This page provides information and data on the Amenity Horticulture and Landscaping sector, which is a component of the Amenity Horticulture and Conservation industry. The Amenity Horticulture and Landscaping sector comprises five sub-sectors:
The Amenity Horticulture and Landscaping sector includes companies that conduct the following activities:
Vocational education and training (VET) is required in the sector for occupations such as:
Nationally recognised training for the Amenity Horticulture and Landscaping sector is delivered under the AHC – Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package.
For information on the Conservation and Land Management and Production Horticulture sectors please visit the respective pages.
All data sources are available at the end of the page.
There is insufficiently detailed data on employment in the Amenity Horticulture and Landscaping sector to provide an accurate analysis of employment trends.
For employment data, please refer to the Amenity Horticulture and Conservation industry cluster page.
There were approximately 14,340 program enrolments and more than 2,730 program completions in Amenity Horticulture and Landscaping-related qualifications in 2020. Enrolments rose 34% between 2019 and 2020, whereas completions declined slightly (3%).
In 2020, most program enrolments (89%) were at certificate III and nearly two-thirds (65%) of qualifications were in Landscaping, with 13% in Aboriculture and 12% in Parks and Gardens. Landscape Gardener was the main intended occupation for Amenity Horticulture and Landscaping-related qualifications.
Overall, slightly more than half (53%) of all Amenity Horticulture and Landscaping-related qualifications were delivered by private training providers in 2020, with TAFE institutes delivering 42%. However, there was considerable variation across the industry related qualifications. Most of the training was government-funded (72%), with domestic fee-for-service arrangements comprising 28%.
Queensland (47%) had the highest proportion of students enrolled in Amenity Horticulture and Landscaping-related qualifications in 2020, followed by New South Wales (24%) and Victoria (21%). Almost half (48%) of training in these industry-related qualifications was delivered in Queensland, with both New South Wales and Victoria both delivering 22% each.
The number of apprenticeship and traineeship commencements increased in 2020 to more than 3,150 compared with 2019. Completions decreased between 2019 and 2020, from approximately 1,260 to 1,140 respectively.
The main intended occupation of the apprenticeships and traineeships in 2020 was Landscape Gardener followed by Gardener (General) and Arborist. More than two-thirds of industry-related apprenticeships and traineeships were undertaken in New South Wales (36%) and Victoria (35%), followed by Queensland (18%).
For more data specific to your occupation, industry group or training package, visit NCVER’s Data Builder.
For more data specific to your region visit NCVER’s Atlas of Total VET.
If you are interested in extracting NCVER data to construct tables with data relevant to you, sign up for a VOCSTATS account.
The Agriculture, Horticulture, Conservation and Land Management IRC’s 2021 Skills Forecast (Annual Update) outlines the trends that have emerged in 2020, including the impacts of COVID-19, attracting new industry workers and upsurge in demand for nursery and landscaping products and services. The Skills Forecast notes the trends, challenges and issues identified in the IRC’s 2020 Annual Update to 2019 – 2022 Skills Forecast remain relevant.
Within the Amenity Horticulture and Conservation industries, COVID-19 lockdowns have impacted some sectors, such as landscaping and arboriculture, with activities suspended in commercial environments and in municipalities. The business-as-usual approach was reviewed and new practices were introduced to accommodate social distancing, smaller crews and better hygiene protocols.
The closure of international borders has also impacted labour supply in Amenity Horticulture and Landscaping industries, with industry visa holders returning to their home countries. For example, Arboriculture relies heavily on European and United Kingdom (UK) climbers to work in Australia through industry visa arrangements. Their return home has created a significant shortage of climbers hindering the completion of works.
Further, among employers with job opportunities in the Amenity Horticulture, Arboriculture and related industries there are perceptions they did not receive support to attract new workers. This is despite long-term labour shortages exacerbated by COVID-19 and the availability of people who have been displaced from their usual work and are seeking new opportunities.
Demand for nursery and landscaping products and services has surged, as a result of COVID-19, with many people spending a greater proportion of their time at home, bringing into sharper focus their use of domestic space, notably gardens. Nurseries were inundated with new and experienced customers seeking to develop and upgrade their gardens and veggie patches. According to the 2021 Skills Forecast, gardening is predicted to maintain its increased popularity due to associated economic, recreational, health and environmental benefits. Further, with growing evidence that new customers plan to maintain and extend their home and community gardening, the demand for complementary skilled landscaping and nursery workers could increase.
Below is a list of industry-relevant research, organisations and associations. Hyperlinks have been included where available.
Amenity Horticulture, Landscaping, Conservation & Land Management IRC
Australian Capital Tree Community
Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association
Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association
Australian Institute of Horticulture Inc.
Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
Australian Institute of Landscape Designers and Managers
Australian Society of Horticultural Science
Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand
Institute of Australian Consulting Arboriculturists
Interior Plantscape Association
International Society of Arboriculture
Invasive Plants and Animals Committee
Landscape Queensland Industries Assoc. Inc.
Landscape Industries Association of Tasmania
Landscaping Industries Association WA Inc. (LIAWA)
Landscaping Australia Incorporated
Master Landscapers Association
Master Landscapers of SA (MLSA)
New South Wales Arborist Association
Nursery and Garden Industry Australia (Greenlife Industry Australia)
Northern Territory Arboriculture Association
Queensland Arboricultural Association
South Australian Society for Arboriculture
Sports Turf Association Australia
Sustainable Gardening Australia
The Tree Guild of Western Australia
Tree Contractors Association Australia
Turf Grass Association of Australia
Victorian Tree Industry Organisation
Weeds Australia (Centre for Invasive Species Solutions)
Wildflowers Industry Network NSW Inc
Training data has been extracted from the National VET Provider Collection, Total VET Students and Courses from the following training package or qualifications:
This includes superseded qualifications and training packages.
Data covers a range of selected student and training characteristics in the following categories and years:
Total VET students and courses data is reported for the calendar year. Program enrolments are the qualifications, courses and skill-sets in which students are enrolled in a given period. For students enrolled in multiple programs, all programs are counted. Program completion indicates that a student has completed a structured and integrated program of education or training. Location data uses student residence. Subject enrolment is registration of a student at a training delivery location for the purpose of undertaking a module, unit of competency or subject. For more information on the terms and definitions, please refer to the Total VET students and courses: terms and definitions document.
Low counts (less than five) are not reported to protect client confidentiality.
Percentages are rounded to one decimal place. This can lead to situations where the total sum of proportions in a chart may not add up to exactly 100%.
AHC – Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package apprentice and trainee data has been extracted from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection, including:
