Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Zoological plantation requirements may include:
animal needs
considerations of location and size
environmental considerations
equipment and materials
plant types
planting a mix of evergreen and deciduous for year round supply
use of plant simulators.
Plantation requirements may be sourced from:
donations
local councils
other plantations within the captive animal facility
outside contractors for plants and equipment
own plant stock
roadside verges.
Relevant personnel may include:
consultants
horticulturalists
keepers in charge
landscapers
project managers.
Plantation management strategies may include:
environmentally friendly and non-poisonous pest management
environmentally friendly waste management
water conservation techniques.
OHS risks associated with the plantation may include:
biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal
handling of chemicals and fertilisers
inhalation of aerosol particles
manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting
moving parts of machinery or equipment
noise including machinery
repetitive strain injury (e.g. secateurs usage)
slippery or uneven work surfaces.
Daily plantation activities may include:
canopy reduction
controlling pests
fertilising
mulching
pruning
removing waste
replanting
thinning
watering
weeding.
Sustainable horticulture practices may include:
plantation practices that consider the needs of:
environment
equipment and materials
plant types
planting a mix of evergreen and deciduous plants for year round supply
specific animals
use of plant stimulators
safe and effective pest control and waste management strategies.
Advice may relate to:
animal preferences
mixed age structure
plants known to be toxic to animals
plant variety.

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 competence in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
work with others, including horticulturists, to establish and maintain a plantation in accordance with OHS and organisation requirements
correctly calculate and harvest food requirements
maintain plantation records.

The skills and knowledge required to assist in establishing and maintaining a plantation must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in a captive animal workplace. Workplaces may include small or large captive animal facilities, traditional or open-range type facilities and mobile or theme park environments.

There must be access to the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence.

Method of assessment
To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:
written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge
observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks
simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions
third-party evidence
workplace documentation (e.g. plantation records)
portfolio.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment
Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).