Production nurseries

Greenlife Industry Australia represents the biosecurity interests of the industry. They are members of Plant Health Australia and signatories to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed. Their responsibilities include:

• biosecurity planning and implementation at the national and farm levels
• liaising with federal and state governments on trade issues
• funding and supporting biosecurity initiatives
• participating in national committees and response efforts in an emergency.

Industry overview

The nursery industry operates in all states and territories of Australia, being one of the largest and most diverse plant industries in the country. The industry estimates an annual gross production value of approximately $0.9 billion (production nurseries only) will occur in 2021 across the entire supply chain. Greenlife production nurseries supply to ornamental retail, landscape, revegetation, rehabilitation and production horticulture sectors including tree crops (e.g. fruit, berries, vines, tea tree), vegetables, forestry and cut flowers with a combined annual production value of more than $15 billion.

In 2016, Nursery Garden Industry Australia, NGIA (now Greenlife Industry Australia) developed the Australian Plant Production Standard website nurseryproductionfms.com.au which is the one-stop shop for industry biosecurity information for growers, including access to pest fact sheets, management plans, videos and an eLearning portal. The industry has consistently guided RD&E levy investment towards plant protection and biosecurity resources both at a strategic national level as well as at a grower level.

In early 2018, Greenlife Industry Australia achieved certification and recognition of BioSecure HACCP as an Approved Biosecurity Scheme under the Biosecurity Act 2014 (Queensland), the first such recognition of a third party certification program in Australia. This was followed by New South Wales providing equivalent certification under the Biosecurity Act 2015 (New South Wales) in late December 2018.

Greenlife Industry Australia continues to work in partnership with state and territory governments on the roll out of BioSecure HACCP, with legal recognition for market access achieved in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia by the end of 2019. This allows certified producers to self-certify consignments of nursery stock for interstate market access and issue BioSecure HACCP Biosecurity Certificates.

The industry continues to build the online electronic plant pest identification resource Pest ID Tool pestid.com.au  which combines information and images on endemic and key exotic plant pests that impact on production or trade.