Beginning your sustainability journey

Sonja Cameron from Cameron’s Nursery shares her sustainability journey and advice for starting out on your own.

Our sustainability journey started in 1994 when we ran out of water. Cameron’s Nursery was just starting out. This water shortage made us realise the immense value of this resource as we had no options other than a dam. But then it rained, the dam filled, and we moved on. Four years later, it happened again, highlighting that we needed to be more sustainable with our water usage.

Back then, there was not a lot of information available on water sustainability, so we had to do a lot of research ourselves and become innovators by rolling out some practice ideas. Slowly, we found ways to save water to improve our usage, and that was the start of our sustainability journey.

When we moved sites in 2000, we embedded that approach with our well-designed water recycling strategy.

We also started to look more into our environmental impact because other properties, farms, hobby farmers, and residential homes surround us. We are also close to a creek, so we do not want to pollute that water source and negatively impact others downstream.

The flora and fauna here are beautiful, and the biodiversity is essential to our business, so we now have a whole range of sustainable practices to protect it. We have found that with sustainability not everything can be done at once.

There are numerous resources available to help transition on a sustainability journey and improve your business footprint. People often do not know where to start, so I suggest thinking through questions like ‘What are my pinch points?’ ‘What is the biggest waste?’ ‘What has the most negative impact?’. Then make a list and start working your way through.

This approach has been instrumental in bringing us to our current standing. Annually, we provide our staff with a progress report detailing our advancements and setting targets for the upcoming year. This strategy ensures that we remain on course, consistently striving to implement the most effective measures.

Being a business owner entails a significant level of accountability, and the report card serves as a tool for this purpose. Sustainability has become increasingly vital for any business due to growing expectations from the community. For instance, consider the scenario of soft plastic recycling in supermarkets – a few years ago, there was minimal discussion on this matter. Presently, encountering a product wrapped in plastic prompts consumers to question whether they should make the purchase. This shift underscores the evolving expectations surrounding sustainable practices.

As part of the green industry, we must sing from the top of the hills how good our product is for the environment and sustainability, but we must also be practicing it. More frequently people ask about our sustainability practices, especially the younger people as they are concerned about their future. So, as owners of businesses, we need to step up and make sure that we are accountable for what we are doing and respond accordingly.

The future is bright within our industry, but there is a necessity to amplify the message. There is a prevailing lack of awareness regarding the intricacies involved in managing a horticultural enterprise and the diverse skill set required to cultivate a plant and manage the responsible use and conservation of natural resources.

Every one of us holds responsibility and the potential to advocate for the impact nursery products can have. Whether it is enhancing mental health or mitigating the effects of climate change, our every action exerts a positive influence on the future of our world. However, it is crucial for us to actively propel and promote this message.

Cameron’s Nursery is accredited and certified under the key programs of the Australian Plant Production Standard that are Greenlife Industry Australia and levy-funded (NIASA Best Management Practices, EcoHort Environmental Management and BioSecure HACCP Plant High Health).