Elements and Performance Criteria

Codes of practice
Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used
Legislation, standards, guidelines, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
federal legislation, such as:
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
state/territory government legislation and regulations and local government by-laws, policies, and plans dealing with:
land use, acquisition, planning and protection
protection of wetlands
vegetation management
nature conservation and wildlife/plant protection
water quality and water management
soil conservation
pollution and contaminated sites
Australian and international standards, such as:
RAMSAR Convention
AS/NZS 5667 set Water quality
A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia, Environment Australia
ANZECC Wetland Classification System
National Water Commission Framework for the Assessment of River and Wetland Health (FARWH)
state/territory Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) indexes, guidelines and manuals, such as:
Index of Wetland Condition (VIC EPA)
Water Quality Sampling Manual (QLD EPA)
Regulatory monitoring and testing: Water and wastewater sampling (EPA SA)
Wetland Assessment Techniques Manual for Australian Wetlands (Wetlandcare Australia)
Wetlands
Wetlands may include: (ANZECC classification)
marine and coastal zone wetlands
inland wetlands
human made wetlands
State/territory classification systems for wetlands vary and may include:
riverine
palustrine (river, run-off/rainfall, groundwater fed)
lacustine
artificial
marine
spring or groundwater fed
Desktop and field activities
Desktop and field activities may include:
accessing relevant data sets and using GIS techniques to map wetland areas, high conservation areas and/or high degradation areas; and determining priority areas for field assessments
validating GIS mapping of wetland location and type
conducting rapid wetland assessments
assessing condition of specific wetland components, including flora and fauna (type, % cover, dominant species and condition buffers)
collecting information for use in wetland vegetation inventory
assessing disturbance and relating this to wetland condition
trialing a wetland monitoring program
establishing sites for future wetland monitoring
Wetland management plan
A wetland management plan may include:
existing and future values of wetland
wetland management objectives to protect these values
problems and issues that may compromise these objectives
agreed wetland management practices to mitigate existing impacts and minimise future impacts
Wetland data sources and data
Wetland data sources and data may include:
national databases, such as:
Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia
EPBC Online Protected Matters Search Tool
state/territory databases, such as:
Regional Ecosystem (RE) maps, Wildlife Online, Wildnet, Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP) surveys (EPA QLD)
Index of Wetland Condition (EPA VIC)
geographic information system GIS datasets, such as:
climate
biological and physical parameters of the land and ocean
management boundaries and tenure
biodiversity
natural resources, agriculture and fisheries
land use information, such as topographical maps, aerial photos, satellite imagery and land use/zoning maps
terrain models
drainage intensity, flood and drainage studies
water and sediment quality studies
contaminated site reports
acid sulphate soil studies
aquatic ecology studies (e.g. threatened/scheduled species, migratory birds, key habitats and habitat corridors/connectivity)
riparian vegetation studies
reports of consultations with the scientific community, local environmental groups and industry associations, catchment management committees, and councils
Survey proformas, data collection forms and field identification guides
Survey proformas and data collection forms will vary greatly with scope and objectives of survey/monitoring activities but data fields may include:
observer identification details (ID)
site ID, (sub) catchment and/or regional ID
ownership, access, location (e.g. global positioning system (GPS)), site photo ID and transect ID
verification of wetland classification (GIS mapped, field) using identification guides and codes
proximity of other wetlands, ecosystems, roads and current/adjacent land use
site disturbance indicators, such as soil disturbance, vegetation structure modification, water quality, hydrologic disturbance, dumping, land use, feral/domestic animals, and weed causal factors
acid sulphate soil indicators, such as iron stain, scald and hydraulic conductivity
general wetland characteristics, such as:
water body dimensions, current/max water level, depth, water sources, modifications and banks
water quality (e.g. visible slime, temperature, turbidity and electrical conductivity)
habitat potential
vegetation buffer/cover/types/health/dominant species/recovery potential
fauna observations
Field identification guides may include:
descriptors, photos and/or coding for wetland types and specific disturbance indicators
Field equipment and materials
Field equipment and materials may include:
topographic maps and aerial photos
compass, survey point markers and drivers, GPS, tape measure, flagging tape, 1m2 quadrats and sub-quadrats
data recording sheets, palm pilot, laptop, data logger, digital camera and binoculars
sampling equipment, such as bottles, bags, biological specimen containers, secateurs, scoop nets, esky and ice, sample preservatives, water pumps and tubing, and shovels
automatic water samplers
portable water quality probe that measures (e.g. dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, pH, conductivity and field test reagents)
flow meters
personal protective equipment, insect repellent, appropriate clothing and footwear, phone, emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) and first aid kit
Laboratory analyses
Laboratory analyses may include:
suspended solids
phosphates
nitrates and ammonium
peroxide oxidation (combined acidity and sulfate for soils)
Environmental issues and possible causes
Environmental issues and possible causes may include:
fragmentation or loss of connectivity of wetlands and/or vegetation
adjacent land use pressure causing excessive nutrients, sediment and noise pollution
human disturbance due to vehicles, boats, fire, rubbish, excessive nutrients and sediments, and impacts of feral/stock/domestic animals
exposure of acid sulphate soils
low diversity of vegetation, invasion by weeds
poor habitat potential due to invasion by pest species and land clearing
structures affecting wetland hydrology
poor condition of banks and fringing vegetation due to access of stock
poor condition of mangrove, salt marsh, seagrass due to impaired natural flow/tidal flush, excessive human disturbance, and impaired vegetative filter strips
Occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental management requirements
OHS and environmental management requirements:
all operations must comply with enterprise OHS and environmental management requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation - these requirements must not be compromised at any time
all operations assume the potentially hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied
where relevant, users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health

Overview of assessment
Competency must be demonstrated in the ability to perform consistently at the required standard.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently apply the skills covered in this unit of competency in new and different contexts. Critical aspects of assessment and evidence include:
planning and safely conducting survey and monitoring activities for a range of wetlands that meet user needs
accessing and using existing environmental data sets
obtaining reliable field samples and measurements
providing detailed descriptions of wetland characteristics, existing conditions, management values, environmental issues and possible causes
completing all documentation in the required format and timeframe
working safely and minimising environmental impacts.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment.
Assessment should emphasise a workplace context and procedures found in the candidate’s workplace.
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
MSS024005A Collect spatial and discrete environmental data
MSS024006A Perform sampling and testing of water.
The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.
Resources may include:
access to a range of wetlands
sampling equipment, field instruments and materials
enterprise procedures, test methods and equipment manuals.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of wetlands data, results and records prepared by the candidate
feedback from peers and supervisors that the candidate consistently follows enterprise procedures, sampling/measurement procedures and works safely
oral/written questioning associated with surveys and monitoring of wetlands, sampling/measurement equipment and procedures and wetland assessment techniques
observation of the candidate collecting samples and conducting field tests in wetlands.
In all cases, practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly.
Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.
The language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work-like environment.
Guidance information for assessment