1 The School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Unitec New Zealand, Private Bag 92025, Auckland; lhaines@unitec.ac.nz 2 Waitakere City Council, Private Bag 93109, Waitakere; chris.ferkins@waitakere.govt.nz Introduction Conservation practice is a growth industry in New Zealand, especially the practice of ecological restoration. At the national level, restoring ecological niches for threatened bird species (e.g., on Tiritiri Matangi Island in the Hauraki Gulf) has a high profi le, and at the regional level one strong focus is on water quality with riparian plantings and restored or constructed wetlands (e.g., Travis Wetland in Christchurch). At the community and local levels there is a strong focus on gully and stream or dune revegetation. To support these community and local council initiatives the nursery industry is growing greater numbers of wetland and early successional species. In order to achieve some of the principles of biodiversity, most government and local bodies are requiring the use of ecosourced plants for conservation and amelioration restoration. As well, some councils are encouraging the use of ecosourced plants for amenity plantings of local native species in home and public gardens. However, there appears to be some variation in the way the term ‘ecosourcing’ is being interpreted and the way the practice is implemented within the nursery industry. The results of a Waitakere City Council sponsored ecosourcing audit provide some information about where we, as a country, may be at with ecosourcing.