Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria

The Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria was well represented in the annual Nursery Industry awards this year and we enjoyed outstanding success.

The State winners who succeeded in translating their earlier success onto the national stage included:

AQIS Quarantine Centre

Best Supplier Award

Kimberley Thomas was on hand to accept this award for the Best Supplier entry. The award recognised the great contribution this facility has made to plant quarantine issues for both Victoria and also nationally over a considerable period of time. Kimberley made the observation during her acceptance speech that it is not often a Government agency is able to secure such a prestigious award, but the industry knows how well deserved this is and was forthcoming in extending their best wishes for a great job.

Mansfield’s Propagation Nursery

The Best Large Production Nursery

The Mansfield team are pretty well practised at this awards caper – as well they should be. Last year they secured a great victory in the Premier’s Sustainability Awards competing against a couple of Industrial heavyweights. This merely whetted their appetite. This outstanding enterprise has been able to win awards across a number of different categories which is a very rare achievement. Noel, Margaret, Daniel along with Brett Lovett were on hand to accept the award.

Gisborne Nursery

Best Small Retail Nursery

Chris and Gary were on hand to accept their award as the Best Medium sized garden centre in Australia. Gisborne Nursery is a relatively new business only commencing at the present site four years ago. It’s a remarkable effort to be able to capture such a prestigious prize at the 1^st attempt and against such good competition.

Environmental Award

Mansfield’s Propagation Nursery

A deserved winner too in this category. Mansfield’s have produced an outstanding example of good business meeting it’s sustainability targets with their modern propagation nursery and wetland water system. This really is one of the success stories of the industry over recent years and the nature and level of their achievement was duly recognised by the judges.

Bulleen Art & Garden

Community Award.

This recognised their outstanding contribution to issues of sustainability and the local environment over many years. For Bruce Plain and the capable team he leads this represented the culmination of a great deal of good work which last year saw Bulleen Art & Garden install a dedicated class-room to better manage the great number of community classes and workshops they hold.

CNP Scholarship:

Diana Fullalove, Yarra View Nursery

Diana has made a strong impression on the industry since her early days as a winner of Achievable Gardens along with her Swinburne team-mates a few years ago. Her on-going career development should serve as an example for others in our industry.

Well done Diana and all the best for your future.

The other winners were:

Best Large Garden Centre: Tim’s Garden Centre which now enters the Hall of Fame.

Well done to Tim and all the crew – an outstanding effort.

Best Medium Garden Centre: Growmaster Howrah

This is an excellent result for a terrific nursery. Greg Belbin is well know in the industry for the stirling work he has done on the NGIA Board and in particular for the all the hard yards over a number of years working with the Australian Garden Centre Accreditation Scheme.

Best Small Production Nursery: Coastal Nursery

Best Medium Production Nursery: Drocaena Nursery

Training Award: Allora Gardens

Another outstanding result.

Estelle Cornell was the National judge for the retail entries this year, in part a result of her already having been admitted into the Legends Hall of Fame. Estelle is recognised throughout the retail industry as having a strong dedication to training and professional development. It’s great to see this commitment to training gain the recognition it deserves.

Export Award: Ramm Botanicals

Young Leader Award: Simon Reid from Tim’s Garden Centre

NGI Award of Merit: Peter Cundall

NGI Life Membership: Stuart Swaddling