Assessment Officer

Description:

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is part of the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. As primary agency for Australia's Antarctic Program (AAP), the AAD is responsible for achieving the Australian Government's Antarctic goals.
These goals are to:

• maintain the Antarctic Treaty System and enhance Australia's influence within it
• protect the Antarctic environment
• understand the role of Antarctica in the global climate system
• undertake scientific work of practical, economic and national significance.

The AAD also has responsibility for administering the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands.
The Policy and Strategy Branch has a broad remit. We develop Antarctic policy to support our national and international obligations; lead on international engagement for the AAD; regulate activities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean and in the subantarctic Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands; deliver statutory obligations for protected matters including species, heritage and protected areas; and work across the AAD to support stronger governance and accountability. The Policy and Strategy Branch also works with the rest of the AAD, and across government, to implement the Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year Action Plan (http://www.antarctica.gov.au/aboutus/antarctic-strategy-and-action-plan), which sets out Australia's national Antarctic interests and our vision for Australia's future engagement in Antarctica. The Branch delivers priorities across six sections: Antarctic and Environmental Regulation, International, Program Strategy, Protected Areas and Species, Strategic Policy and a Budget Taskforce.
The Antarctic and Environmental Regulation Section's key role is to undertake regulatory activities under the following primary pieces of legislation:

• Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980
• Antarctic Marine Living Resources Conservation Act 1981
• Environment Protection and Management Ordinance 1987 (Heard Island and McDonald Islands Act 1953)

The key duties of the position include
In support of the Australian Antarctic Division's environmental regulatory function, you will do the following:

• Ensure effective administration of the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI)
• Assess and authorise activities as per legislative obligations (with a risk-based focus on complex and large-scale activities)
• Ongoing and effective monitoring of activities to ensure environmental protection and compliance with relevant obligations
• Ensure our regulatory performance is consistent with the Government's regulatory and environmental protection agendas

In particular, the role will involve:

• Assessing environmental impacts of proposed activities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean (including at HIMI), and monitoring their compliance
• Providing advice to support statutory decision-making, policy development and international engagement
• Applying policies, procedures, work tracking systems and tools to deliver effective regulation
• Developing and maintaining effective relationships and regular engagement with all internal and external stakeholders, in particular Australians wishing to undertake activities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean (including at HIMI), including Australian Antarctic science proponents, tourism operators, and other non-government operators.
• Balancing competing timelines and priorities to ensure deadlines are met.

A merit pool established by this recruitment process may be used to fill similar vacancies arising in the Australian Antarctic Division.