What was it all about?

From 2019 to 2022, this investment assessed the potential for natural disasters and severe weather events to impact the Australian production nursery industry and developed strategies and resources for better preparedness, speedier recovery and stronger resilience.

Six natural hazards common to the production nursery industry were identified: bushfire, flood, frost, hail, heatwave, and severe wind or cyclone. Drought was not specifically covered by this research but was considered within the context of potential future research.

A map-based portal was developed containing known nursery industry sites, with each allocated a risk rating for the various natural hazards. The Nursery Industry Spatial Mapping Portal is available for use by nursery industry bodies and interested levy payers.

A series of industry resources were developed and shared, including six nursery preparation checklists designed to guide businesses to mitigate risks and prepare and manage the natural hazards most likely to impact their nursery operation. Each checklist articulates the hazard’s characteristics and recommends actions at different stages of an event.  

Continued use of the resources and tools developed via this research was encouraged, such as nursery operators conducting regular staff training sessions, using the mapped risk portal to understand and respond to hazards, and engaging with government, natural resource groups and communities. 

ACT NOW

The six Nursery Preparation Checklists and other resources are available on the Nursery & Garden Industry Queensland (NGIQ) website, with the Nursery Industry Spatial Mapping Portal available for use by nursery industry bodies and interested levy payers.

You can also read more in this article New natural disaster checklists available for industry, published on the Your Levy @ Work website in March 2021.

The Emergency and Disaster Planning page on the Australian Plant Production Standard (APPS) website has useful resources.