Speaking on the eve of the Young Amenity leg of the 'Young Horticulturist of the Year 2016 Competition’, the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture Education Trust’s new chairperson, Elle Anderson, said that Auckland's reputation as a desirable place to live may quickly disappear in the face of rising urban intensification.

"We understand that there is a housing shortage, but we should also be aware that more houses – characteristically with tiny, low maintenance gardens and a few small trees – will have an effect on the quality of our air and our lifestyles in general. "Perhaps postage stamp sized green spaces are inevitable as populations grow and urbanisation becomes more intense. If that's the kind of future we are facing – and I think we are – we are going to need some very smart, creative young people coming through in the Amenity Horticulture Sector.

"The ability to deliver the same environmental benefits we enjoy today with vastly reduced green spaces will require a huge step up in the level of creativity and science we bring to amenity horticulture, and the Young Horticulturalist of the Year competition is our first step in identifying the people who will carry our cities forward."

She said that amenity horticulturalists have the skills and knowledge to maintain gardens and public spaces, including selecting the right plants for the right place, pruning and training trees and shrubs and re-vegetating areas of native plants – a vital cog in the management of a livable city environment.