Growing the Future: Alpine Nurseries
Meeting the Growing Demand and Setting the Standard for Tree Supply in Urban Environments.
As urban populations surge across Sydney and Southeast Queensland, the demand for sustainable and green spaces has never been greater. The push for trees in urban development’s goes beyond aesthetics; it’s a necessity for our future.
Urban trees provide significant environmental benefits, reducing heat island effects, improving energy consumption, improving air quality, and supporting biodiversity. Their role in carbon sequestration makes them crucial for addressing the challenges of climate change in densely populated areas. Beyond their environmental value, trees also contribute to mental well-being, create healthier communities, and boost property values.
With this growing need for trees in urban environments, Alpine Nurseries is at the forefront of not only supplying trees that meet the increasing demand but also ensuring that every tree complies with stringent Australian standards. This commitment positions Alpine Nurseries as a leader in delivering premium quality trees that are essential for the sustainable future of our cities.
Addressing the Australian Standard AS2303
Alpine Nurseries has made a significant investment in ensuring compliance with Australian Standard AS 2303:2018, a comprehensive guideline for the production and quality of trees in urban environments. To meet these high standards, Alpine has adopted Green Life Australia’s AS2303 compliance program – NIASA Landscape Tree Stock Certification (LTSS).
NIASA encompasses a set of growing techniques and best practice standards that are carefully audited by Green Industry Australia (GIA), ensuring that Alpine’s trees and growing process meet the standard.
Meeting the Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme Australia (NIASA) Landscape Tree Stock Specification (LTSS) for above and below ground plant parts helps production nurseries like Alpine maintain standards and helps to ensure that trees will thrive long term, benefiting the environment and returning value on the buyer’s investment.
Maintaining the Landscape Tree Stock Specification is central to our ethos of ‘quality matters’. For buyers overseeing investments in green infrastructure – such as government bodies, landscape professionals, and developers – ensuring trees have long and successful lives once they leave the nursery is paramount. This guarantees the sustainability and aesthetic value of the landscapes they enhance.
Alpine’s dedication to compliance doesn’t stop with standards. Recognising the importance of skilled labour in ensuring the longevity and health of trees, Alpine Nurseries has also implemented advanced training programs for staff. These programs are led by Level 5 Arborists, professionals at the top of their field, and are designed to further hone the expertise of Alpine’s team in all aspects of tree cultivation and care. This comprehensive approach ensures that Alpine’s staff have the knowledge and skill set needed to maintain the highest quality throughout the growing process.
By combining the rigor of the AS2303 standard, NAISA LTSS accreditation, ongoing staff training and a commitment to innovation, Alpine Nurseries is not only meeting the growing demand for trees in urban environments but also setting a new industry benchmark. This approach ensures that the trees they provide are not just for today, but for the long-term sustainability and health of our urban landscapes.
Alpine recently partnered with GIA to develop a promotional video on the LTSS. Click here to view.
As cities grow and evolve, so too must the landscape. Alpine are seeing a changing tree pallet with more subtropical trees being specified to meet climate change. This is very much lead by the Which Plant Where Program.
The trees we plant now must be suitable for changing climates.
Alpine have identified that the demand for quality tree stock will soon outstrip what the industry can supply, to help meet demand Alpine is again expanding its Alstonville site, this time with an additional 4 acres of tree growing area.
Alpine Nurseries General Manager Dan Ewings comments “Making an environmental impact to our future cities is something we can be proud of as a business so the decision to invest in additional tree growing area was easy. When discussing trees with customers my advice is always the same, get your orders in well in advance, years if possible. That’s the best way to ensure supply and guarantee quality standards are met.”
LINK to Greenlife Industry feature article