CIT granted accreditation under the Australian Plan Production Standard Scheme

Published: 25 Aug 2026

CIT was recently granted accreditation under the Australian Plan Production Standard Scheme (NIASA), a significant milestone which officially acknowledges CIT as an accredited nursery. It has taken two years of work by dedicated people within the horticulture team, making CIT one of only two TAFEs in Australia to have achieved this.

Awarded by Greenlife, the NIASA is the nursery industry’s Best Practice system – contributing to quality control, streamlining production, and reducing waste. Greenlife keeps NIASA up to date with science-backed standards, ensuring accredited nurseries are working to trusted industry benchmarks.

For Parks and Garden educator Lesley Pattinson, this accreditation allows CIT to up the ante and demonstrate that our student’s output of quality plants deserve the same respect and recognition as commercial nurseries.

“I used to have people say, ‘your plants should be cheap because students produce them’, but if it’s a quality product, it shouldn’t matter whose hands have touched it,” Lesley said. “I want people to see what we’re capable of.”

However, recognition is not the only benefit. Accreditation marks an important step for horticulture students readying themselves for the workforce, providing exposure to industry best practice and connections across the sector. While accreditation is not compulsory for nurseries, for CIT it signals a commitment to professional standards and continuous improvement.

For Lesley, the motivation was also about creating better career pathways for future graduates and strengthening the connection between student learning and industry best practice.

“I am so passionate about this and so are my colleagues. It has been a team effort to bring this about”.

“Plants need people and we need plants in our lives. It’s good for mental health, it’s good for everything!”, she said. “These students are coming to CIT after their school garden experiences, and we want them to be able to take the next step”.