seskaroo

Hi looking to move to oz with young family (2 kids) not decided where to move but concerned about finding work myself-landscape gardener/ head gardener, wife - botanic garden/ head gardener. looking for advice from fellow horticulturalists on job, wage standard of living.

UK-2-OZ

Hi, can't help with the job front but wanted to wish you luck with your application.

lesleys

Maybe a few leads here..............

http://www.aildm.com.au/content.cfm?id=876
http://www.calyx.com.au/industry.html#links

morganpaige

hi im also in the same position as you we have not yet decided were we are going to live but my partner is also a gardener and would like to do that over there so i would be very gratefull if you could share any info you recieve..good luck with everything.

ausi dream

Hi, we have lived in Brisbane twice before and on my knowledge of living there, i don't think that you will have any trouble at all finding work or setting your own business up in gardening.
Most people seem to pay for gardeners to come in and cut the grass e,c,t, but i think you will have to know an awful lot about what creature and other things that you should be aware of in the gardens there.
Best of luck,
ausi dream.

Tracijbc

Hi, I am a gardener working in Adelaide for city council as a casual. I think you have a better chance of a permanent job once you have been casual first and got a reference. I have had one interview for a perm job with the council I work at and nothing from the other three other jobs I applied for. Rates of pay for a casual gardener for a council around Adelaide $20 to $26 per hour. Perm jobs around $40,000 to $44,000 per annum. The council websites will have details of the agencies they use for labour hire. I have found that my Uk city and guilds isn't taken seriously so I am booked into TAFE to do a Record of prior learning.

My best suggestion is to register with the employment agencies that provide the coucils with horticulture staff. They will have private industry jobs as well but they have lower wage rates.

Hope that helps.
Matt

Santa

I've got 3 horto's working for me, they charge me $40/hour. I know that work they do for other people is charged at $50/hour.
You've got to know about natives plants though, so get reading !
Good luck, you'll get more work than you know what to do with.

The Bloke

You could always set yourself up with your own business francise.
www.jimsmowing.net
http://www.franchiseexpo.com.au/gard...andscaping.cfm

Kimmy67

Hey

Quite a few differences really...we live in WA - RHS qualifications arn't recognised here along with most other qualifications.

Yes everyone seems to get someone in to mow the lawns, etc, so buying a "jims lawnmowing franchise" is an option. Even in Winter - its a very short period of non mowing - a month or so. The only different tools they use are motor powered edgers, you won't find edging shears here !

The soil is different, obviously sand and so poor in nutrition and substance, also they are mad on cow poo and sheep poo !! I think this is more for substrate rather than nutrition as you know there is very little goodness in it. Chemical wise they are way behind the uk, still using stuff we banned years ago, however they are becoming more up with it of late. Everything is reticulated. Grass care and different grasses too - they can be very anal about the greeness of their grass, crazy in such a water starved place, it made me laugh that they were shocked we used to get hose pipe bans in the uk, with all the water we had there.

Plants are obviously different with the Natives, so yes that is a big learning curve, and also how they differ in needs to home plants. Compost is not compost its potting mix, bedding plants are potted colour, West facing is the hottest not South, and obviously the seasons are backwards, this takes a heap to get used to. Strange to be planting our tender plants out side too !! No need to wrap Poinsettia's up here in fleece, stick them outdoors.

Working in retail as I did, was very low pay, especially if you work for franchise - Mitre 10, Bunnings (B&Q) is about $20 p/h so not much better. The councils pay kind of $750 a week take home, but usually require Cert 3 upwards in Horti. They start early due to the heat and finish earlier.

I would think Adelaide would be better for Botanicals, hori. etc as they have far more of that kind of thing over there. Very little here, apart from Kings park. I would think to make your money you would have to specialise.
In WA a lot of small unique growers were being swamped by big growers who could knock out really cheap plants, lots of the people I used to deal with who supplied us were leaving to work in better conditions in offices with better pay.

Hope this helps, anything else just pm me.

Regards Kim

calNgary

Hi guys iam not a gardener but iam asked weekly to cut & tend to gardens we are situated between Brisbane & Gold coast there are loads of new homes going up every day, i have a small tractor & slasher if you work for somone you will be getting $25 per hour if you go self employed $40 per hour seems the norm. If you need info about this region just ask GARY

Kimmy67

Oh yes forgot to mention the different pests, mainly scale, fruit fly, aphids, namatodes, citrus leaf miners and the working conditions = flies, mozzie's and the baking sun.

enjoy !!