This is a final research report from Hort Innovation’s historical archives. Please note that as these reports may date back as far as the 1990s, the content and recommendations within them may be superseded by more recent research.

What was it all about?

With an increasing focus by government and the community on water availability and water management there was an increasing need for the nursery and garden industry to demonstrate that it was an efficient and responsible water user.

The industry needed to continue to build on its achievements and investments over the previous ten years to ensure it could achieve on-going improvements in water use efficiency and environmental performance across all sectors. There was also a continuing need for the nursery and garden industry to be proactive in promoting responsible garden water use to consumers and to contribute appropriate and positive messages about responsible garden water use to the media and through garden centres.

The project focused on two key areas for developing industry best practice and the communication of this:

1. Improving the industry’s irrigation training package (Waterwork) to provide the state associations, industry development officers, and other training operators with simple, easy-to-use materials which could be tailored to suit specific audiences and training needs.
2. Continuing the ‘Wise about Water’ retail garden centre program to encourage garden centres to be proactive in identifying and providing water conservation solutions to their customers, and to continue to promote positive, balanced and responsible garden water use messages to the wider community.

Through the adoption of this project the nursery and garden industry would be able to:

• Demonstrate on-going improvements in industry best practice water use and management
• Improve the awareness and understanding, by industry, our consumers and governments, of the principles of responsible water use
• Continue to engage with consumers and the community to promote a balanced and responsible approach to garden water use and water conservation