Our monthly Online Members' Forums are a great way for our CEO, Anita Campbell, and our President, David Jakobs, to connect with NGINA members and for our members to connect with each other on a regular basis — without being impacted by COVID lockdowns or restricted by geographical location — keeping everyone up to date with industry news and developments.

Our forums are held electronically on the fourth Wednesday of every month, starting at 4.00 pm and lasting for around an hour.

David starts proceedings and provides an industry update and Anita brings everyone up to speed on what's been going on at NGINA. This is then followed by one or two guest speakers. Members are more than welcome to ask questions throughout the session.

To attend one of these forums, simply send an email to info@ngina.com.au and you will be added to our RSVP list so we know to send you the link on the day of the forum.

Below are audio recordings of previous forums (simply click on the relevant month to access each one):

October 2024: David Andersen, Manager for Water Reform Implementation at NSW DCCEW, brings a wealth of expertise in water and resource management across both public and private sectors. With his deep understanding of the industry, David will provide valuable insights into the latest developments in non-urban water metering and harvestable water rights, covering key changes that will impact the industry and the future of water management. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a leading expert shaping the future of water reform in NSW.

September 2024: Belinda McLean, Founder of HR Focus, is an experienced HR Generalist with expertise across diverse industries, specialising in Industrial Relations, WHS, and compliance, and will be speaking on Right to Disconnect laws, casual worker changes, independent contractor rules, and psychosocial hazards.

August 2024: Ball Australia is a wholesale grower which was established in 2001. Ball Australia offers daily, national distribution of quality seed and vegetative lines for flowers, vegetables, herbs, cut flowers and tissue culture. Today Ball Australia is a leader in the research, breeding, production and marketing of ornamental crops. Soumya Veetil speaks on Tissue Culture (TC) and its production process in the lab, including biosecurity concerns. Bin Jiang discusses TC production in nurseries and the advantages over regular propagation methods.

July 2024: An experienced Coach, Mentor and Counsellor Susan Smith has worked in banking and finance, fundraising and higher education. Susan is a warm but direct communicator operating in recognised, measurable outcome strategies. She is going to talk on 'The Window of Tolerance' - which comprises a range of emotional and physiological states within which we are able to effectively cope with stressors. When someone is within their window of tolerance, they are able to manage everyday stressors and challenges without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down. Susan will teach us how to identify our own window of tolerance and give us tips on looking after our mental wellbeing.

June 2024: As energy costs rise, the NGINA is giving members a key opportunity to explore the benefits of solar energy and tailored energy solutions for your business. Expert Insights: Gain valuable knowledge from Choice Energy's expert on reducing energy costs and improving efficiency. Cost-Saving Strategies: Learn about complimentary energy bill health checks, commercial energy broking, and zero-budget commercial solar solutions. Choice Energy has helped 620 businesses save over $4 million since July 2023. Don’t miss this chance to see how they can help your business too. Hear from Lachlan who is a highly motivated sales manager, committed to providing the highest quality commercial and industrial energy solutions to the Australian market. Lachlan leads the commercial solar team at Choice Energy and has an extensive background in Sales, and International Business after completing his MBA in the United States.

March 2024 - Embracing technology and innovation can help nurseries thrive in today's rapidly evolving market. Implementing automated systems can save time and improve efficiency, online stores can increase sales, using technology to manage inventory, track sales, and analyse customer data can help in making informed business decisions, embracing innovations can improve the environmental footprint of nurseries, leveraging technology to stay updated will help you to remain competitive. We asked three innovative NGINA partners to update us on their newest technologies. GCP will discuss recycling initiatives, Syngenta will unveil their new website and innovative digital tools and Ball Australia will discuss innovation in plant breeding and propagation.

February 2024 - Julian Moore is a skilled and entertaining speaker who provides practical and useful ideas through real-world examples and case studies. Julian is an unabashed technology geek who is thoroughly enjoying the process of adapting to an AI world. With extensive experience in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, Julian is committed to helping organisations achieve their goals. In this highly practical session you will gain an overview of AI tools relevant to people working in the Nursery & Gardening sector. Through a live demonstration, you'll see firsthand how AI-powered tools can revolutionise your work and dramatically enhance your effectiveness across a range of common tasks. Gain valuable insights and walk away equipped with actionable knowledge, ready to implement these tools immediately after the session.

January 2024 - John McDonald joined us to discuss this recent discovery of red imported fire ants and provide updates on the situation for our memebrs. John McDonald is the Director of RDE and Biosecurity for Greenlife Industry Australia. With his extensive knowledge and experience in biosecurity, John provided valuable insights into the threat posed by Red Imported Fire Ants and how it impacts our industry in New South Wales.

