Implementing the Strategy for the Australian Native Seed Sector

By Gabrielle Stannus
 

The Australian native seed sector now has a ten-year Strategy that provides a coordinated approach to growing the sector. However, it needs members of the native seed and plant production sector to participate and help drive its implementation.

As part of the national response to the 2019-20 bushfires, Greening Australia received $5m in initial funding from the Federal Government to co-ordinate and collaborate with the sector through Project Phoenix. This project aimed to build and secure native seed and plant supply for landscape restoration, recovery and resilience in bushfire-affected areas and other vulnerable landscapes. The Strategy for the Australian Native Seed Sector (the “Strategy”) was one of Project Phoenix’s most significant outputs.

“The Strategy aims to remove barriers and achieve outcomes to benefit the whole native seed sector and enable Australia to better manage the restoration and rehabilitation of landscapes and support biodiversity conservation,” says Samantha Craigie, Project Phoenix’s Project Manager from Greening Australia.

The Strategy sets six Strategic Objectives to deliver on its aims: Quality, market coordination, information sharing, new industries, smarter regulation and sector leadership.

“Our challenge now is to resource the Strategy going forward,” says Samantha, “We would love to see funding injected into the implementation of the Strategy so it can meet its objectives on-the-ground”.

“Transport for New South Wales recently put out a tender for a seed collection project with an eight-year timeline,” says Samantha, “This is planned strategic seed collection for six concurrent projects within a specific geographical region.”

“This is an excellent example of better market coordination and better information sharing that could be framed within the Strategy,” Samantha adds.

Register your interest in attending the first Strategy Implementation Event

The first Strategy Implementation Event will be hosted in March 2022 to identify individuals and organisations interested in being involved in the implementation of the Strategy.

“We want to understand what the most important objectives from the perspective of the sector are and who wants to be involved in delivering activities under those particular objectives,” Samantha explains.

Interested businesses and individuals who would like to collaborate and develop projects under the Strategy’s six objectives are encouraged to register their Expression of Interest for this event by 24 February 2022.

When registering their Expression of Interest, participants are asked to nominate their three main areas of interest in implementing the Strategy from the objectives listed below:

1. Sector leadership
2. Information and knowledge
3. Smarter regulation
4. Quality
5. Market coordination
6. New industries

“We are incredibly keen to see commercial businesses involved in this process as this is an excellent opportunity for them to have a voice to government,” says Samantha, “The Commonwealth is listening. They resourced the development of the Strategy, want to know what people are interested in and how it can progress from here.”

Samantha says they are especially keen to see seed buyers involved in this event.

Further information

Greening Australia have developed a new webpage to support the sector leadership transition from the Project Phoenix team and external steering committee to the new Strategy implementation leadership group.  On this webpage you will find:

• A briefing video on the delivery of Project Phoenix, including the development of The Strategy for the Australian Native Seed Sector and next steps
• A copy of The Strategy for the Australian Native Seed Sector
• A copy of Implementing the Strategy for the Australian Native Seed Sector - Action prospectus
• A link to the Expression of Interest form for the first Strategy Implementation Event

Florabank resources

Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) members are encouraged to visit the recently relaunched Florabank website to access new resources for the native seed and plant production sector. This website is funded by the Australian Government's wildlife and habitat bushfire recovery program through Project Phoenix.

Sign up for a free Florabank website account to access the updated Florabank Guidelines, self-paced seed training, community forums and a Seed People directory.

Further reading

‘Project Phoenix concludes with launch of National Native Seed Strategy’, GIA eNews article (9 December 2021)