An Industry Advocacy, Professional Recognition and OSCA Evidence Paper

Foreword by the Author

For more than five decades, my working life has been shaped by horticulture – as a practitioner, consultant, teacher, advocate and professional colleague. Since entering the industry in 1974, I have had the privilege of working alongside skilled horticulturists, educators, consultants, growers, media professionals, environmental practitioners and community leaders whose knowledge and commitment have strengthened our profession.

This body of work has grown from a commitment shared by many within horticulture: that the role of the professional horticulturist must be properly recognised, respected and recorded.
Horticultural professionals contribute across private practice, public service, education,
environmental management, production, landscape, parks and gardens, therapeutic horticulture, urban greening, biosecurity, plant health, soil care and community wellbeing. Despite this breadth, the professional standing of horticulturists – particularly senior consultants – has too often remained hidden within national occupational and workforce frameworks.

The review of the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia provided an important
opportunity to gather and structure ideas developed through many years of professional practice, industry discussion, teaching, advocacy and observation. It also offered a pathway to draw together the experience of colleagues who understand that horticulture is not simply concerned with plants, gardens or production systems, but with the health of the living world itself.

The guiding paradigm behind this work is that horticultural professionals are central to the care of a healthy Earth. We must work as part of the planet, recognising that human health, community wellbeing, biodiversity, soil, water, climate and plant systems are inseparable. Within this greater scheme, senior horticultural consultants interpret living systems, guide practical decisions, support environmental responsibility and translate science, experience and observation into actions that benefit people and place.

This paper pays tribute to the many horticultural colleagues, past and present, whose work,
teaching, writing, mentoring, public service and professional leadership have formed the
knowledge base on which this advocacy rests. The recognition sought is not for one individual or one association. It is for the many practitioners whose expertise has shaped landscapes, sustained plant systems, supported communities and cared for living environments over generations.

The work is strengthened by the support of the Australian Institute of Horticulture, Therapeutic Horticulture Australia, the Horticultural Media Association of Australia, ACS Distance Education and the International Approval and Registration Centre. Their involvement reflects the breadth of the profession and the importance of collective advocacy across practice, education, therapeutic application, public communication and environmental stewardship.
Annette Irish FAIH RH (Ret)
June 2026

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