Horticulture · Landscaping · Arboriculture · Agribusiness
Already building gardens, maintaining grounds or managing a farm? RPL horticulture turns your outdoor work experience into a nationally recognised Certificate, Diploma or Graduate qualification — assessed by an ASQA-registered RTO, without going back to TAFE.
RPL Horticulture Explained
RPL horticulture (Recognition of Prior Learning) lets experienced landscapers, gardeners, arborists, nursery workers and farm managers gain a formal qualification based on the work they already do. You show evidence of your skills — job photos, plans and quotes, references and your tickets — and a qualified assessor from a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) checks it against the national units of competency.
If you meet the standard, the RTO issues the same nationally recognised qualification an apprentice or full-time student receives — from a Certificate III in Landscape Construction, the qualification behind the NSW structural landscaping licence, to a Diploma of Horticulture Management or Graduate Diploma of Agribusiness.
Find Your Qualification
10 horticulture, landscaping, arboriculture, agriculture and agribusiness qualifications available through RPL. Not sure which fits? Tell us what work you do and we’ll match you — free.
Can’t see your role? Tell us what you do — we check every qualification our partner RTOs offer.
Who It's For
If you already work in landscaping, gardening, trees or agriculture but don’t hold the qualification for your role, RPL is built for you.
Paving, retaining walls, decks, drainage, turf and planting.
Garden maintenance, parks and grounds, propagation and retail nurseries.
Pruning, removals, climbing and chainsaw work.
Running farms, orchards, crops, livestock or agribusinesses.
How It Works
We handle the paperwork and coordination. The RTO handles the assessment.
01
Tell us the work you do, the projects you’ve completed and your years in the industry. We match you to the right qualification.
02
We guide you on job photos, plans, quotes, references and tickets that prove your skills.
03
A qualified assessor reviews your evidence and may hold a competency conversation or workplace observation.
04
The RTO issues your nationally recognised qualification and transcript.
Evidence Checklist
Most applicants combine 4–6 of these. Remove client names and addresses from job documents.
NSW Landscaping Licence
In NSW you need a contractor licence for residential structural landscaping over $5,000 (labour and materials, including GST). The qualification required is the Certificate III in Landscape Construction.
Once you’re qualified, we can help with the licence application too — see our NSW trade licence service and how to get a trade licence in NSW.
Who Assesses You
KMH is an RPL consultancy, not an RTO. We prepare and manage your application; a registered training organisation assesses it and issues your qualification. These are some of the partner RTOs our clients are certified through:
Verify this partner RTO on training.gov.au →
Verify this partner RTO on training.gov.au →
Verify this partner RTO on training.gov.au →
KMH Training & Consultancy Australia is not a Registered Training Organisation. Qualifications are assessed and issued by our partner RTOs.
Cost & Timeframe
Typical Australian market prices for horticulture and landscaping RPL. Your exact, fixed quote is confirmed in your free eligibility check — no hidden fees.
$1,200 – $1,800
Horticulture and Arboriculture.
$2,500 – $3,300
Horticulture and Landscape Construction.
$2,800 – $3,500
Horticulture.
From $3,200
Agriculture, Horticulture Management and Agribusiness. Graduate qualifications quoted individually.
Timeframes depend on your evidence and any practical observation. Read more about RPL cost and how long RPL takes.
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Free, no-obligation eligibility check — we reply within 1 business day.
FAQ
RPL horticulture is the Recognition of Prior Learning process for experienced landscapers, gardeners, arborists, nursery workers and farm managers. An ASQA-registered RTO assesses your existing skills and experience against the national units of competency and, if you meet the standard, issues a nationally recognised qualification.
Yes, if you have hands-on experience building landscapes — for example retaining walls, paving, concrete, drainage, timber structures and planting. The AHC30921 Certificate III in Landscape Construction has 17 units, and it is the qualification required for a NSW structural landscaping licence.
We help with 10 qualifications, including the Certificate II in Arboriculture, Certificate III in Horticulture, Certificate III in Landscape Construction, Certificate IV in Horticulture, Diploma of Agriculture, Diploma of Horticulture Management, Diploma in Agribusiness Management and the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma of Agribusiness.
As a guide, Certificate II qualifications typically cost $1,200–$1,800, Certificate III $2,500–$3,300, Certificate IV $2,800–$3,500 and Diplomas from $3,200. Graduate qualifications are quoted individually. You get a fixed quote after your free eligibility check.
Common evidence includes employer or client references, payslips or ABN and invoices, before-and-after job photos, site plans and quotes, maintenance or spray records and tickets such as your white card, ChemCert or chainsaw ticket.
Yes, for residential structural landscaping valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials (including GST). NSW Fair Trading requires the Certificate III in Landscape Construction for the licence. Connecting irrigation to a drinking water supply also needs a plumbing licence.
Yes. The qualification issued through RPL is identical to one earned through training. It is nationally recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and does not state that it was achieved through RPL.
An ASQA-registered RTO assesses your evidence and issues your qualification. KMH is a consultancy, not an RTO — we manage your application and connect you with the right partner RTO, such as RTO 40055, 45254 or 41138.
Yes. We help landscapers, gardeners, arborists and farm workers across Australia, including NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT and NT. Most of the process is completed online and over the phone.
Free Eligibility Check
Tell us the work you do and how long you’ve been in landscaping, horticulture or agriculture. A KMH consultant will call you back with the right qualification, a fixed quote and an evidence plan — free and with no obligation.