Course Title: Develop a management plan for a designated area
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term2 2017
Course Code: ENVI5101C
Course Title: Develop a management plan for a designated area
School: 174T School of VE Engineering, Health & Science
Campus: City Campus
Program: C5367 - Diploma of Conservation and Land Management
Course Contact: Namrita Kaul
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4309
Course Contact Email: namrita.kaul@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Bruce Partland
bruce.partland@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 200
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
None
Course Description
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to develop a management plan for a designated area.
This unit applies to land managers who are responsible for the development of management strategies and the documentation of management plans with a defined emphasis on flora or fauna and covering the range of biodiversity present in a designated area.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
AHCLPW501 Develop a management plan for a designated area |
Element: |
1. Define the need for a management plan |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1 Identify management plan objectives for the designated area 1.2 Consult with client to achieve agreement on brief 1.3 Identify planning team, including specialists and consultants |
Element: |
2. Undertake preliminary planning activities |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 Identify major stakeholders 2.2 Ascertain availability of specialists to assist in management planning work and prepare contracts 2.3 Establish timelines for development of the management plan and reporting arrangements to client 2.4 Identify resources required for the development of management strategies |
Element: |
3. Prepare a site description |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1 Identify and map landscape values of the area 3.2 Identify and map physical features and characteristics of the area 3.3 Research land uses and determine and record their effects on the designated area 3.4 Assess and document physical condition of site including civil design concepts, where relevant 3.5 Document biological characteristics of the site including the existence of native and pest fauna and flora populations, habitat requirements for fauna, seasonal and nutritional influences on lifecycles |
Element: |
4. Analyse site information and description |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1 Evaluate information in terms of core principles and objectives 4.2 Produce site plans, technical reports and maps 4.3 Determine priorities and key conservation issues 4.4 Prepare longitudinal projections of continuing impacts 4.5 Assess land capability 4.6 Identify and document opportunities and constraints to meeting planning objectives and goals 4.7 Present to stakeholders and incorporate feedback into planning documentation |
Element: |
5. Identify management strategies |
Performance Criteria: |
5.1 Identify management strategies that address defined objectives 5.2 Design management strategies to alleviate existing impacts, pests, and diseases or to target management actions 5.3 Cost and compare management strategies to existing budgets and available resources 5.4 Plan staging of work to prioritise outcomes and management resource allocation 5.5 Consult with stakeholders and incorporate feedback into planning documentation |
Element: |
6. Prepare the management plan |
Performance Criteria: |
6.1 Document site information and management strategies into a draft management plan for consultation 6.2 Consult with stakeholders and clients 6.3 Make changes to the draft plan and prepare and present a final plan to client |
Learning Outcomes
Details of Learning Activities
Learning activities will include lectures, field trips, case studies and detailed mapping activities in the Computer Lab.
The Course requires students to become familiar with the many pressures on public lands, and to understand the important role of planning in preserving and enhancing desirable values on those lands.
To achieve this students will be introduced to: relevant international and local Case studies; assess an actual management plan; become competent at map creation; become familiar with online resources such as DSE Interactive maps and the relevant Planning information they contain; be introduced to the DSE Management Plan template.
Students will be actively involved in the assessment of an area of public land, producing a comprehensive Site Assessment / Existing Conditions Report. Much of this work will be done in-class, after on-ground familiarization with the site.
After in-class analysis of site information, and discussion with relevant stakeholders regarding the actual or perceived Values of the site, students will identify management strategies that are likely to preserve and hopefully enhance the core values of the area.
Following this students will compile a comprehensive Draft Management Plan for the site. After comments from relevant stakeholders this ’publishable’ Plan will (along with the existing Conditions Report) form the major assessment piece for this Course.
Teaching Schedule
Lesson / Date |
Lecture Topic |
Assessments / Field Trips |
|
Week 1 5th July |
Define the need for a Management Plan (1) Introduction: Why do we need a management plan?
