A new coalition representing Queensland’s green infrastructure supply chain has been formed to build on previous industry advocacy and help ensure Brisbane 2032 delivers a legacy of greener, cooler and more liveable communities.

The Queensland Green Infrastructure Partnership (QGIP) brings together:

• Greenlife Industry Queensland
• Landscape Queensland Industries Association
• Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (Queensland Chapter)
• Australian Institute of Horticulture

The Partnership follows an initial industry meeting in Brisbane on 8 September, as major Olympic and Paralympic venue and legacy projects move from planning into implementation. QGIP will provide a coordinated industry voice across plant production, horticulture, landscape architecture and landscape construction, with an initial focus on Brisbane 2032 projects including the Victoria Park Precinct.

Its founding members have identified three immediate priorities:

1. Recognition of green infrastructure as essential infrastructure, so that trees, planting, soils and living landscapes are planned, funded and managed as core infrastructure rather than optional elements that can be progressively reduced through project delivery and value management.
2. Better integrated planning, specifications and procurement, including early industry engagement with growers, horticultural consultants and professionals, designers and
   landscape contractors; protection of design intent; realistic production and construction lead times; clear establishment and maintenance requirements; and forward visibility of demand so Queensland businesses can plan and deliver with confidence.
3. Industry workforce readiness, recognising that Queensland’s nursery, horticulture and landscape sectors will face significant workforce and skills pressures as Olympic and
   Paralympic projects move into delivery. QGIP will advocate for early workforce forecasting, targeted training and employment-based apprenticeship pathways, and stronger
   coordination between industry, training providers and government.

The new group’s formation is a logical extension of the Green Pathways to Gold Places: Green Grid advocacy undertaken by the Australian Institute of Architects, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, the Planning Institute of Australia and the Design Institute of Australia. QGIP will help carry that shared ambition into delivery by supporting Green Grid initiatives and stronger green infrastructure outcomes across Olympic and Paralympic precincts and legacy projects.

QGIP will seek early engagement with the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA), relevant Queensland Government agencies, local governments and other major project owners.

Greenlife Industry Queensland CEO Colin Fruk said Brisbane 2032 presented a rare opportunity to change the way green infrastructure was valued and delivered.

“The Olympics gives Queensland an opportunity to set a new benchmark. We want to make sure green infrastructure is treated as infrastructure from the beginning of a project, rather than something that can be added late or removed when budgets tighten.

“The Games are the immediate catalyst, but our objective is much bigger. We want the policy, procurement and design practices established through Brisbane 2032 to improve development outcomes across Queensland for decades.”

Landscape Queensland Industries Association President Andrew Bottomley said Queensland’s landscape construction industry brought essential technical and delivery expertise to the Partnership.“Landscape construction is a licensed trade in Queensland. Contractors need to be involved when specifications and procurement are set, so design intent is supported by clear scope, realistic budgets and the capability to build it.

“That means appropriately licensed contractors for licensable work, funded establishment and maintenance with clear handover standards and employment-based apprenticeships planned well ahead of construction. Working with our partners, we can embed these requirements early and deliver landscapes that perform long after the Games.”

Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Queensland President Glen Power said protecting design intent through the full project lifecycle would be critical. “Urban green infrastructure needs to be considered from the outset through planning and design, procurement and construction, and into long-term management.”

“A coordinated voice across designers, contractors, growers and horticultural professionals gives us a much stronger opportunity to ensure that living infrastructure remains central to project outcomes.”

Australian Institute of Horticulture National President Alan Burnell said long-term landscape performance needed greater consideration in major infrastructure projects.

“Successful green infrastructure is not simply about what a landscape looks like on the day a project opens.

“Plant selection, soils, establishment, irrigation, maintenance and horticultural expertise determine whether those landscapes survive and deliver their intended benefits for decades. QGIP will help bring that whole-of-life perspective into major project decision-making.”

QGIP will initially focus on opportunities presented by Brisbane 2032 venue and legacy projects, supporting the broader Green Grid ambition while advancing improvements to green infrastructure policy, planning, investment, procurement, delivery and long-term management across Queensland.

The Partnership will work constructively with government and industry to turn that ambition into action using Brisbane 2032 to establish better approaches to urban green infrastructure that can deliver benefits to Queensland for decades to come.

ENDS

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Media contacts:

Colin Fruk
Chief Executive Officer
Greenlife Industry Queensland
0409 622 297

Glen Power
President
Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (Qld)
0418 164 408

Derryn De Ceuster
Chief Executive Officer
Landscape Queensland Industries Association
0429 780 206

Alan Burnell
President
Australian Institute of Horticulture
0407 458 142