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Certificate III · national qualification

Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management

You learn to read a site before you change it: checking what plants, animals, waterways and cultural heritage are there, then carrying out work that restores, rehabilitates or manages the land.

Compare 23 providers
Illustration of a person working as bush Regenerator
How long it takes
8 to 24 months
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $2,190
Subsidised at TAFE NSW, full fee up to $12,730
How you can study
Online, on campus or on the job
Main job
Bush Regenerator
$65,000 (estimate) median pay
Taught by
23 providers
Every state and territory

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in working outdoors on country
  • a willingness to follow safety procedures on site
  • an eye for detail when recording what you find
  • an interest in caring for plants, animals and waterways

Before you start

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

Certificate III or Diploma?

The Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management is the higher level. This Certificate III provides the skills and knowledge for work or further learning in the industry, and you can focus on a broad range of skills or one or more specialisations.

See the course

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Bush Regenerator

    Bush regenerators restore degraded bushland by controlling weeds, replanting local species and tracking how a site recovers.

    What else you need

    This certificate leads directly to bush regenerator work. The award alone does not confer any licence, and some employers may ask for a chemical application or first aid ticket. Check the provider's course details.

    Median pay$65,000 (estimate)

If you study further

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $2,190

at TAFE NSW. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$6,420 to $12,730

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • TAFE NSWNSW

    Subsidised
    $2,190
    Concession
    $240
    Full fee
    $12,730
    How long
    8 to 24 months

  • TAFE QueenslandQLD

    Subsidised
    $3,170
    Concession
    $2,465
    Full fee
    $6,420

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 23 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

16 units: 2 that everyone takes and 14 you choose.

  • Site inspections before works
  • Ecological and cultural values
  • Working safely on site
  • Restoring degraded land
  • Habitat and wildlife management
  • Weeds, pests and rehabilitation
See all 2 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

  • Loading the details for AHCECR309…

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It prepares you for work in conservation and ecosystem management, carrying out site restoration, rehabilitation and management of rural and natural landscapes, degraded sites and marine environments. You might work as a bush regenerator, ecologist, environmental scientist or park ranger, often outdoors as part of a team.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

There are no entry requirements for this qualification. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

How is it different from Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management?

The Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management is the higher level. This Certificate III provides the skills and knowledge for work or further learning in the industry, and you can focus on a broad range of skills or one or more specialisations.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.