This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to identify and analyse common water holding licences and/or accounts that are used to access and extract irrigation water, including water attached to entitlements and/or water that is available on the temporary market. It also includes implementing water deliveries and end of season review. Irrigators may own and operate their own infrastructure (private diverters) and/or access water via infrastructure within an irrigation network.

The unit applies to workers who apply knowledge and skills to access and take delivery of water onto properties for agricultural use. They monitor the environment and use judgement to access water and follow up water extraction and use. The unit applies to irrigators and other agricultural workers that operate autonomously, coordinate activities, solve predictable and unpredictable problems and take responsibility for the success of their crops and/or livestock. It may also apply to the access and extraction of water for other sectors.

Commonwealth and state/territory and regional/local legislation, regulations and rules apply to the access, extraction and use of water. Requirements vary between jurisdictions.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

An individual demonstrating competency must satisfy all of the elements and performance criteria in this unit.

There must be evidence that the individual has undertaken the processes required to order and take delivery of at least three separate parcels of water for a specific property, either as private diverter or as part of an irrigation network. In doing so, the individual must have:

confirmed the licence and/or water account conditions, including access conditions and penalties that may apply

identified total water available under the licence and/or account

confirmed and completed internal and external reporting requirements

completed an end of year water balance and determined carryover available

An individual must be able to demonstrate the knowledge required to perform the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit. This includes knowledge of:

key features of regulations and conditions that apply to irrigation water extracted and used including:

water access licence

water use approval

works approval

delivery/extraction share

key features of water markets and how they function, including:

permanent or entitlement trade

temporary or allocation trade

key market participants including irrigators, environmental water holders and regulators

conditions on market participants

functions and compliance powers of federal/state/territory and regional water authorities or private infrastructure operators that apply to water extracted and used

cost and benefits of accessing and extracting irrigation water as a private diverter

costs and benefits of accessing and extracting irrigation water as an account holder with an irrigation network

visual and operational checks of water meters, pumps and water delivery infrastructure

functions and operations of appropriate water registers that apply to the jurisdiction being irrigated

water use licences and water trade restrictions that apply to water extracted and used

key features of water entitlements and water allocations, including seasonal variations

trade restrictions related to water licence and/or water account, including carryover water and inter-valley trade cap requirements

types and classes of water available in local water market, and their access conditions

risks associated with water orders and delivery

lead time under a range of water availability and deliverability scenarios

water products available in local water market

key considerations when monitoring weather and weather forecasts

sources of information on allocation, allocation announcements and market opportunities

key end of season dates, including dates for water delivery, extraction, carryover, and annual water trading

end of year water balance, including any carryover.

Assessment of the skills in this unit of competency must take place under the following conditions:

physical conditions:

a workplace or an environment that accurately represents workplace conditions

resources, equipment and materials:

digital technologies required to complete the tasks specified in the performance evidence

access to property specified in the performance evidence and/or information about the property required to successfully undertake the performance evidence as a simulated scenario

access to water supplier metering and extraction rules and requirements

specifications:

access to water licence or water account information required to complete tasks in the performance evidence

Assessors of this unit must satisfy the requirements for assessors in applicable vocational education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.

This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential for performance in this unit of competency but are not explicit in the performance criteria.

Water (WAT)