Arboriculture programs in Australia and New Zealand: TAFE courses and the Wintec ladder

This page describes courses from the pages of three training providers and one government career site, all read on October 9, 2026. It lists what each page says: level, length, place and entry wording. It does not rank providers or say which course suits which person. Other providers run arboriculture courses too. Which Australian and New Zealand qualification codes the registers carry is on the choosing a course guide.

Australia: Certificate III in Arboriculture (AHC30824)

Provider and course	What the page says
TAFE NSW, Certificate III in Arboriculture (Climbing Arborist)	The page lists learning outcomes of arborist climbing techniques, aerial rescue and first aid, ground-based rigging and pruning, tree identification, chainsaw felling at an intermediate level and chainsaw maintenance. It says there are no entry requirements for the qualification, and also lists a traineeship route that needs relevant employment and a signed traineeship contract.
TAFE NSW, Certificate III in Arboriculture (Works Coordinator)	The page describes supervising a team in safe arborist operations, conducting a safety audit and tree defect evaluations, along with pruning, rigging and chainsaw work. It also says there are no entry requirements, and that specialist units may need a different campus, since training is pooled across Yallah, Richmond, Padstow, Ryde and Wetherill Park.
TAFE SA, Certificate III in Arboriculture (TP01451)	Duration is 36 months, part time and blended, at the Urrbrae campus, with 2026 and 2027 starts listed. The page says the course covers climbing arborist, elevated work platform arborist and ground-based arborist work, with electives chosen to match workplace needs. It carries a note saying demand has been high and a place in that intake may not be offered.

TAFE NSW says its courses are nationally recognised, so training in one state can be used for work in another.

New Zealand: the Wintec ladder

Wintec, in Hamilton, lists its arboriculture programmes on one page at the Rotokauri campus. It calls itself "New Zealand's leading training provider in arboriculture", which is its own statement. Each step has its own page.

Programme and code	Length and start as listed	Entry wording on the page
Applied Horticultural Services (Level 3) (Arboriculture), SX1702	One semester, February 2027, full-time or part-time	Open to anyone. An interview may be required. Candidates must be physically able to do the practical parts, and a police check and drug screening are listed.
Advanced Horticultural Trades (Level 4) (Arboriculture), SX1703	Seven months, February 2027 and July 2027, full-time or part-time	The Level 3 certificate with the Arboriculture strand or an equivalent, or discretionary entrance. Nine named unit standards are listed for the arboriculture strand.
Arboriculture Operations (Level 5), SX1803	One semester per strand, part-time	Builds on the Arboriculture strand of the Level 4 certificate.
Diploma in Arboriculture (Level 6), SX1902	One year, February 2027, full-time or part-time	Arboriculture Operations (Level 5) or an equivalent, or work experience, or discretionary entrance.

The page says students typically study for two years to reach the New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Services (Level 4), and that students who stop after the first year hold the Level 3 certificate. Fees are on each Wintec page with a fees disclaimer, so they are left out here.

What each Wintec programme lists

The Level 3 page lists modules in chainsaw operation, chippers, ground duties, safety near electric lines, tree identification, tree planting, tree pruning, tree felling, and climbing and rescue. The Level 4 page lists visual assessments, tree biology, tree health, tree pruning, tree climbing, advanced felling, sectional felling and leading projects. It names felling of large trees on council and resident projects and work experience trips to regional council sites. The Level 5 page lists core modules in leadership and management, managing staff, arboriculture law and tree inspection, then two strands: Supervisory Operations (plan and manage tree work, site assessment and tree selection, trees on construction sites) and Technical Operations (advanced climbing, advanced rigging, tree support systems, machine assisted felling). The Level 5 page says both strands can be studied together in one year, and names arboriculture supervisor, team leader, project manager and technical specialist as roles graduates are likely to fill.

The Level 6 page lists fifteen modules, among them advanced arboriculture law, entomology in trees, pathology in trees, advanced tree valuation, notable tree valuation and registration, and writing, tendering and managing arboriculture contracts. It says modules depend on the number of learners enrolled, and names municipal arborist, consulting arborist, planning arborist, monitoring arborist and urban forest manager among the roles graduates may take.

What the government career site says

Tahatū Career Navigator, the New Zealand government career site, says a person needs a qualification to become an arborist: a New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Arboriculture) (Level 3) or a New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Services (Level 4). It adds that a person may also need a New Zealand Certificate in Electricity Supply (Utility Arboriculture) (Level 3), a New Zealand Certificate in Arboriculture (Level 5) or a New Zealand Diploma in Arboriculture (Level 6), plus experience in similar work, climbing or elevated work platform experience, and a driver licence. For people at school, it says specific NCEA levels are usually not needed.