With the arrival of spring, many will be keen to whip their gardens back into shape but that comes with risk, ACC says, with an average of more than 200 Kiwis injuring themselves in the backyard every day – totalling 76,000 claims a year.
Many injuries were sustained in falls from trees and ladders while pruning, moving or starting lawnmowers with poor technique, as well as digging and moving soil.
Every year, an average of 22,429 (or 30%) of gardening injuries involved a fall, with around 64,000 (85%) in soft tissue injuries such as sprains and strains. Around 35,000 (46%) were injuries to backs, necks and shoulders.
In 2025, ACC received 79,169 claims for injuries related to gardening.
Auckland was the region with the highest number last year – with 25,423 claims, costing the ACC scheme $37.4 million.
Canterbury was second with 9621 ($15.6m), then Waikato with 8275 ($13.7m), and Bay of Plenty’s 6130 ($8.7m). Wellington had 5469 claims ($7.8m), while Northland had 4191 ($6.8m). Otago had 4087 claims ($6.8m).
Gardening claims peaked over the summer period, according to ACC.
Last year, claims rose from 5895 in September to 7739 in October, peaking at 9160 in November. That number fell to 7562 in December before rising to 8307 in January. That figure dropped to 7285 claims in February, falling further still to 7109 claims in March.
New Zealanders aged 50-plus accounted for the majority of the claims, with those aged between 65-69 years old making 9374 claims, followed by those aged 60-64 with 8830. There were 8197 claims from those aged between 75 and 79, while those aged 55-59 had 7722 claims, and there were 6867 claims from the 50-54 bracket.
How to stay safe in the garden
ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker said the arrival of spring and daylight saving spurred many to get the garden looking good for summer.
“But, before you go full weekend warrior ‘have a hmmm’ and ask yourself how you can make the job lighter, shorter and easier on your body.”
It costs ACC around $120 million each year to support people to recover from gardening-related injuries.
Whitaker said the cost of injury extended beyond the coverage from the injury scheme, adding that a “moment of inattention can have long-lasting impacts on you and the people around you”.
Any injury could result in time away from family and friends, loss of income, reduced participation in work, sport and community activities, increased reliance on family and caregivers, long rehabilitation and recovery periods, and mental and emotional stress for family, he said.
Whitaker advised people to break big jobs into smaller, more manageable chunks and to take breaks before getting tired.
People should also avoid straining their backs by “moving things smartly”, such as using a wheelbarrow and working with multiple smaller loads.
Anyone doing pruning was encouraged to avoid climbing up trees and to use the right tool for the job, such as pole saws.
“A big proportion of gardening injuries are caused by falls – if you’re not up in the tree, you’re obviously not going to fall.”
Digging can also be particularly hard on a person’s neck, back, shoulders and arms, he said.
“Injury data shows that lots of digging injuries are caused by jarring motions and hard soil. To manage this, soak the ground a little first, then loosen and break it up with a garden fork. When you do start digging, put your foot on the top of the spade and get your body weight into it instead of just relying on the strength of your arms when pushing the spade in.
“By becoming more aware of your surroundings and identifying potential hazards you can reduce your risk of injury.”
ACC gardening tips to prevent injury
– Avoid overstretching on ladders by only pruning what’s directly in front of you and use stable ladder set-ups
– Avoid climbing trees to prune them – use a pole saw instead (if you don’t have one you can hire them or borrow them from a mate or neighbour)
– Get help for high-risk tree/hedge trimming
– Loosen and break up soil before you dig it. It’s a good idea to wet the soil before you dig it, then loosen and turn the dirt with a garden fork.
– Avoid twisting when you’re moving and offloading soil – a great way to do this is to align your shoulders and hips at all times
– Avoid strain when mowing, including when moving or starting the mower
– Keep hoses and equipment out of walkways.
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