WE COULD ALSO SEE AN INCREASE IN HOMEGROWN LANDSCAPERS AS PRIMARY ITO HAS MORE APPRENTICES ON THE BOOKS

Janet Clarke Registered Master Landscapers Board of Directors Chairperson

Many of the factors hampering our industry have remained the same for nearly two years: there are supply shortages, good workers are tough to find and firms are competing with each other for the same pool of qualified labourers. But hopefully 2022 is the year that changes!

For a start, the relaxation of border restrictions should make it easier to recruit from overseas and the working holiday scheme reopened for applications in March. I know I’m not alone in hoping that we’ll get some greenthumbed backpackers and skilled labourers heading for New Zealand!

We could also see an increase in homegrown landscapers, as Primary ITO has more apprentices on the books than it has over the past few years! Read more about that on page six. And, if you’re not seeing fresh faces around site, the Next Level Tradie has some golden tips to retain good employees for you on page 22.

Consents can be a tricky area for landscapers and clients to navigate, which is why it's good to see MBIE launch a new tool to help tradies figure out if their project is exempt or not. We also get a few different perspectives on consent from those within landscaping – what they say might surprise you! Flick through to page four to read more on that.

This issue’s profile features Ben Thomas from WeScape. Ben has been with RML since its days as LIANZ and reckons it was a vital tool when he was just getting started in the game. We also chatted about his colourful background and how he took the long way round to landscaping.

We hope you enjoy this issue of NZ Landscaper Magazine – it’s one of the ways we provide value to our members, a commitment that we will continue to enhance this coming year.