ESC Certification

  

Registered Soil Practitioner – Erosion and Sediment Control (RSP-ESC)

About the program

An Erosion and Sediment Control Certification Program is in development, to provide an industry-wide approach to providing assurance to practitioners and industry in Australia and in New Zealand.

The name of the certification program is the Registered Soil Practitioner – Erosion and Sediment Control (RSP-ESC) accreditation.

The Australasian International Erosion Control Association (IECA Australasia) entered into an Agreement with Soil Science Australia (SSA) to develop the program in October 2023 (at the IECA Conference in Noosa).

The RSP-ESC accreditation is being designed as a component of Soil Science Australia’s (SSA) Registered Soil Practitioner (RSP) program.

Who it is for and what it will do.

RSP-ESC is being designed for environmental managers, engineers, soil scientists, natural resource managers, regulators and other soil professionals who develop and implement erosion and sediment control plans.

The accreditation is designed to ensure construction and mining managers—as well as local, state and federal governments in both Australia and New Zealand—have confidence that a Registered Soil Practitioner has been trained to develop and apply erosion and sediment control standards in line with contemporary best practice.

The accreditation will provide assurance that the appropriate principles are being applied when managing construction, mining, forestry and remediating disturbed sites during construction and decommissioning.

Development of the Program

Development of the RSP-ESC is guided by a Task Force, made up of 11 members representing IECA Australasia and SSA.

The RSP-ESC Task Force includes representation from Australia and NZ. 

IECA Australasia and SSA both provide administrative support to the Task Force.

Members of the Task Force first met in December 2023 and continue to meet monthly to progress the program.

The Task Force is close to finalising  the accreditation standards, an important milestone as the standards establish the agreed level of quality or attainment required for people to hold the accreditation in Australia and New Zealand.

The Task Force is also engaging with regulators at all levels of Government in Australia and in New Zealand, developing the assessment criteria and ongoing professional development requirements, and working with service providers to host the online exam.    

About the Task Force

Members have agreed to a Task Force Terms of Reference, which covers the following: the purpose and membership of the Task Force, the scope and mechanics of the accreditation, frequency of meetings and term/tenure for members, roles and responsibilities.

The Task Force is currently finalising the syllabus for the RSP-ESC accreditation and continues to provide answers to frequently asked questions.

Members of the Task Force have agreed to a code of ethics to ensure confidentiality and due diligence.

The RSP-ESC Task Force is considering the mechanics of implementation as part of the development of the accreditation.

For example, the Task Force will be considering whether people accredited in other related accreditations may be eligible for recognition of prior learning under the RSP-ESC accreditation.

The RSP program was initially developed for Australian-based participants. The intent is to have the RSP-ESC accreditation recognised in Australia and New Zealand, given IECA Australasia no longer administers the Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) accreditation

All enquiries relating specifically to CPESC should be directed to EnviroCert International.

Applying for accreditation

The program will be formally launched at the IECA Australasia Annual Conference (16-18 October).

Further information

Further information will be made available on respective websites, for members of SSA and IECA Australasia.

Ongoing Professional Development (OPD) requirements

Requirements for OPD will be 40 hours each year over a period of two years, with the requirement to provide evidence of activity and/or maintain a diary.

Training

Training towards the RSP-ESC certification will be delivered by external IECA Australasia and SSA-approved providers. Other pathways to accreditation include recognised practical experience and relevant tertiary-level qualifications.

Further information

Further information will be made available on respective websites, for members of SSA and IECA Australasia.

Enquiries can be directed to:

IECA Australasia: admin@austieca.com.au  

Soil Science Australia: office@soilscienceaustralia.org.au

If you are interested in receiving updates on development of the RSP-ESC, please express your interest here: www.soilscienceaustralia.org.au/rsp/contact/