Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme Australia

Transcription

1 NIASA: Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme Australia NIASA is the national program for the adoption of best management practice for production nurseries and growing media manufacturers. NIASA provides a set of guidelines that details industry Best Management Practice (BMP) for crop hygiene, crop management practices, water management and general site management. NIASA Accreditation is the formal recognition of a business s commitment to continuous improvement underpinned by a professional system to reduce business risk. NIASA ACCREDITATION: The stamp of professional excellence that delivers: Consistent product quality and performance Environmentally sound work practices Improved profitability and efficiency Independent audits, guidance and technical support from Nursery Industry Development Officers (IDO) This document has been printed on recycled paper This project has been funded by HAL using the Nursery Industry Levy

2 NIASA: Case Study BROCKLANDS Nursery: Of course, there is no denying that getting your business up to a level where it is ready for accreditation is likely to take a lot of work, not to mention the financial outlay. For Brocklands Nursery in Tasmania, this all had to be taken into consideration. When they first looked at accreditation in 1999, the owners felt quite daunted as it would mean huge changes for their small scale nursery. Owner Karen Brock recalls the early stages of accreditation: The first thing we had to ask ourselves was what direction do we want to take the business in? How professional do we want to become? How much cash is this going to take? And most importantly, what is the timeline for this project? This is important because the enormity for a small business to tackle projects en masse can become too daunting and subsequently they get put into the too hard basket. This is particularly true when dealing with the reality of your cash situation, how long it will take (especially when you re already working such long hours) and the gamble of whether your business will be better off at the end of it all. With the help of their IDO they divided their business into manageable areas and analysed them individually. These were: propagation, tubing, potting, stand out areas dispatch, storage - chemicals, pots and general, water waste After carrying out an analysis of each area, it became apparent just how ineffective a number of procedures and operations were. Karen says: the problem with small business owner/managers is that they get so bogged down in the doing that they rarely take a step outside and look at things from another viewpoint. In this way having their IDO look at their business with an objective set of eyes identified a number of areas where their business could be easily saving substantially in time and money. Since joining the NIASA program we have been looking at the data we have been collecting and wondering now what do we do with it. It is all very well to have the brag book of sheets of paper to show your IDO that you are ticking all the boxes, but another thing to actually look at what you are collecting. We noted that there were things being done just as they had been for many years and nobody questioned today s relevance or what impact this was having on the plants, our business or our outside environment by continuing these processes. A whole system approach was made, and every section of the business was put under the microscope. Interesting we noted that our most damaging section was how we selected and distributed plants to our customers. A chain of 26 processes was identified, this meant that the plant had a chance of being damaged 26 times. If we picked up a packet of biscuits from a supermarket shelf that had been handled in the same manner, we would have a packet of crumbs. This lead to investigating the cost of handling which at the time represented 12.8% of our annual turnover (this included the packaging, freight and man hours). By streamlining all processes we reduced our costs to 4.6% of our annual turnover. We now look at the NIASA program and the data we collect as a validation tool for how efficiently our business is performing.

3 EcoHort: Nursery Industry Environmental Management System EcoHort is the industry specific Environmental Management System for NIASA accredited businesses to further improve business sustainability whilst addressing environmental and natural resource responsibilities. This program provides businesses with the resources to ensure they can demonstrate to industry, government and the community their sound environmental and natural resource stewardship and compliance with the diverse range of environmental legislation. EcoHort offers businesses with a risk assessment based pathway to continuously improve their management systems. EcoHort Certification: The stamp of environmental excellence that provides businesses with: A systematic approach for assessing likely environmental and natural resource impacts Tools for managing impacts in a responsible and sustainable manner Confidence in addressing environmental and natural resource responsibilities Independent audits, guidance and technical support from Nursery Industry Development Officers (IDO) This document has been printed on recycled paper This project has been funded by HAL using the Nursery Industry Levy

4 EcoHort: Case Study MANSFIELD S Propagation Nursery: Mansfield s Propagation Nursery is one of Australia s leading propagators; growing and supplying close to three million plants annually. The nursery has designed a state-of-the-art purpose-built propagation facility with water reclamation and re-use in mind. The new facility has various water-saving measures such as the installation of thousands of metres of drains beneath the 9,000 sq metre growing area and the entire nursery being fitted with low volume sprinkler heads to minimize irrigation water usage. Even the eight toilet cubicles are connected to a reuse water supply system. This new facility is already reaping enormous water savings. For the 2008/2009 period, Mansfield Propagation Nursery recorded a saving of 26.6ML of potable water, compared with the 2005/2006 period. It is anticipated that this saving will increase over the coming years, with a minimum saving of 36ML expected in the 2009/2010 period. Mansfield s are committed to operating an environmentally friendly business and continue to grow plants for a healthier landscape for Australia. Mansfield s utilise Ecohort to monitor every aspect of their businesses environmental impact as well as identify opportunities where improvements can be made.

