Crafting Playful Horizons with Precision & Purpose

July 1, 2025

In the dynamic world of landscape construction, where imagination meets infrastructure, Auswide Landscape Solutions has been quietly revolutionising children’s play environments.

Supported by a robust fleet of Isuzu tippers that navigate urban landscapes with surgical precision, this company has transformed outdoor playground design and installation into a well-oiled machine, with a bit of artistic flair.

Originally founded in 2020 in Melbourne by business partners Tony Muscara and Jason Mawer, the pair saw a unique opportunity to combine their extensive backgrounds in landscaping, construction, and facilities management.

“Our focus is concentrated on providing landscaping and playgrounds for the childcare industry,” explained co-director Tony Muscara.

“Auswide staff deliver our products, install the play equipment, and then our landscapers finish off the job, giving us quality control from start to finish.”

This holistic approach is possibly where Auswide differs from its competitors: it manufactures its own equipment in-house and sees the project through to completion.

This means the business maintains stringent quality control and minimises material waste, embodying a lean and efficient model that delivers to clients throughout Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia on time and on budget.

Proven for productivity

Central to Auswide's operational efficiency is its Isuzu truck fleet, which Tony carefully selected based on his previous experience in the landscaping and construction industry.

He worked closely with Geelong Isuzu and Sales Manager Phil Halleday to build up a small but versatile fleet, which now includes an NLR 45-150 AMT Tipper, an NMR 60-150 Tri Tipper and a newly collected FSR 140-260 Auto with a custom tipper body.

Navigating tight urban spaces in close proximity to other buildings isn’t always easy, and Auswide relies on its fleet’s practical features to deliver materials, equipment, and personnel with remarkable flexibility.

The NMR 60-150 AMT Tri-Tipper, with its 6,000 kg GVM and 8,000 kg GCM (capable of towing up to 4,000 kg), plus 2,895 kg nominal payload, offers particular advantages for Auswide’s urban application.

The narrow-cab workhorse has a two-cubic-metre volume capacity steel body that tips in three directions, supported by multi-leaf rear suspension and an independent wishbone front suspension, which ensures a smoother ride for the driver.

“With the Tri Tipper, there are multiple ways of tipping your load, which gives us options in hard-access areas or awkwardly shaped playgrounds,” Tony noted.

“This is important when you're transporting playground sand; the Tri Tipper doesn't contaminate it like other equipment potentially might—you're still in the truck and can tip it right into the sandpits.

“With Melbourne city traffic, I decided to go with the AMT to prevent clutch breakdown for us and make it easier for navigating congestion on the streets.”

Well-honed machines

With a nominal load capacity of just over 8,000 kg and a 14,000 kg GVM, the FSR 140-260 Auto fulfils Auswide’s need for a larger truck capable of loading pallets, bins, and materials like gravel and sand.

The FSR features a turbocharged Isuzu 6HK1-TCC engine that outputs 191 kW (260 PS) of power and 761 Nm of torque @ 1,450 – 2,400 rpm.

Also requiring a smaller tipper open to staff with standard car licences, Auswide chose the 4.5-tonne GVM NLR 45-150 AMT Tipper.

With a smaller footprint but not lacking in grunt, this model can easily handle a large load, underpinned by a 4-cylinder 4JJ1-TCS engine providing 110 kW of power (150 PS) at 2,800 rpm and 375 Nm of torque @ 1,600 - 2,800 rpm.

Auswide’s no-nonsense approach to building its fleet with tippers of varying sizes has paid off in terms of project deadlines and productivity for its teams, who are never left waiting for contractors to deliver.

“We don't have to wait for deliveries. That’s why we've got our own trucks to go and pick up materials,” Tony said.

“Our Isuzu Tippers are among the most frequently used tools on the job sites. They can get into tighter spots and carry everything we need plus our staff.

“The multiple uses for our Tippers really highlight the flexibility that Isuzu Trucks delivers.”

Growth mindset

From completing five to six jobs annually, Auswide says it now has the capacity to execute around 30 projects a year across its geographical range.

Looking to the future, the aim is to broaden the company’s reach further while remaining true to the founders’ core mission of delivering play environments that inspire and delight children.

“We haven't tapped into Queensland, Tasmania or the Northern Territory, which we would like to do,” explained Tony.

“But our main goal is to develop our South Australian and New South Wales hubs to mirror the success of our Melbourne operations.”

For Auswide, a significant development has been establishing a dedicated maintenance department, which ensures the ongoing quality and safety of previously installed play environments.

“We have big plans over the next 12 months,” Tony revealed.

“This includes hiring more staff, expanding our equipment lockers and continuing to invest in Isuzu trucks with the support of Geelong Isuzu.”