Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit covers the process of maintaining wildlife habitats and refuges to protect desirable animal species from predators and defines the standard required to: confirm the features required for a wildlife habitat refuge; identify native species that are present in the wildlife refuge; provide harbours and modify habitat where necessary to provide refuge for native species; assess the risk of vertebrate pest predators within the refuge; implement strategies to control vertebrate pests in a wildlife habitat.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to supervised workers in land management projects who operate with intermittent checking within enterprise guidelines.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Assess the scope of the refuge maintenance job

1.1. Desirable wildlife species to be protected are identified and their behaviour pattern determined.

1.2. Characteristics of wildlife habitat refuges are identified.

1.3. Locations of wildlife habitat refuges are determined.

1.4. Time required to complete the wildlife habitat refuge maintenance job is estimated.

1.5. Hazards associated with the wildlife habitat refuge maintenance job are identified in accordance with Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards.

1.6. Environmental risks associated with the wildlife habitat refuge maintenance job are identified in accordance with statutory and local authority requirements.

1.7. Vehicles, equipment and materials required to complete the wildlife habitat refuge maintenance job are identified.

2. Prepare for the refuge maintenance job

2.1. Location and boundaries for the wildlife habitat refuge maintenance job are determined in accordance with the vertebrate pest management strategy and monitoring program.

2.2. Precautions to minimise hazards associated with the wildlife habitat refuge maintenance job are taken in accordance with OHS standards.

2.3. Precautions to minimise environmental risks associated with the wildlife habitat refuge maintenance job are taken in accordance with statutory and local authority requirements.

2.4. Vehicles, equipment and materials are checked for serviceability in accordance with manufacturer's specifications and relevant policies.

3. Maintain wildlife habitat refuges for protection of desirable species from predators

3.1. Vehicles and equipment are operated and/or driven in accordance with manufacturer's instructions, statutory requirements and industry practice.

3.2. Wildlife habitat refuges which protect desirable animal species are maintained in accordance with industry practice and environmental statutory requirements.

3.3. Desirable animal species are protected as required in accordance with environmental statutory requirements.

3.4. Debris is disposed of in accordance with industry practice.

4. Clean and store equipment and material

4.1. Equipment and materials are cleaned and stored in accordance with relevant standards and policies.

4.2. Job completion is reported or recorded in accordance with relevant policies and procedures.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• prepare for the refuge maintenance job
• identify wildlife species and their requirements
• maintain wildlife habitat refuges for protection of desirable animal species from predators
• identify hazards and follow safety procedures
• use and maintenance of tools and equipment
• record and report task completion and, where necessary, observations of property status
• clean and store equipment and materials
• use literacy skills to follow sequenced written instructions and record information accurately and legibly
• use oral communication skills/language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification and seeking advice from supervisor
• use interpersonal skills to relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge 

• vertebrate pest life cycles and behaviours
• harbours used by vertebrate pests
• wildlife habitats used by desirable animal species
• wildlife habitat modification techniques
• predator behaviour and control techniques
• common law principles relating to property, stock, duty of care and due diligence
• risks to land users' posed by vertebrate pests including exotic diseases and zoonoses
• OHS, environment and threatened species legislative and enterprise requirements.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

• confirm the features required for a wildlife habitat refuge
• identify native species that are present in the wildlife refuge
• provide harbors and modify habitat where necessary to provide refuge for native species
• assess the risk of vertebrate pest predators within the refuge
• implement strategies to control vertebrate pests in a wildlife habitat.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions. Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Wildlife refuges may include:

• a range of types of wildlife refuges to suit the native species being conserved.

Unit sector 

Natural area restoration

Co-requisite units 

Competency field