Land Protection Officer

Land Protection Officers check areas of land for harmful animals or plants and arrange for their destruction or control.

What you would do:

• inspect and monitor plants, land and water for pests
• advise landowners to destroy pests and check that they are complying with their legal obligations
• remove and destroy pests, or arrange for them to be removed and destroyed by pest control technicians
• carry out control work on surveillance plants
• gather data from experimental eradication projects
• educate the public about animal and plant pests and how to control them
• prepare reports or charges against any law breakers
• testify in court.

You need to be:

• knowledgeable of harmful plants and animals
• knowledgeable of pest plants and animals in their region and the strategies used to eliminate them
• knowledgeable of pesticides
• understanding of property and animal laws
• a person with good oral and written communication skills
• a person with god organisation skills
• a person with good decision-making ability
• a person with good problem-solving skills
• a person with good negotiation skills
• in possesion of a valid Drivers licence
• in possession of basic computer skills

Land Protection Officers need to be observant, reliable and responsible. They also need to be tactful, firm and fair when dealing with the public.

You will require:

Most employers prefer a relevant tertiary qualification.  A Masters degree in ecological science, environmental science or botany or zoology is appropriate as is a Bachelors Degree in Applied Science.

Improve your chances by:

Undertaking farm work, plant nursery work, work with animals, laboratory or scientific work or work involving contact with the public.

What you will earn:

The average income for Land Protection Officers is around $58 000 per annum

Long term possibilities:

Many Land Protection Officers are employed by regional councils, and their work is underpinned by each council's regional pest management strategy. These are aimed at maintaining Australia's  natural environment, agricultural production and human health, by eliminating or controlling specific pests.

These regional strategies are reviewed every five years. It is expected that growing public awareness of land protection issues will mean these reviews will result in councils investing more funding in this area in the future.