Rotorua Nursery’s Future in Question

Rotorua’s council nursery on Queen’s Drive, which has been growing plants for the city’s parks and reserves since the 1960s, is facing an uncertain future.

Union representatives have raised concerns that the nursery may close within the next year, warning that poor maintenance and ageing facilities are being used as justification to shut it down. They say the move could mean the loss of staff and local expertise that has supported Rotorua’s public planting programmes for decades.

Rotorua Lakes Council has confirmed the nursery’s future is under review, but insists no final decision has been made. Staff have been briefed on possible proposals, and the council says it will consider options carefully before any outcome is reached. A decision is expected after the October local elections.

The nursery has long played an important role in supplying bedding plants, trees and shrubs for the city’s parks, gardens and streetscapes. Its possible closure highlights the broader challenges councils face in balancing financial pressures with the need to maintain sustainable plant supply and in-house knowledge.

Read the original article from The NZ Herald here