Landscape Contractor Magazine

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Committee for Melbourne are calling for major education and workforce reform to ensure Victoria can meet future industry demand and address growing skills shortages across the economy. As part of the ‘Maximising Victoria’s Potential and Competitiveness’ platform, the organisations are proposing a shift towards a more demand-driven workforce-development system closely aligned with industry needs.

Long Jetty on the NSW Central Coast is set to welcome a new lifestyle-focused over-55s apartment development by developer, Surewin. Set on the shores of the spectacular Tuggerah Lake in Long Jetty, NSW, the project combines lake views, walkable convenience, natural surroundings and spacious contemporary design. Open to a wider buyer pool While Lakeview Long Jetty is designed as an over-55s lifestyle community, it is also attracting interest from a broader range of buyers.

When it’s time to get serious, the Hustler X-ONE 60″ EFI is a go-to option.Landscape Contractor magazine has driven a few Hustler mowers, and, along with test driver Mat Wandmaker of Blue Ridge Property Maintenance, has been impressed with every one of them. The X-ONE 60″ EFI has comfortably come up to the mark set in previous Hustler Mowers reviews. It may even have raised the bar in some areas.

Horticulturist Jonathan Garner dishes up the dirt on soil microbes and soil ecosystems. It’s been quite a while since we’ve discussed our most precious resource. A couple of years back we chatted about the chemical, mineral and structural components of soil, but only touched on the living ecosystem. The ecosystem is complex, it’s extensive, and I hope you’ll find it as fascinating as I do.

Chris Wiltshire, CEO of Master Landscapers of South Australia, highlights a regulatory change in safety standards for the South Australian landscaping sector. Businesses operating in the construction and landscaping sectors should be aware of an important change in the regulation relating to working at heights that took effect on July 1, 2026. The update lowers the threshold for what is considered high-risk construction work, requiring greater diligence in safety planning and documentation.

Urban Discovery urges schools, councils and communities to recognise the spaces around children as essential to children’s learning, regulation and wellbeing. The spaces children move through every day quietly shape how they think, feel, connect and learn. A log can become a bridge, a balancing beam or the beginning of a story. A patch of soil can become a laboratory. A quiet pocket of planting can become the place a child goes to breathe, observe and settle.

Moonee Ponds Creek in Victoria will continue to undergo a major transformation, with the next stage of works set to create a more natural creek and community open space. Melbourne Water has developed a concept design for Stage 2 of Reimagining Moonee Ponds Creek. The design has been informed by community feedback and incorporates lessons learned from Stage 1, including integrating local and Traditional Owner knowledge and values.

The Landscape Industries Association WA’s forum put business pressures, legal risks, contracts and workforce challenges on the agenda. Who pays when a subcontractor damages a client’s property? What happens when project costs increase? What should you do if WorkSafe arrives on site following a serious incident?

Two standout industry events for NSW and the ACT’s landscaping professionals are back in 2026. The TLA Landscape Expo 2026 is fast approaching. Now in its fourth year, with more than 90 exhibitors expected, and with strong industry interest, it’s set to be a key event for landscapers across NSW and the ACT. Both attendees and exhibitors will be part of an engaged audience of landscapers, contractors, designers, and suppliers, creating opportunities to connect.

Landscape Estimator and Business Advisor Anna Turner asks, ‘Do you have sufficient finance in the job to cover it going wrong?’ Assess the risk and price accordingly. We’ve all had a project or two that, from the start, we wish we hadn’t won. Instead of doing high-fives a sinking feeling hits right in the guts. The warning signs were there, but we ignored them. We went in too lean, or we got a bad feeling about the client but went ahead anyway.