November 2023 - Of all the earth’s continents, only Antarctica gets less precipitation than Australia. While we have long had limited and unpredictable rainfall, climate change is exacerbating drought conditions making adopting water-saving practices more critical than ever. The focus of this Online Member Forum is on the next drought – and how we can we prepare and reduce our water consumption. Dr Sam Stacey, Technical Manager of ICL will discuss the benefits of wetting agents, also called surfactant, which increase the adsorption of water into media and soil. Wetting agents achieve this by reducing the surface tension of water, which allows it to spread more easily. The main purpose of a wetting agent is to increase the absorption and spread of water, which can dramatically improve the effectiveness of irrigation applications and rainfall. David Hinton from TAFE NSW Richmond Campus who delivers the Waterwise Course will cover some water saving techniques and the latest innovation in irrigation technology.

October -The focus of this forum is on addressing a pressing issue in the industry: the resistance of major pests to pesticides, including mites, aphids, whiteflies, and thrips. Biocontrol and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs offer intelligent solutions to protect your plants while reducing pesticide usage. IPM is an environmentally sensitive approach that combines various practices and control methods to prevent problems and minimise the need for intensive pesticide applications. In an era where sustainability is paramount, explore how biocontrol and IPM practices can promote ecological balance, reduce environmental impact and revolutionise your business. Elliott Akintola is our Guest Speaker and Agronomist from GCP, who has been providing unwavering support to Garden City Plastics customers and field managers all over Australia since 2018. Please click here to download the slides from this presentation.

September 2023 - An informative forum as we delve into the crucial topic of Red Imported Fire Ants. Our guest speaker for this forum is John McDonald, the Director of RDE and Biosecurity for Greenlife Industry Australia. With his extensive knowledge and experience in biosecurity, John will provide valuable insights into the threat posed by Red Imported Fire Ants and how it impacts our industry in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.This forum is an excellent opportunity to stay updated on the latest developments and strategies to safeguard our businesses and communities. It's also a chance to engage with fellow members and share insights on how we can collectively address this challenge.

August 2023 - 'Even a tiny cactus, cute as it looks, can be prickly when you least expect it.' And isn't that just like our nurseries? Surrounded by greenery and growth, yet even the most serene setting can hide a thorn or two. In our Online Member Forum this week, let's explore how we can keep our businesses blooming and be prepared just in case. This seminar will cover some common hazards in your nurseries and ways we should be controlling them. About Stephen from HR FOCUS: HR Focus is an HR, Safety and ISO compliance business located in the Macarthur area of Sydney. They have been in business for 17 years and have clients in nearly every industry across Australia. Stephen is a Snr Partner at HR FOCUS and is in charge of Workplace Safety, Environmental and Quality.  He has 25+ years of compliance experience and is an International Safety Auditor.

June 2023 - Get ready to meet the one and only Matthew Carroll, also known as Hortiman®, as he joins us for our Online Member Forum next Wednesday! 
Matt has worked in many aspects of horticulture for over 20 years including garden writing, radio production, garden travel and teaching. He also worked for GIA in communications and marketing.
Matt will talk about how retail garden centres and the whole of industry can benefit from rewriting the narrative around the benefits of gardening even in winter and when economic times are tough. He will also talk about how garden centres can 'Put themselves on the cutting edge of pruning this Winter’ and differentiate themselves from the larger chains with their product ranges and local knowledge.

May 2023 - Take a walk through the new NGINA website! Leisha Jordan (NGINA Communications & Marketing Manager) teaches us tips on how to best use the resources for your business. Plus, Chloe Smart will talk about AgCAREERSTART - a 10-12 month gap-year program which connects farmers with participants who are looking to work on Australian farms. Participants will be provided with a job, training and development grants, and the opportunity to build their networks within the industry. Hosts will be able to access a new labour market by leveraging AgCAREERSTART’s recruitment process, a $2000 grant and assistance with mentoring their participants.

April 2023 - Hort Innovation invests some of levy funds into industry-specific marketing campaigns, such as “Greener Spaces Better Places” to ultimately help growers maximise their returns. Join us this afternoon as Ben Peacock, the founder of Republic of Everyone will explain what’s growing on with Greener Spaces Better Places. Ben, who has been working on the project for a decade gives you the latest updates, including the incredible success of School of Thumb, an online how-to series that connects plant lovers with industry to help answer their biggest questions.

March 2023 - NGINA in partnership with Macquarie University has secured funding from the Department of Regional NSW to undertake a project investigating water storage contamination concerns at production nurseries in NSW.  The project aims to enhance resilience to storm and flood events and recovery processes in the NSW nursery industry. We have Dr. Tim Ralph from the School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering and Macquarie University presenting for us.

