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, codes, 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
Australian Heritage Council Act 2003
Native Title Act 1993
state/territory government legislation and regulations and local government by-laws, policies, and plans dealing with:
land use, acquisition, planning and protection
environmental protection
cultural/heritage protection
vegetation management
nature conservation and wildlife/plant protection
water, water management
soil conservation
pollution and contaminated sites
fisheries, forestry and mining operations
Australian and international standards, such as:
AS/NZS ISO 14000 Set:2005 Environmental management standards set
standards covering sampling, testing and/or monitoring of air, water and soils
National Environment Protection Measure (Assessment of Site Contamination)
ANZECC Guidelines for the Assessment of Contaminated Soil
Australian government guidelines, such as the Leading Practice Sustainable Development Program for the Mining Industry (Mine Rehabilitation)
environmental management plan, rehabilitation program plan, and site information about applicable legislative requirements and approval requirements
information about site processes, work schedules and remediation/rehabilitation processes
information about emergency preparedness and response
monitoring/inspection procedures and management actions to prevent/control environmental impacts or risks
procedures for monitoring remediation/rehabilitation program
sampling and in-situ measurement procedures (e.g. water, air, noise and soils)
job hazard analyses
safe work procedures and work method statements
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
Remediation/rehabilitation plans, programs and activities
Remediation/rehabilitation plans, programs and activities may include details of:
site goals and success criteria
regulatory, licensing and approvals requirements
consultation processes and community engagement
characterisation of site to identify materials and/or contamination present, such as:
materials segregation and selective placement
material budget and schedule
identification of limitations to plant growth
initial site assessment, such as :
protection measures for rare/endangered species and heritage sites
climate
water budget and salt budget
growth media (e.g. harvested topsoils)
remediation/rehabilitation program/activities, such as :
landform design (e.g. placement, height, footprint, drainage, mode of construction, profiles and covers)
management of waste rock, tailings and/or wastewater
removal, containment and/or on/off site treatment of contaminated materials
landform reconstruction, filling of voids/pits and reinstatement of water diversions
topsoil management to preserve soil fertility and biota, treatments and fertiliser use
establishment of vegetation (e.g. controlling weeds, collection and retention of local seeds and propagules, seeding (supply, treatment, spreading and hydro), and hand/machine planting of seedlings, mulching, watering, maintenance and staking/protection)
establishment of fauna communities (e.g. controlling problem animals and constructing habitats)
environmental parameters and monitoring procedures for remediation/rehabilitation program
recording and reporting requirements
Background information
Background information may include:
legislative/regulatory, permit, licence and approval requirements for site
site access protocols and permits
site history, client history and correspondence
site industrial processes and work schedules
records of consultations with stakeholders
maps (road and topographical)
existing databases (e.g. vegetation, topography, soils and regional ecosystem maps)
geological, hydro geological, ecological and meteorological data for site
enterprise environmental management plans for site
emergency plans and safety procedures
enterprise, regulatory or standard methods/procedures for environmental sampling, monitoring or in-field testing
relevant reports, case studies and good practice models for site remediation/rehabilitation
Site personnel and community members
Site personnel and community members may include:
enterprise employees, site and project managers
contractors and subcontractors
suppliers and service providers
consultants (e.g. scientists, planners, engineers and external auditors)
government/regulator representatives and inspectors
community representatives, landowners, traditional owners and community volunteers
Site hazards
Site hazards may include:
solar radiation, dust and noise
air and soil borne microorganisms
chemicals, radioactive and other hazardous materials
cuts, crushing and entanglement from tools or moving machinery parts
manual handling of heavy materials and equipment
heavy vehicle traffic on site
slippery, uneven surfaces
Safety procedures
Safety procedures may include:
identifying hazards, assessing and reporting risks
cleaning, maintaining and storing tools, equipment and machinery
safe operation of tools, equipment and machinery
safe handling, use and storage of chemicals and other hazardous materials
safe manual handling of items
obeying signage and using safety equipment, such as protective barriers
using specified personal protective equipment
Environmental obligations
Environmental obligations of site personnel may include:
sustainable use of resources
duty of care to protect the site’s natural, cultural and heritage values
not polluting, damaging or degrading the site’s natural resources, ecological processes or biodiversity
avoiding introduction or transfer of weeds or plant/animal pathogens in soils
Monitoring strategies
Monitoring strategies may include:
use of transects to collect data across many types of landscape or ages of revegetation
use of point and quadrat sampling along transects
ecosystem function analysis:
landscape and soil analysis (e.g. rainfall, infiltration, run-off, erosion, plant growth and nutrient cycling)
vegetation analysis (e.g. species composition and structure)
habitat and fauna analysis (e.g. use of indicator species, such as reptiles and ants, and soil-litter biota)
use of remote sensing: (e.g. aerial photography and satellite imagery)
Environmental monitoring parameters for remediation/rehabilitation programs
Environmental monitoring parameters for remediation/rehabilitation programs may include:
air quality
quality of surface water and groundwater
residual contamination in soils
surface (and slope) stability
assessment of erosion, measurement of suspended sediment loads in run-off
performance of constructed covers over mine or industrial/mineral processing waste
properties of soil or root zone media, such as chemistry, fertility and water
plant community structural attributes, such as cover, and woody species density and height
plant community composition, such as presence of desired species, condition and abundance
presence of pest species, such as feral animals and weeds
selected indicators of ecosystem functioning, such as soil microbial biomass and ants
return of selected mammals, reptiles, macro-invertebrates, fish and birds to site
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 situations and contexts. Critical aspects of assessment and evidence include:
applying a working knowledge of remediation/ rehabilitation principles to analyse complex technical briefs and develop/refine plans
planning and coordinating the efficient implementation of site remediation/rehabilitation activities
supporting, communicating and consulting with site personnel and/or community members to achieve quality outcomes on time and within budget
analysing and solving project management problems
monitoring progress of activities and assisting with the evaluation of outcomes
maintaining accurate records of activities
providing regular information and reports of progress and outcomes of activities
recommending ways of improving the coordination of future activities.
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:
MSS025014A Perform sampling and testing of contaminated sites.
The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.
Resources may include:
enterprise environmental management plans and procedures, and project management tools
background information for environmental sites and remediation/rehabilitation projects/programs
enterprise information management systems.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of plans, records, outcomes and reports associated with remediation/rehabilitation activities that the candidate has coordinated
feedback from manager, other site personnel and community members about the candidate’s ability to effectively coordinate remediation/ rehabilitation activities
questioning/interview to assess understanding of remediation/rehabilitation principles, project management and the candidate’s problem-solving ability
observation of the candidate’s interactions with site personnel and/or community members.
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