Position Description - Stepping Into- Summer 2016/17

Position Title

Wildlife, Heritage and Marine Division Intern

Location

Canberra

Position Description

The Natural Heritage Section would like to offer the unique and exciting opportunity to join our teamworking on projects related to management of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area for the fourweek 'Stepping Into' internship program.

The Natural Heritage Section sits within the Heritage Branch of the Wildlife, Heritage and Marine Division,of the Department of Environment and Energy. We are a welcoming, friendly and energetic team of eightstaff, who work closely with four other heritage sections in the Division.

The role of the section is to provide advice, research and analysis about the natural values of Australia'sNational, Commonwealth and World Heritage places. This contributes to the vision of the Division to'protect and promote Nationally Significant Heritage Places'.

The role of the intern will be to contribute to providing advice and support for Australia's engagement withthe World Heritage Committee on the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

One of the largest conservation reserves in Australia, the Tasmanian Wilderness is renowned for itsdiversity of flora, with some of the longest lived trees and tallest flowering plants in the world. It holdssignificant Indigenous cultural heritage value, including archaeological evidence of what is understood tobe the oldest and southern-most occupation in the world during the last glacial period. Inscribed on theUNESCO World Heritage List in 1982, the Tasmanian Wilderness is formally recognised under the WorldHeritage Convention for its Outstanding Universal Value, that is "cultural and/or natural significance whichis so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and be of common importance for present and futuregenerations of all humanity".

Broader functions of the Section and Branch include:

  • Advising on matters under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC
  • Act) such as referrals for development proposals in or near world heritage areas;
  • Leading and managing the assessment and listing process for National and Commonwealth Heritageplaces;
  • Coordinating the activities of and servicing the Australian Heritage Council;
  • Policy lead on heritage programs (for example the Community Heritage and Icons Grants and
  • Protecting National Historic Sites programmes);
  • Australian Government lead on protection of historic shipwrecks, including administration of the
  • Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976.

Project

The intern will be given a discrete project to prepare the project plan for the delivery of the next 'StateParty Report on the State of Conservation of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area' (SPR). TheSPR is a key mechanism for Australian Government engagement with the World Heritage Centre on theprotection and management of the Tasmanian Wilderness. The SPR is a large body of work, which requiresdetailed planning and an agreed work plan for 2017. The Australian Government has agreed to provide theSPR to the World Heritage Centre at the end of 2017 for consideration by the World Heritage Committee in2018.

The intern will develop the project plan using the Department's project management framework. This willinclude using the Simple Project Plan template to identify outcomes, outputs and key deliverables, riskmanagement and key stakeholders to deliver the report.

The project plan will need to be presented for executive approval, and will require engagement across thebranch and division, including with the Indigenous Heritage Section and International Heritage Section.

There may also be opportunity for engagement with the Tasmanian Government (Department of PrimaryIndustries, Parks, Water and Environment).

Key Tasks

The intern will be responsible for:

  • The development of a project plan will be the primary task of the intern for the four week period.
  • The intern may also be asked to contribute to Departmental and Parliamentary business requirements,including Ministerial briefings and correspondence.
  • There may also be opportunity to be involved with other functions of the section, depending on theinterest and skill-set of the intern.

Learnings

At the end of this Natural Heritage internship, it is expected that the intern will be able to demonstrate arange of project management skills from working on a high profile project and key priority for theAustralian Government. Developing the project plan will expose the intern to how the Departmentengages intra-divisional, state and international stakeholders, providing the intern with an invaluableunderstanding of working in government. This will be a highly sought-after skill set for prospectivegraduates looking to join the Department of the Environment and Energy's Graduate program oranticipating a career in the public service or relevant private sector organisation.

Eligibility

Please refer to eligibility requirements on the website.