll be a powerful industry hub designed to help members grow their businesses, access valuable resources, and stay ahead of industry trends.
Key features will include:
• An enhanced member directory
• Exclusive training and accreditation access
• Industry news and resources
• A traineeship and job board
• An event and networking calendar
Those joining now will be among the first to take advantage of these digital tools, positioning their business as a leader in WA’s landscaping sector.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Find out more about these opportunities by contacting liawaexec@landscaping.net.au. This transformation will make it easier than ever to connect with customers, access valuable resources and enjoy the full range of LIAWA’s o erings.
Waterwise Landscaper accreditation
Water e iciency is becoming non-negotiable in Western Australia and LIAWA’s Waterwise Landscaper accreditation is set to become an essential industry standard in 2025.
• The new Waterwise Landscaper course, developed by LIAWA and industry experts, will be available exclusively through LIAWA’s new website
• Accreditation will be required for all professionals working on water-e icient projects, ensuring businesses are compliant with local government and Water Corporation standards, and
• Members will receive free access to complete the accreditation process.
With sustainability at the forefront of government policy, accreditation futureproofs businesses and opens doors to more contracts and tenders.
Traineeships and workforce development
LIAWA understands the labour shortages in the landscaping industry and is actively working to connect businesses with skilled workers. Members have exclusive access to traineeships, apprenticeships, and jobmatching services to help grow their teams. Services include:
• Government-funded traineeships available through LIAWA partnerships
• Support in hiring and mentoring apprentices to build the future workforce
• Career pathways for those looking to upskill or transition into landscaping. If you need skilled workers, or if you’re looking to train the next generation of landscapers, LIAWA membership provides a
LIAWA members have exclusive access to traineeships, apprenticeships, and job-matching services, Image: highwaystarz/stock.adobe.com
direct pathway to workforce solutions. Contact Christine Stanton at liawaexec@ landscaping.net.au to register.
Events
The recent South West Sundowner was a fantastic event, bringing together landscapers and industry professionals to network and share insights. Excitement is building for the South West Forum in early April in Busselton, and LIAWA is calling for sponsors to support this fabulous event. Please reach out with any questions to Christine Stanton on 0497 120 519 or email liawaexec@landscaping.net.au.
Coming
up:
• Explore Ellenby Tree Farm, March 21 – an exclusive guided tour of Ellenby Tree Farm, where members can explore one of WA’s leading tree suppliers, learn about species selection, and network with fellow landscapers
• Industry engagement with SMTAFE Apprentices: upskilling the next generation – LIAWA commercial members can connect with SMTAFE apprentices and sta to upskill the next gen on the latest industry trends and career opportunities. This initiative helps bridge the skills gap, ensures future landscapers are wellequipped to meet industry demands, and opens the door for members to meet a prospective skilled workforce.
Join LIAWA
With so many industry changes on the horizon, being part of LIAWA ensures staying ahead. From the new website launched in March 2025 to mandatory Waterwise accreditation and access to vital traineeships, membership provides the tools to thrive in a changing market. Join now and take advantage of early access to resources, discounted training and priority job matching.
Contact Christine Stanton, LIAWA Executive O icer on 0497 120 519, or email liawaexec@landscaping.net.au.
The
on Wednesday,
Exhibitors can showcase their o erings directly to a targeted audience of decision-makers. Entry is 100% free, but tickets are essential.
Landscape Show is back at Sportsbet Sandown (Sandown Racecourse)
May 28, 2025. Images: Landscaping Victoria
Landscaping’s biggest event is back
If you’re in the landscaping game in Victoria – or planning to be – mark your calendar. The Landscape Show, presented by Arborgreen, is back on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, and it’s bigger than ever.
Held at Sportsbet Sandown (Sandown Racecourse) from 8.00am to 3.00pm, this is the must-attend event for industry professionals, students, and educators.
“The Landscape Show has become the cornerstone of our industry’s innovation and connection,” said Ritchie Hinton, CEO of Landscaping Victoria. “This is where careers are launched, businesses grow, and the future of landscaping takes shape.”
Why you can’t miss it
This is where the entire landscaping industry comes together – designers, contractors, horticulturists, suppliers, business owners, educators, and students – all under one roof. Whether you’re just starting your journey in landscaping, on the tools every day, running a business, or supplying the latest and greatest in landscape products, The Landscape Show is where you need to be.
• Discover innovation: explore the latest tools, machinery, and products from top suppliers across all sectors
• Learn from the best: gain insights from industry leaders and expert guest speakers at the Learning Hub
• Make connections: network with fellow landscapers, suppliers, and key players in the industry
• Expand your business: exhibitors can showcase their o erings directly to a
targeted audience of decision-makers
• Kickstart your career: if you’re studying landscaping or considering a career in the field, this is your chance to meet employers, learn from professionals, and explore career pathways.
“It’s a really good opportunity for us to be here, answer questions, show our products… get to know what they’re looking for and how we can support them,” shared Maddy from Daisy’s Garden Supplies.
Who should attend?
If you’re serious about landscaping, this is your show.
• Business owners and decision-makers: see the latest innovations, connect with suppliers, and strike deals that can drive your business forward
• Landscape architects and designers: get hands-on with cutting-edge products and materials to bring your designs to life
• Contractors and horticulturists: discover new tools, equipment, plants and techniques to improve e iciency and stay competitive.
• Students and educators: learn from industry leaders, connect with employers, and explore future career opportunities, and
• Suppliers and manufacturers: engage directly with potential clients and showcase your latest products.
Don’t miss it
“I think it’s unreal,” shared Ned, an attendee at the 2024 Show. “I talked with so many di erent companies.”
Entry is 100% free, but tickets are essential. Secure your spot now to get full access to everything The Landscape Show has to o er.
Don’t miss the biggest day on the landscaping calendar. Gather your team, invite your mates, and make a day of it.
Register now at thelandscapeshow.com.au and we’ll see you at Sandown.
For more information and to register, visit thelandscapeshow.com.au.
