The Andrews Labor Government is supporting the nursery and garden industry across the state to identify opportunities for growth, including attracting workers for the future and addressing skills gaps.

Minister for Agriculture Gayle Tierney today visited Garden City Plastics in Dandenong South to launch the ‘Realisation of Growth Opportunities within the Victorian Nursery and Garden Industry’ report commissioned by the Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria (NGIV).

The report revealed that Victoria’s nursery and garden industry is estimated to be worth $2.5 billion and employed over 24,000 people in 2020/21.

It also found that 75 per cent of businesses are looking to expand their operations, reflecting a positive outlook for growth within the industry.

The report identified priorities for ensuring future growth, including attracting a skilled workforce, exploring export opportunities and investing in sustainable infrastructure solutions to act on climate change.

NGIV were awarded $110,084 through the Labor Governments $15 million Food to Market Program.

The Program has bolstered the state’s agriculture supply chain and created jobs by supporting pilot projects, investing in food and beverage companies and manufacturing plants.

Garden City Plastics is one of the country’s largest gardening suppliers that produces plastic pots and containers for most of Victoria’s commercial nurseries. It has a circular economy model whereby many of its containers are made from melted recycled plastics, and all products not sold are then recycled and reused.

The full report by NGIV is available at ngiv.com.au.