RPL for Certificate III in Parks and Gardens

Certificate III in Parks and Gardens takes 16 units. Through Recognition of Prior Learning, each unit is assessed on evidence of work you have already done rather than on training you sit through.

What the assessment looks at

Every unit sets out what you must be able to do and what you must know. An assessor works through them one at a time, asking the same question each time: does this person's evidence show they can do this reliably, in a real workplace, recently enough to count?

You can read the full requirements for AHC31024 on the national training register. They are public, and worth a look before you spend anything — if the units describe work you have never done, RPL is not your route.

Evidence worth gathering before you start

• Photos of completed jobs, ideally showing a few stages of the same job, with their original dates intact.
• Job sheets, dockets, work orders or site diaries covering a spread of jobs.
• Supervisors, employers or clients who will confirm specifically what you did.
• Any licences or tickets you already hold.

How the guided process works

You work through the 16 units one at a time, talking about jobs you have actually done. You can speak rather than type. Add photos as you find them, and stop whenever you like — progress saves itself, and most people spread this over weeks while they dig out records. At the end you have an evidence portfolio your RTO's assessor can work through.

What this does not do

It does not assess you, and it cannot promise you AHC31024. An assessor at a registered training organisation makes that decision and may require further evidence or training. What a complete portfolio buys you is a fair assessment rather than a rejection over paperwork.

See what AHC31024 involves →

The 16 units you complete, chosen from these 48

You do not do all 48. Certificate III in Parks and Gardens is 11 core units, which everyone does, plus 5 chosen from the 37 electives below. Read both lists before you spend anything — it is the fastest way to tell whether RPL is your route. If most of this describes work you have done, you have a case to make. If whole sections describe work you have never touched, an assessor will say so, and doing the course is the honest answer.

Core units — everyone does these

• AHCIRG346 — Operate pressurised irrigation systems
• AHCMOM304 — Operate machinery and equipment
• AHCPCM306 — Provide information on plants and their culture
• AHCPGD307 — Implement a plant establishment program
• AHCPGD309 — Perform specialist amenity pruning
• AHCPGD310 — Implement a landscape maintenance program
• AHCPMG301 — Control weeds
• AHCPMG302 — Control plant pests, diseases and disorders
• AHCSOL304 — Implement soil improvements for garden and turf areas
• AHCTRF309 — Implement a grassed area maintenance program
• AHCWHS302 — Contribute to workplace health and safety processes

Electives — you choose from these

• AHCARB314 — Implement a tree maintenance program
• AHCARB315 — Inspect trees for access and work
• AHCARB320 — Install tree support systems
• AHCARB321 — Implement a tree protection program
• AHCCHM304 — Transport and store chemicals
• AHCCHM307 — Prepare and apply chemicals to control pest, weeds and diseases
• AHCDRG305 — Install drainage systems
• AHCECR301 — Maintain native ecosystem areas
• AHCECR303 — Implement biological reintroduction works
• AHCIRG337 — Measure irrigation delivery system performance
• AHCIRG338 — Troubleshoot irrigation systems
• AHCIRG345 — Install pressurised irrigation systems
• AHCIRG347 — Maintain pressurised irrigation systems
• AHCLSC316 — Implement a paving project
• AHCPCM303 — Identify plant specimens
• AHCPCM305 — Implement a plant nutrition program
• AHCPCM307 — Report on health and condition of trees
• AHCPGD210 — Transplant shrubs and small trees
• AHCPGD308 — Plan and maintain plant displays
• AHCPGD311 — Conduct operational inspection of park facilities
• AHCPGD312 — Implement a maintenance program for an aquatic environment
• AHCSOL305 — Prepare growing media
• AHCTRF307 — Construct turf playing surfaces
• AHCTRF308 — Establish turf
• AHCTRF310 — Monitor turf health
• AHCTRF311 — Renovate sports turf
• AHCWRK317 — Coordinate work site activities
• AHCWRK320 — Apply environmentally sustainable work practices
• BSBOPS304 — Deliver and monitor a service to customers
• BSBOPS305 — Process customer complaints
• FBPPPL3007 — Support and mentor individuals and groups
• FWPCOT2254 — Maintain chainsaws
• FWPCOT2273 — Trim and cut felled trees
• FWPCOT3350 — Fell trees manually (intermediate)
• HLTAID011 — Provide First Aid
• PUAFER008 — Confine small emergencies in a facility
• RIIWHS204E — Work safely at heights

Each unit breaks down further into elements and performance criteria — the specific things you have to be able to show. The guide works through them one unit at a time and asks about jobs you have actually done, rather than making you read the register yourself.

Related qualifications

Same training package, and a common second choice for people who find this one is not quite their trade:

• Certificate III in Agriculture (AHC30122, 16 units)
• Certificate III in Dairy Production (AHC30224, 17 units)
• Certificate III in Pork Production (AHC30422, 16 units)
• Certificate III in Poultry Production (AHC30522, 16 units)
• Certificate III in Production Horticulture (AHC30624, 15 units)
• Certificate III in Rural and Environmental Pest Management (AHC30324, 14 units)

More RPL in agriculture, horticulture and conservation

Every qualification in this industry, which of them have a guide ready, and what assessors here accept as evidence: RPL in agriculture, horticulture and conservation.

When you are ready, see what AHC31024 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.