Australia: AHC30824 Certificate III in Arboriculture, units and rules
The code, status, units and packaging rules the national training register shows for the Certificate III in Arboriculture, the trade qualification for climbing, crane, EWP, environmental and works coordinator roles.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the national training register says about one qualification. It is not advice on which course to take. Providers choose their own units within the rules below, and the register is the place to check the current text.
The record
| Item | What the register shows |
|---|---|
| Code and title | AHC30824 Certificate III in Arboriculture |
| Status | Current, from May 1, 2024 |
| Release | Release 1, issued with the Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package Version 10.0 |
| Entry requirements | None |
| Units | 18: 9 core and 9 elective |
The register describes the qualification as skills and knowledge for trade level roles in the arboriculture industry. It names five roles: climbing arborist, EWP arborist, crane specialist, environmental arborist and arborist works coordinator. It says the work includes shaping and canopy management, tree health and remediation, habitat development, and tree dismantling and removal, and that it involves high risk operations at heights or in support of people working above ground. It adds that legislation, regulations and by-laws on treating and removing trees apply in some states and territories. For how one provider delivers it and what the apprenticeship around it means, see the apprenticeships guide.
The nine core units
| Code | Unit title |
|---|---|
| AHCARB213 | Perform ground-based rigging |
| AHCARB314 | Implement a tree maintenance program |
| AHCARB315 | Inspect trees for access and work |
| AHCARB316 | Perform pruning operations |
| AHCARB323 | Identify trees |
| FWPCOT2254 | Maintain chainsaws |
| FWPCOT2273 | Trim and cut felled trees |
| FWPCOT3350 | Fell trees manually (intermediate) |
| HLTAID011 | Provide First Aid |
How the nine electives are chosen
The register's packaging rules say 7 of the 9 electives come from groups A to F, and all the units of at least one specialisation must be among them. The other 2 can come from those groups or from any currently endorsed training package or accredited course. No more than 3 of the 9 electives can carry an AQF indicator below level 3. Group G units are selected only where a prerequisite calls for them.
A specialisation shows on the award in brackets. The register gives the example of a title reading Certificate III in Arboriculture (Climbing Arborist, Elevated Work Platform - EWP Arborist) when two are completed.
| Group | Units it holds |
|---|---|
| A, Climbing Specialist. All of its units are needed for the award. | AHCARB317 Dismantle trees; AHCARB318 Undertake aerial rescue; AHCARB319 Use arborist climbing techniques |
| B, Crane Specialist. All of its units are needed for the award. | AHCARB317 Dismantle trees; AHCARB324 Use cranes to access and dismantle trees; CPCCDO3011 Perform dogging; AHCARB319 Use arborist climbing techniques |
| C, Elevated Work Platform (EWP) Specialist. All of its units are needed for the award. | AHCARB317 Dismantle trees; TLILIC0005 Licence to operate a boom-type elevating work platform (boom length 11 metres or more); UETDRMP005 Perform elevated work platform rescue; UETDRMP004 Perform elevated work platform controlled descent escape |
| D, Environmental Arborist. All of its units are needed for the award. | AHCARB325 Manage trees to create and maintain habitat refuges; AHCFAU202 Recognise fauna; AHCLPW312 Carry out inspection of designated area; AHCECR202 Maintain wildlife habitat refuges |
| E, Works Coordinator. All of its units are needed for the award. | AHCARB407 Supervise and audit tree operations; AHCARB408 Perform a ground-based tree defect evaluation; AHCARB409 Conduct a safety audit |
General electives and prerequisites
Group F lists general electives: AHCARB212 Operate and maintain stump grinding machines, AHCARB321 Implement a tree protection program, AHCARB320 Install tree support systems, AHCARB322 Access trees for inspection, AHCARB406 Verify pruning specifications, AHCBIO303 Apply biosecurity measures, AHCCHM304 Transport and store chemicals, AHCCHM307 Prepare and apply chemicals to control pest, weeds and diseases, AHCPMG301 Control weeds, AHCPMG302 Control plant pests, diseases and disorders, AHCWRK317 Coordinate work site activities, RIIWHS204E Work safely at heights, FWPCOT3301 Trim trees using a pole saw, FWPCOT3351 Fell trees manually (advanced), FWPHAR2208 Operate a mobile chipper/mulcher, RIIWHS205E Control traffic with stop-slow bat and UETDREL006 Work safely in the vicinity of live electrical apparatus as a non-electrical worker.
Some units name a prerequisite unit. The register lists these.
| Unit | Prerequisite unit the register lists |
|---|---|
| AHCARB318 Undertake aerial rescue | HLTAID011 Provide First Aid, and AHCARB319 Use arborists climbing techniques |
| CPCCDO3011 Perform dogging | CPCCWHS2001 Apply WHS requirements, policies and procedures in the construction industry |
| UETDRMP005 Perform elevated work platform rescue | HLTAID009 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and one of: UEECD0007 Apply work health and safety regulations, codes and practices in the workplace; TLILIC0005 the boom-type EWP licence unit; UETDREL006 Work safely in the vicinity of live electrical apparatus as a non-electrical worker |
| UETDRMP004 Perform elevated work platform controlled descent escape | UEECD0007, or TLILIC0005 |
The crane and EWP groups overlap with the licence rules in the guides to cranes in tree work and bucket trucks and EWPs. The units are a training outcome. Whether a licence is held is a separate question that the state work safety regulator answers.