Landscape Gardeners jobs in Coffs Harbour

Plain gardening and grounds maintenance is not a licensed activity. 'Structural landscaping' is, however, a listed category of building work in NSW: a contractor licence is required to contract for residential structural landscaping valued above a monetary threshold in labour and materials. Separately, NSW has compulsory pesticide training for occupational pesticide users, administered by the NSW EPA — this catches gardeners and grounds staff who apply herbicides or pesticides as part of their job.

Mid North Coast Local Health District (Coffs Harbour Health Campus), City of Coffs Harbour and Southern Cross University Coffs Harbour campus are among the largest employers in Coffs Harbour. Most landscape gardeners here, though, are hired by small and mid-sized businesses rather than by the names everyone recognises — which is why so many local vacancies never reach a big job board.

The qualification is national, not local: AHC30921 Certificate III in Landscape Construction is the trade qualification on training.gov.au — 12 core units plus 3 electives (15 units total), with no entry requirements, and it is suitable for an Australian Apprenticeship pathway What changes between states is the licensing or clearance — see the New South Wales requirements above.

Modern awards are national instruments, so the same award applies in Coffs Harbour as anywhere else in Australia: Gardening and Landscaping Services Award 2020 (MA000101) and Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 (MA000020). Award coverage depends on the work performed rather than the job title, and pay rates change each 1 July — check the current rate for your classification with the Fair Work Ombudsman rather than relying on any figure quoted elsewhere.

Not for garden maintenance, planting or lawn care. You do need a QBCC licence to contract for structural landscaping above the value threshold — that covers retaining walls, decking, pergolas, gazebos, carports, fences, ornamental structures, paving and concrete not intended to carry vehicular traffic, and landscaping drainage. The two relevant classes are 'Structural landscaping (trade)' and the broader 'Builder restricted to structural landscaping'.

A gardener maintains existing gardens and grounds — mowing, pruning, weeding, planting and lawn care — and is generally unregulated across Australia. A landscape construction contractor builds the structural elements of a garden, such as retaining walls, paving, decks and drainage, and that work is licensed building work in several states. The distinction matters because it determines whether you need a contractor licence to quote for the job.

General gardening and grounds maintenance is not licensed in NSW. 'Structural landscaping' is a listed category of building work, so a contractor licence is required to contract for residential structural landscaping valued above a monetary threshold in labour and materials including GST. Check the current threshold with NSW Fair Trading, as it is set by regulation.

Requirements vary by state and territory. In NSW the EPA operates compulsory pesticides training for occupational pesticide users, which captures gardeners and grounds staff who apply pesticides as part of their work. Other jurisdictions run their own chemical user permits or accreditation schemes, so check with the relevant state agriculture or environment regulator before applying chemicals for reward.

AHC30921 Certificate III in Landscape Construction is the national trade qualification, made up of 12 core units and 3 electives. It has no entry requirements and is suitable for an Australian Apprenticeship. It supersedes AHC30916, and ANZSCO also allows at least three years of relevant experience to substitute for the formal qualification.

The Gardening and Landscaping Services Award 2020 (MA000101) covers employers in the gardening and landscaping services industry and their employees in the award's classifications. Its coverage includes designing, preparing and installing pavements, landscape features, lawns and gardens, plus maintenance and horticultural establishment work. The award expressly excludes employees covered by certain other awards, including the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 (MA000020), which can apply to on-site construction work.

Under ANZSCO 2022, Landscape Gardener is occupation code 362711, sitting within Unit Group 3627 Landscape Gardeners and Irrigation Technicians. The indicative skill level is 3, which means an AQF Certificate III including at least two years of on-the-job training, or an AQF Certificate IV. Older datasets may still use the earlier code 362213.

Licensing is the check most employers get wrong, because it is set by New South Wales rather than nationally. Plain gardening and grounds maintenance is not a licensed activity. 'Structural landscaping' is, however, a listed category of building work in NSW: a contractor licence is required to contract for residential structural landscaping valued above a monetary threshold in labour and materials. Separately, NSW has compulsory pesticide training for occupational pesticide users, administered by the NSW EPA — this catches gardeners and grounds staff who apply herbicides or pesticides as part of their job. Verify the licence number against the regulator's public register rather than accepting a photo of a card, and confirm the licence class actually covers the work you are hiring for — a restricted licence looks identical to an unrestricted one on paper.

Modern awards are national, so Coffs Harbour is no different from anywhere else in Australia: Gardening and Landscaping Services Award 2020 (MA000101) or Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 (MA000020). Coverage follows the work actually performed, not the job title on the contract, and classification within the award determines the minimum rate. Rates change each 1 July — check the current figure with the Fair Work Ombudsman before you make an offer, and keep a record of how you classified the role.

You are competing for the same people as Mid North Coast Local Health District (Coffs Harbour Health Campus), City of Coffs Harbour, Southern Cross University Coffs Harbour campus, who can usually offer more structured conditions than a small business can. What small employers win on is the things large ones can't move quickly on — starting date, variety of work, and a straight answer about pay. Advertising where candidates are already looking for that specific trade in Coffs Harbour, rather than on a national board where the listing is one of thousands, is the cheaper half of the problem.

Usually yes. The qualification is national — AHC30921 Certificate III in Landscape Construction is the trade qualification on training.gov.au — 12 core units plus 3 electives (15 units total), with no entry requirements, and it is suitable for an Australian Apprenticeship pathway — and apprenticeships are administered through your state training authority with support from an Australian Apprenticeship Support provider. The employer obligations are the part worth understanding before you commit: a training contract, a nominated supervisor, and release for off-the-job training. Finding the right person is the separate problem, and Valont People can run that part — role design, advertising, screening and shortlisting — if you would rather not.