Whakatipu Rākau, Karaihe, me te Mahi Māra Nursery, Turf and Gardening

When Māori arrived in Aotearoa, they brought some plants with them which they grew alongside native plants. When Europeans arrived, one of the first things they did was clear out native bush and plant European grasses. People in Aotearoa weren’t that interested in growing native plants at first, seeing them as boring or hard to grow. But by the 1970s and 80s, they began to realise that native plants make interesting gardens, and today they have become very popular. 

Aotearoa is considered a biodiversity ‘hotspot’ around the world and makes an important contribution to global biodiversity. There are 2,500 species of native conifers, flowering plants and ferns here, and over 80% of these are endemic species. The beauty of our country’s landscape is a highlight for recreational users, particularly golfers. The first recorded game of golf in Aotearoa took place in Dunedin in 1871, and by the early 21st century, there were about 400 golf courses across the motu – more per capita than any other country, except Scotland. 

In 2020, New Zealand export revenue for cut flowers and foliage, seeds, bulbs, and live plants was over $188 million. We counted over 15,000 people in the workforce in 2020 across four sub-industries including plant production, turf growing, gardening services and floriculture production. An estimated 10% of businesses in the industry are Māori owned, with New Zealand Plant Producers Incorporated (NZPPI) having several Māori plant producers within its membership. Māori members of NZPPI are focussing on indigenous plant production in a local mātauranga Māori context. 

 The industry struggles to attract and retain skilled people in the workforce and finding ways to build a more inclusive workforce is a priority for the industry. Recent government initiatives to support native plantings has put some additional pressure on plant production, at a time when the industry is grappling with climate change mitigation. Sustainability concerns around water use and the minimisation of plastics are front of mind across the industry.