Native plants in Waikato
For Plant Pass Partner Waikato Regional Council, the direction of travel is certainly to include Plant Pass in some way in the procurement process. Read our case study from the Plant Pass Annual Report 2025/26.
“Being able to sing from
the rooftops a little bit
about our nurseries that
are certified is just a really
easy step for us to take.”
Kate Lewis, Biosecurity Officer at Waikato Regional Council, a Plant Pass Partner
Doing the right thing in restoration
Waikato Regional Council signed up as a Plant Pass Partner shortly after the scheme was introduced in 2022. Plant Pass offers confidence in high health, successful establishment and reduced risk of spreading pests and diseases.
“We purchase plants, we promote purchasing plants, we provide grants and funding for people to do restoration work,” says Kate Lewis, Biosecurity Officer. “By promoting Plant Pass and ultimately working towards certification being considered in our purchasing decisions, we know that we're doing the best we can in terms of lifting the game and ensuring that everyone is following the right processes.
“The landowners and groups investing in restoration are in it for the same reason. They want to do the right thing. And I'm finding the same thing with the native plant nurseries.”
The direction of travel is certainly to include Plant Pass in some way in the procurement process, but it will take time as participation grows. For now, where it can, the council is encouraging nurseries on the pathway to Plant Pass certification.
“We just need to spend a bit more time with our nurseries, especially those social and iwi enterprise, community-run, not-for-profit type nurseries. We need to give them a bit more support to become certified. A lot of them have put their hands up.”
For those that have already completed the journey, Kate is helping promote their achievements using the Plant Pass logo on the council website.
“Being able to sing from the rooftops a little bit about our nurseries that are certified is just a really easy step for us to take.”
Getting the most from
the Plant Pass Partner network
Kate Lewis, Biosecurity Officer at Waikato Regional Council, a Plant Pass Partner, says she often taps into the Plant Pass Partners network, including workshops and webinars with like-minded organisations.
“Recently, Asplundh presented on their experiences with myrtle rust. That's just gold – their perspective and the way they talked it through. It's things like that which are really helpful when I'm talking with people on the ground in nurseries.”