Christchurch professionalism benchmark

Christchurch City Council now requires its landscape contractors to be members of Registered Master Landscapers (RML) or hold equivalent qualifications, as RML launches a new recruitment tool to support members nationwide

Christchurch City Council (CCC) has become the first local authority to formally recognise RML as a qualification benchmark for contractors, reinforcing the value of RML membership and strengthening the organisation’s profile nationwide.

CCC has updated its Construction Standard Specification to state that landscape contractors:

‘shall be a member of the Registered Master Landscapers Association and/or hold the relevant horticultural qualifications, and have proven experience and track record with similar project’.

RML Chair Janet Clarke says the update is a significant milestone for the organisation.

“We’ve been working hard to help councils understand the professionalism, training and quality assurance that come with RML membership,” said Clarke.

“Christchurch City Council has set a strong example by recognising that standard formally. It’s a win for members and also for ratepayers, because it raises confidence in the quality of landscape work being delivered.”

RML has been engaging with councils for several years to encourage the inclusion of professional membership requirements in procurement and tender documentation.

“CCC’s decision shows what can be achieved when

we collaborate as an industry,” said Clarke. “It underlines why we invest in events such as

Green Pavlova, which provide opportunities for meaningful dialogue with councils and other decision-makers.”

She says the Association hopes other councils will follow suit and would love to hear from members who want RML support to try and do the same.

Recruitment support

Alongside this policy milestone, RML has launched a new Job Opportunities section on its website to support members with recruitment. The listings are visible to the public and indexed by Google, meaning they’ll appear in searches for roles such as landscaper, gardener, or landscape designer.

The service is open exclusively to RML members. Each listing is free for the first month, then $150 plus GST per month thereafter.

“Finding good staff is one of the biggest challenges for landscaping businesses,” says Clarke. “We wanted to make it easier for members to connect directly with people who are actively looking for work in our industry.”

Clarke said she encourages members currently recruiting to take part in the trial and share feedback on how the platform can evolve.