A future Liberal and Nationals Government will invest $15 million to establish the Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria Horticulture Centre of Excellence, building workforce capability, strengthening food production, and developing solutions to restore Victoria’s urban tree canopy.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture Emma Kealy said the Centre would secure Victoria’s position as a national leader in horticulture, while delivering real benefits for communities, the environment, and the economy.
“Victoria’s horticulture sector is a powerhouse. It’s worth nearly $4 billion to our economy and contributes around 30 per cent of Australia’s total horticulture value,” Ms Kealy said.
“It supports tens of thousands of jobs across regional and peri-urban communities, underpins our food security, and plays a vital role in improving the liveability and sustainability of our cities and towns. Right now, however, it’s being taken for granted.”
Despite its importance, the sector faces growing pressures including workforce shortages, rising costs, climate disruption, supply chain instability, and increasing biosecurity risks.
“Under Labor, opportunities to strengthen our horticulture sector and showcase our Victorian-grown innovations in green industries have been missed,” Ms Kealy said.
The Centre of Excellence will bring together industry, research, and training to:
- Build a future-ready horticulture workforce and address critical labour shortages.
- Drive innovation and strengthen Victoria’s leadership in plant-based industries.
- Improve productivity and resilience for growers.
- Support biodiversity, urban greening and climate adaptation.
A key focus of the Centre will be to help tackle the decline of urban tree canopy and address the growing heat challenges facing Victoria’s cities and towns.
“This is a smart, targeted investment that delivers long-term returns to support more jobs, better skills, stronger communities and a healthier environment,” Ms Kealy said.
“The Centre will also help bridge the gap between research and real-world outcomes by improving coordination across government, industry and practitioners.
“The Liberals and Nationals will back our growers, grow our workforce and secure the future of Victoria’s vital horticultural sector.”