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Week 2 12th July |
Field Trip to ‘designated area’. Murundaka
|
Site Visit 1
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Week 3 19th July
|
Plans for Barmah F/T Intro to Assessment 1: Barmah Forest & wetlands Case Study
|
Hurdle task 1: Management options for a designated area (Murundaka) (Discussion / Debate)
|
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Week 4 26th July |
Field Trip Wed 26th-Friday 28th: Barmah |
3 Day Field Trip to Barmah Forest and wetlands (26-27-28th July) |
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Week 5 2nd August
|
Barmah Review
Intro to Assessment 2: Existing Conditions |
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Week 6 9th August |
Field Trip to Koroit Ck, Melton (Morning)
Undertake preliminary planning activities (1): Assessing stakeholders and their interest in the site Prepare a site description (1) Assessing and mapping landscape values
|
Site visit 2 Kororoit Ck
Assessment 1: Due 13th August Barmah Forest & Wetlands Case Study:
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Week 7 16th August |
Prepare a site description (2) Documenting existing conditions
Digital mapping workshop: Accessing and creating maps
|
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Week 8 23th August |
Site visit 2 (If necessary) Analyse site information and description (1) Evaluating information in terms of core principles and objectives Determining priorities in relation to land capability Opportunities and constraints Getting feedback |
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Week 9 6th September |
Analyse site information and description (2) Issues and priorities in light of land capability. Cultural heritage issues. Mapping |
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Week 10 13th September |
Student directed learning (Non attendance) Working on Ass 2: Existing Conditions
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Assessment 2: Due 17th September Existing Conditions (Site Assessment) |
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Week 11 20th September |
Workshop: Identify Management strategies
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Hurdle Task 2: Identify management strategies 20th Sept |
|
Week 12 27th September |
Costing works Prepare the Management Plan (1) Putting it all together. DSE style editing guides Desktop publishing hints |
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Week 13 4th October |
Prepare the Management Plan (2) Staging works (2). Costing works (2) Incorporating stakeholder feedback |
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Week 14 11th October |
Student directed study (Working on Draft Plan) |
Assessment 3A (Draft Plans) due: 15th October |
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Week 15 18th October |
Feedback on Draft Management Plans Management Plan preparation |
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Week 16 25th October |
Student directed study (Working on Final Plan) |
Assessment 3B: Management Plan due: 29th October |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
Resources for this Course will be supplied, as required, on Blackboard.
Overview of Assessment
Asassessment for this course may include site assessments, management reports, individual and group project work
Assessment Tasks
ASSESSMENT 1: Barmah Forest & Wetlands Case Study (25%)
Due 13th August
Using the online resource ‘The Living Murray story’ (Murray Darling Basin Authority) and knowledge gleaned from the range of speakers and experiences encountered on the Field Trip, provide a 1-2,000 word assessment of the management challenges and responses operating in the Barmah-Millewa Forest.
Assessment 2
Due date: 17th September
EXISTING CONDITIONS (Site Assessment / Description) (35%)
You should ‘populate’ the following criteria covering existing conditions at your site. Many of these will be completed as class exercises or group work. You will be able to later adapt this ‘existing conditions’ report to your final management plan.
- The Area and its Boundaries (best illustrated on a map)Access and regional context (best illustrated on a map)2.
- Tenure and Conservation Status.
- History and development.
- Physical features
- Climate
- Vegetation
- Fauna
- Recreation
ASSESSMENT 3(A) Draft Master Plan for Kororoit Ck Reserve (Ungraded)
Due: 15th October
TEMPLATE FOR WRITE-UP OF Draft MASTER PLAN
Using your knowledge of the Kororoit Ck site and its immediate surrounds, you should populate the DSE Management Plan template
ASSESSMENT 3(B)FINAL EDIT OF MASTER PLAN) Due: 29th October(45%)
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment | Title | Due Date | Value |
| Assessment 1 | Barmah Case Study | 13th August | 25% |
| Assessment 2 | Existing Conditions | 17th September | 35% |
| Assessment 3A & 3B |
Draft Master Plan Final Management Plan |
15th October (3A) 29th October (3B) |
40% |
Other Information
A 3 day Field trip to Barmah Forest & Wetlands will take place 26th-28th July in order to examine first hand the complexities of balancing the many management considerations bearing on an iconic protected area.
A small materials fee will apply to cover transport and accommodation costs.
You will be informed of the actual amount during the first week of class.
Assessment information
This course is graded in accordance with competency-based assessment, but which also utilises graded assessment
CHD Competent with High Distinction (80 – 100%)
CDI Competent with Distinction (70 – 79%)
CC Competent with Credit (60 – 69%)
CAG Competency Achieved – Graded (50 – 59%)
NYC Not Yet Competent
DNS Did Not Submit for assessment
To pass the course you need to pass, on average, each type of assessment (reports, assignments etc.)
- Late work that is submitted without an application for an extension (see below) will not be corrected.
- APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF TIME FOR SUBMISSION OF ASSESSABLE WORK - A student may apply for an extension of up to 7 days from the original due date. They must lodge the application form (available online http://www1.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment/extension) at least 24 hours before the due date. The application is lodged with the School Admin Office on Level 6, Bdg 51. Students requiring longer extensions must apply for SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.
- For missed assessments such as tests and field trips- you (& your doctor if you are sick) must fill out a special consideration form. This form must be lodged online with supporting evidence prior to, or within, 48 hours of the scheduled time of the assessment http://www1.rmit.edu.au/students/specialconsideration
Plagiarism is the presentation of the work, idea or creation of another person as though it is your own. It is a form of cheating and is a very serious academic offence that may lead to expulsion from the University. Plagiarised material can be drawn from, and presented in, written, graphic and visual form, including electronic data and oral presentation. Plagiarism occurs when the origin of the material used is not appropriately cited. It also occurs through enabling plagiarism, which is the act of assisting or allowing another person to plagiarise or to copy your own work. Please make sure you consider this carefully in completing all your work and assessments in this course and if you are unsure about whether you might have plagiarised, seek help from your teacher.
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