The latest meeting of CAV saw the Nursery and Garden Industry of Victoria (NGIV) provide a presentation of the newly released Australian Standard AS2303-2015 Tree Stock for Landscape Use. The presentation by David Reid of NGIV was supported by Damien Choate from Mt William Nursery.
David spoke to the drivers for developing the standard, the greatest being the need for Nurseries to provide the most sustainable stock possible providing longevity in the landscape. The relationship between the new standard and Vision 202020 was also discussed. Providing improved quality stock ensured that project partners of Vision 202020 were able to achieve their goals of increasing canopy cover and green space.
The presentation then moved into the technical components of the standard which was presented by Damien. While explaining each of the individual components of the new standards the audience was encouraged not to use one in isolation. Failure to assess against multiple components of the standard could exclude high quality stock pending the time of year or stage of growth of the stock. Emphasis was also placed on the need to inspect stock and assess against the standard prior to dispatch if possible.
Moving forward Councils are encouraged to review tree procurement processes and if possible develop conditions in the specification to ensure that stock is supplied in accordance with AS2303-2015. This will ensure that stock introduced into the landscape establishes successfully and provides the greatest benefits for the longest possible time.
