NGIA CEO update – 31 August 2017

Hi Everyone

Welcome to the latest version of the NNN Network Newsletter and welcome to the first day of Spring.  We hope Spring is a very prosperous and successful period for all members and particularly for those members when it is a peak selling season.

Mike Mehigan and I conducted a session with the NGIWA Board in August when we worked through a range of issues including the structure review, our engagement with Hort Innovation, the Farm Management System and a number of governance matters.  It was also our pleasure to attend the NGIWA conference which was a very successful day with over 70 attendees and covering a wide range of topics across the complete supply chain from propagation through to the experiences of a range of customers and end users of greenlife.

In this edition of the NNN Newsletter there is an update on the NGI network structure review process with details of a workshop conducted in August by the Structural Change Advisory Committee, notification that registration for the NGIA Conference in Hobart in February are open and articles for retailers on sales and marketing as we head into Spring.

An activity that I have spent time on recently is ensuring that NGI members have the right level of representation at all levels and across all regions from local through to national.  It is a delicate balance to ensure that NGIA’s staff time, resources and capabilities are used best at the appropriate level of representation.  My current approach is to manage issues at a state level through the State NGI network and national issues with NGIA (nursery specific) and Voice of Horticulture (all of Horticulture).  We are also considering how to establish a national “Green Industry Alliance” to work with like-minded organisations on national urban and environment horticultural issues.  In my role of Director on the Voice of Horticulture we are considering how to engage with the National Farmers’ Federation to discuss and address horticulture issues across all of Australian agriculture.  The challenge is to allocate the right amount of time and resources to ensure the greatest benefit and value are returned to members from the very specific issues to the much broader all of industry issues.  The Board and I carefully consider our involvement at all levels of representation to ensure we maximise the leverage of the time and resource investment.

As usual please contact me [email protected] you have any questions, comments or concerns on the operation of NGIA and any feedback on this edition of the NNN email.

Kind regards

Peter Vaughan
NGIA CEO