February 2023 - Brian Merrick talks us through what goes into making displays that will influence your customer's buying decisions, and create a memorable shopping experience, suitable for both wholesalers and retailers.

November 2022 - We are join by Simon Young from Nortec to talk about Cyber Security. 
Simon has been a consultant in the IT Industry for 25 years having worked for Microsoft and Telstra in the past. In his 25 years, he has seen IT Security threats move from small annoying Malware and Viruses infecting PCs, to socially engineered attacks against an individuals to defraud companies of millions of dollars. Simon will give a brief overview of what threats they are currently seeing happen in Global Security Operations Centres and will leave you 5 “things” you can implement immediately to better secure your business with real-life examples of what happened to organisations that didn’t.

October 2022 - Realise Performance is a consultancy firm that specialises in industrial relations reform and improving people and organisational performance. One of our most popular member service is the free specialist HR and IR advice. We have analysed the sort of questions that come through and asked Chris to address the most common ones. He will therefore interpret some common industrial awards for our industry and answer questions around leave and termination. 
Please click here to download the presentation as discussed in the forum.

September 2022 -  Y21000 Nursery Industry Statistics is a multi-year data collection project to capture the value and volume of greenlife production in Australia.The statistics are available to industry at national level through an annual report and through a benchmarking tool for production nurseries.  Dan Watson and Marshall Roberts from the project team at ACIL Allen shared the results along with insights about what they mean for the industry and businesses.

August 2022 - This month, Ben Matthews of Recruita offered an alternative recruitment model that focused on quality results and speed placement. We also hear the latest on what's been happening in our industry from CEO Anita Campbell and President David Jakobs. Please click here to download the presentation as discussed in the forum.

May 2022 - Along with the latest updates, Aimee Freimanis from Plant Sure will be joined us for a talk and demonstration of the Gardening Responsibly product launch.

April 2022 - Hear about industry developments, and what we have been up to at NGINA HQ. Guest speaker Blake Scheffers from William Buck’s specialist tax team will join us to speak about: Preparing for tax time Government assistance for capital purchases made before tax time A budget overview – what each of the major parties are promising for small businesses.

March 2022 - President Malcolm Calder will discuss what’s happening in the industry. NGINA CEO, Anita Campbell, will talk about what NGINA has been up to this past month. Guest speaker, Kerry Battersby of Qld Farmers Federation talked about disaster preparation recovery and resilience. Kerry has a long association with our industry having previously been the Executive Officer of NGIQ and more recently the NGIQ Recovery and Resilience Manager. In this role Kerry developed, in conjunction with nursery businesses, numerous tools and resources designed to help nurseries prepare for and recover from a range of disasters including cyclones, storms, and floods.

March 2022 - Employee shortages are an issue which being experienced by a range of industries including our own. In this member forum we hear from members and speakers on techniques for attracting and retaining skilled staff within a business.

February 2022 - In response to the current challenges in the labour market, we were joined by a panel of guests to explore some creative ways some of our members are recruiting, hiring and retaining staff. Anita spoke on behalf of Penny Lee from labour hire firm, Sidekicker. Samantha Birkwood from Bamboo World discussed how her business is hiring staff with disabilities. John Walsh of ICL Fertilizers, shared his thoughts on incentivising and valuing staff to create a loyal workforce while Mereani Lalabalavu of Business Australia discussed available support.

September 2021 — Malcolm and Anita were joined by Darrell Ballard and Felix McConochie from Octopus Consulting Group (OCG), our newest bronze partner. They are keen to learn more about your staff/teams and understand what your training requirements may be. This month we also had special guest Tammy Huynh from Leaf an Impression. Tammy is a horticulturist, presenter and garden writer for various magazines, including Bunnings, House & Garden, Garden Clinic, and Gardening Australia, and discussed trends in the digital space.

August 2021 — Malcolm and Anita were joined by Penny Lee from Sidekicker, who spoke about staffing for spring and how to capture any workers that have previously been stood down, and expert Andy Ryland discussed integrated pest management.

July 2021 — July we talked about all things training. Nichole Roberts, NGINA Director, gave an update on the NGINA Training & Professional Development Committee, Anita provided an update on the AgSkilled courses, and Karolina Kajfes of Apprenticeship Support Australia explained the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements Scheme and how you can engage an apprentice and take advantage of all the government incentives. Matt Brown, owner of C-Mac Industries one of our silver partners, also joined the forum to introduce everyone to C-Mac.

June 2021 — Malcolm started proceedings, followed by Anita's update. This month we were joined by Ozbreed, our diamond partner, who explained their new offering, Ozbreed Easy Access (OEA). Simon Holloway, Sales & Marketing Director of Vegepod (one of our bronze partners), introduced Vegepod to our NGINA community.