5 BioSecure HACCP: Nursery Industry Biosecurity Program BioSecure HACCP is the industry specific biosecurity program designed to assist NIASA accredited businesses in assessing their current and future pest, disease and weed risks. BioSecure HACCP is a set of protocols and procedures that provides the business with a systematic approach to assess on farm biosecurity hazards and responsibilities and how to best manage these. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is the world recognized standard in risk management processes. It is a formal process of risk/hazard identification, nominated risk control points and a verification process used to consistently manage threats to the production cycle. BioSecure HACCP Certification: Safeguarding the integrity of the Australian Nursery and Garden Industry that provides businesses with: Guidelines for implementation of biosecurity risk management strategies Processes that protect businesses from internal and external biosecurity threats Assistance for growers in meeting their broader obligations Independent audits, guidance and technical support from Nursery Industry Development Officers (IDO) This document has been printed on recycled paper This project has been funded by HAL using the Nursery Industry Levy

6 BioSecure HACCP: Case Study Van Schaik s BIO-GRO: Van Schaik s Bio-Gro is NIASA accredited and EcoHort certified and is well on the way to becoming BioSecure HACCP certified Established for over 40 years, Van Schaik s Bio-Gro has its origins in Mount Gambier, SA. In the mid 1960 s Company founder Hans Van Schaik was running a small earthmoving business and as a hobby he developed an interest in peat and soils. As time progressed Hans attention was drawn to the large volumes of waste organic materials which remained after harvest and processing by the forest industry. The business slowly developed and Van Schaik s composted barks and mulches found their way into landscape yards in Adelaide and Melbourne. As time went on, the company began to diversify and it gained a solid reputation for handling local industry organic waste. Hans sons, Stephen and Anthony joined the company and added their business acumen to a very proud South Australian family business. Expansion continued with a move to larger premises in Mt Gambier; and the Bio Gro range of products was introduced. At the same time the Company purchased a 42 hectare site at Wandilo (15km north of Mt Gambier) which became its EPA-licensed organics receival and composting facility. This move saw the need for vastly increased levels of professionalism and duty of care within the Company s product range and indeed the range it contract packed for other sellers within the high end Horticultural field. In the mid 90 s the company moved towards Australian Standards for packaged potting mixes and bark and on gaining this certification, realized that in order to satisfy the ever increasing demands of the Nursery Industry in Australia they needed to become more diligent in quality control and environmental standards. Subsequently the Wandilo and Mt Gambier sites achieved NIASA Growing Media Accreditation in June of 1998 under the guidance of Peter Little. This accreditation gave the company vital insight, awareness and profile, whilst tapping into the knowledge and experience of the entire Australian Nursery Industry through involvement in NIASA. In 2003, in response to the need for a greater profile in the Melbourne region, the company purchased a site in Bayswater North. This has become the national sales centre and Victorian distribution headquarters. Van Schaik s Bio Gro now employs over 100 staff across three sites - and are still very much a family business. The Company is justifiably proud of its high quality environmentally friendly horticultural and landscape products and recently gained EcoHort Certification under NIASA, Van Schaik s Bio-Gro are well down the track towards BioSecure HACCP Certification.

7 How using a Farm Management System can help your business The Nursery Production Farm Management System (FMS) enables you to critically evaluate each component of your production nursery, identifying areas of concern and managing identified risks. It allows you to validate your business s integrity within the supply chain through an independant auditing process across the disciplines of best practice, environment and biosecurity. In consultation with a Nursery Industry Development Officer (IDO) you can tailor the FMS to address your unique business risks. By using a systematic approach you will have a pro-active plan for managing change, including technology adoption, resource efficiencies and enhanced profitability. The Nursery Production FMS includes 3 key programs: NIASA - Ensures you maintain a benchmark standard and assists in continuous improvement. EcoHort - Demonstrates you have sound environmental stewardship and natural resource management. BioSecure HACCP - Manages your biosecurity risks for both imported and exported material. This document has been printed on recycled paper This project has been funded by HAL using the Nursery Industry Levy

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