The Gardening and Landscaping Services Award 2020 (MA000101) brings important updates to wages and conditions for Australia’s gardening and landscaping industry. This award covers employees like gardeners, landscapers, and groundskeepers nationwide. In 2025, base pay rates under MA000101 increased following the Annual Wage Review. Below we outline the new pay rates, who is covered by the award, and other key changes employers need to know to stay compliant.
Who is Covered by the Gardening & Landscaping Award?
The Award covers businesses in the gardening, landscaping, and grounds maintenance industry and their employees in relevant job classifications. This includes:
- General gardening labourers
- Lawn care and landscaping crews
- Horticulture specialists
- Trade-qualified landscapers.
If your company designs, installs, or maintains gardens, lawns, parks, or recreational outdoor areas, this award likely applies.
Who is not covered:
Employees doing gardening/grounds work outside the landscaping industry (for example, a gardener directly employed by a hotel or school) might fall under a different award. Pure construction or building site work is also excluded, those roles use the Building and Construction Award. Administrative staff are usually covered by the Clerks Award, not MA000101. In summary, MA000101 covers frontline gardening/landscaping workers in dedicated landscaping businesses or labor hire firms for that industry.
What are 2025 pay rates under MA000101?
Effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025, minimum wages in the Gardening & Landscaping Services Award increased by 3.5%. The table below shows the new base pay rates for full-time adult employees (20 years or over) at each classification level:
|
Classification |
Weekly Pay (38 hrs) | Hourly Pay (Ordinary) | Overtime first 2 hours (150%) |
Overtime after 2 hours (200%) |
|
Introductory Level |
$922.70 | $24.28 | $36.42 | $48.56 |
|
Level 1 |
$948.00 | $24.95 | $37.43 | $49.90 |
|
Level 2 |
$982.40 | $25.85 | $38.78 | $51.70 |
| Level 3 | $1,026.00 | $27.00 | $40.50 |
$54.00 |
| Level 4 (Tradesperson) | $1,068.40 | $28.12 | $42.18 |
$56.24 |
| Level 5 | $1,102.00 | $29.00 | $43.50 |
$58.00 |
Sourced from: Fair Work Pay Guide
Casual employees get an extra 25% loading on top of the base hourly rates in lieu of benefits – for example, a Level 1 casual earns $24.95 × 1.25 = $31.19 per hour base (inclusive of loading). Overtime and weekend penalty rates also apply, generally at 150% or 200% of the base rate for permanent staff, and higher for casuals. For example, if a full-time landscaper works overtime on a Sunday, they get double time (200%), so a Level 3’s $27.00/hr becomes $54.00/hr on Sunday. Public holidays are paid at 250% for full-timers (and 275% for casuals).
What are the Key Changes and Updates in 2025?
The main change in 2025 is the increase in minimum pay rates. All the wage figures rose by 3.5% from the previous financial year, as determined by the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review. This means every classification from entry-level gardener to senior landscaper got a bump in pay effective 1 July 2025. For example, a Level 4 tradesperson’s base pay went from $1,032.30 per week to $1,068.40 per week compared to 1 July 2024. Employers must ensure they apply these new rates from the first pay period on or after that date.
Other noteworthy updates and reminders for employers under the gardening award include:
- Allowances Adjusted: Expense-related allowances (like travel, meals, first aid allowance) are typically indexed annually. For instance, the meal allowance for overtime increased to $18.84 per meal in 2025 (up from $17 in 2024). Always check the current allowance rates in the award or pay guide each year.
- Family & Domestic Violence Leave: Since 1 February 2023, all employees (including casuals) are entitled to 10 days of paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave per year. While not specific to this award, it’s a legal update that affects all workplaces, ensuring your policies reflect this. (In August 2023, MA000101’s provisions were updated to remove the previous unpaid leave clause and acknowledge the new paid leave entitlement.)
- Super on Unpaid Leave Clarification: A 2025 update clarified that Community Service Leave (e.g. jury duty) does not accrue superannuation under this award’s pay conditions. This is a minor technical change but worth noting if it affects any staff.
Overall, the purpose of the 2025 updates was to ensure wages in the gardening and landscaping sector keep pace with living costs (the Annual Wage Review aimed to protect real wages against inflation). No structural changes were made to ordinary hours or penalty rate rules. Employers should update their payroll systems to reflect the new minimum rates and allowances. Non-compliance (even unintentionally paying old rates) could result in back-pay liabilities, so double-check the first pay period from July 2025 all employees are on the new award rates.
How Workstem Simplifies Gardening & Landscaping Services Award Compliance
Simplify award interpretation and payroll processing with Workstem, the all-in-one workforce management & payroll software designed for every industry. Our system supports 122+ modern awards & 34 EAs, including the Gardening & Landscaping Services Award 2025, and keeps you up-to-date with changes in wage rates, penalty rates, and overtime rules.Workstem offers:
- Automated award interpretation
- Real-time wage calculations and timesheet syncing
- Employee self-service app for rosters and payslips
- Seamless integrations with Xero, NetSuite, and more
Choose from our Standard or Advanced plan to suit your business needs, and stay Fair Work compliant with confidence.
Book a free demo with our payroll experts and experience how Workstem can streamline your payroll and workforce operations.
FAQs About the Gardening & Landscaping Services Award
Q1: Does MA000101 cover tree surgeons?
A1: Yes. Tree surgeons working for a gardening or landscaping business fall under MA000101’s coverage alongside other horticultural roles.
Q2: When do gardening award rates increase?
A2: Award rates update annually and changes take effect from the first full pay period after 1 July, following the Fair Work Commission’s review.
Q3: I’m a small landscaping business, do I have to follow this award?
A3: Yes. All businesses in the gardening and landscaping industry, regardless of size, must comply with MA000101’s minimum pay and conditions unless an approved enterprise agreement applies.
Read More：
Gardening and Landscaping Services Award Guide [MA000101]
Building & Construction Award [MA000020] 2025: Pay Rates & Rights
