Your Levy at Work

Tree Investment Tool quantifies cost of establishing trees

The inclusion of trees in urban landscapes provides many different types of socio-economic, physical, mental and environmental benefits, but many urban planning decisions are made by accountants and finance departments and cost remains a primary factor.

In acknowledgement of the importance of cost in urban planning decisions, a quantitative planning tool has been developed through a Hort Innovation levy-funded project ‘Budget tool to calculate the cost to successfully establish trees in the urban landscape’ (NY18003).

The tool, developed by Natural Capital Economics, Mosaic Insights and Alluvium Consulting, aims to equip urban greening officers at local councils, developers, landscape architects and the sales teams of production nurseries with the information needed to have meaningful conversations at the boardroom level.

NEW PROJECT explores the impacts of biosecurity incursions

by Levy Communications • NGI Updates

Thursday, 17 September 2020

For growers and nursery businesses, the threat of biosecurity incursions can have a knock-on effect of social and economic instability, impacting business continuity.

The new levy-funded project ‘Ensuring business continuity during biosecurity incursions – social and economic research learnings for the production nursery industry’ (NY18010) project, is working toward establishing management practices that recognise the social and economic impact biosecurity incursions can have on individual nursery owners and businesses.

Project NY19007: a joint effort in strengthening the nursery industry’s biosecurity

by Levy Communications • NGI Updates

Friday, 11 September 2020

New levy-funded project ‘Improving surveillance strategies for tospoviruses and thrips to enhance the biosecurity of the nursery industry’ (NY19007) is underway – this time a joint venture, with Hort Innovation engaging two separate research teams to provide insights from two completely different environments, temperate Victoria and subtropical Queensland.

UPDATE: Masterclass in Horticultural Business

by Levy Communications • NGI Updates

Friday, 11 September 2020

Amidst COVID-19, the Masterclass in Horticultural Business has continued to progress, adapting the delivery of program elements to ensure participating scholars continue to receive a high-valued learning experience that will enhance their development and support overall business growth and innovation.

Delivered by the University of Tasmania (UTAS), the Hort Masterclass is a ten-month course undertaken predominantly online, offering a comprehensive and accessible program to those looking to accelerate their careers in the horticultural sector.

Though the course can be completed full-time within a ten-month timeframe, the program is now accepting part-time enrolments to maintain flexibility in study. This has been particularly beneficial to 2020 participants, as they deal with the continued uncertainty and impacts of COVID-19.

September Pest of the Month: Two-spotted mite

by Levy Communications • NGI Updates

Name: Two-spotted mite (Tetranychus urticae)

Small colonies cause little damage to crops but can reproduce very rapidly during warm dry weather. Large infestations can reduce crop vigour and damage terminal shoots.

NEW QDAF-led pest and disease webinars

by Levy Communications • NGI Updates

Growers and production staff are invited to attend a series of pest and disease webinars run by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF).

These online events aim to enhance the Australian nursery industry’s biosecurity measures by showcasing new pest and disease contingency plans and relaying new and updated information to growers.

QDAF pathologists will run a total of four webinars, two of which are in lieu of the annual face-to-face disease workshops and will look through the lens of Integrated Crop Management (ICM).