2025: - Senior Ranger

Senior Ranger

Position Number:

78

Department:

Community Planning & Sustainability

Level:

5

Award:

May be covered under Municipal Employees' WA Award

Base Salary

$89, plus superannuation, housing and district allowances (if eligible). $3,500 retention bonus payable on completion of 3 years. Base Salary and allowances are pro-rata for part-time.

Reports to:

Coordinator Community Safety

As the Senior Ranger, you will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and thrive in a cohesive team environment that promotes continual improvement and aims to deliver community safety initiatives to the Shire of Carnarvon. Part of your role will be to mentor the Ranger team in Carnarvon and Coral Bay to police and implement Local Government bylaws and Acts relevant to the role following council policy, strategic community plan and corporate business plan.

Key role outcomes:

• Demonstrate successful leadership through the application of the Shire's core values by promoting a work culture of sustainability, quality improvement, efficiency, and excellent customer service that corresponds to our Code of Conduct and Customer Service Charter.
• A commitment to a safe work environment and WHS legislation, policy, and processes.
• Ensure compliance with the Local Government Act (WA) 1995 and any relevant legislation.
• Provide leadership, direction and accountability to the Ranger team, Compliance Officer, Blowholes Camp Hosts by mentoring following the Shire's values (CARECHIP), to ensure delivery of high-quality services to the team and mentor the staff with the day-to-day duties and requirements of Ranger and Regulatory Services.
• To work in collaboration with other Agencies as directed, or as required (i.e., WA Police, RSPCA, DPAW, Fisheries).
• Provide expert advice to Council, Chief Executive Officer, Executive Manager Community Planning and Sustainability and the wider organisation that is accurate and informative, aiming to further improve policies and procedures whilst maintaining compliance with statutory regulations.
• Strive for continuous improvement in the workplace.
• Undertake general administration requirements including attending to relevant correspondence and assisting with the preparation of relevant monthly statistics or reports for Council as required.
• Coordinate and participate in patrols and surveillance across the Shire of Carnarvon which will require travel within the region as required by the demands of the role and may require long distance travel and overnight accomodation at locations other than Carnarvon.
• To ensure all law enforcement databases are maintained to an accurate standard and represent the Shire in legal matters pertinent to the roles and responsibilities of this position.
• Offer legislative advice to the Community Safety Rangers in regards to all investigations.
• Assist with Management of day to day planning for the Community Safety Team.
• To assist with emergency response/recovery arising from natural events and other disasters.
• To conduct patrols and surveillance across the district, as directed.
• Travel to Coral Bay and other parts of the Shire of Carnarvon, as required.
• To ensure all law enforcement databases are maintained to an accurate standard.
• Be willing to participate in a roster system including weekends.

Additional Responsibilities include:

1. Appointed as Bush Fire Control Officers (FCOs)

Rangers are officially appointed as Fire Control Officers under the Bush Fires Act 1954. This appointment gives them legal authority to:

• Enter any land or building- including private property- to carry out inspections, especially for firebreak and hazard reduction compliance.

2. Firebreak Inspections

• Rangers conduct annual inspections to ensure landholders comply with Fire Prevention or Firebreak Orders. Inspections typically begin at set dates-for instance
• From 1 December in Dardanup, Harvey, Augusta-Margaret River and others.
• From 18 December in Dumbleyung.
• During inspections, they check whether firebreaks meet width/clearance standards, ensuring access for emergency vehicles and minimising fire risk.

3. Enforcement & Compliance

• If landholders fail to comply, Rangers can:
• Issue infringement notices (fines).
• Request or carry out hazard reduction or firebreak works themselves, billing the landowner.

4. Permit to Burn Administration

• Rangers (as FCOs) issue burning permits, especially during restricted burning periods. Key duties include:
• Evaluating applications for permits, which often require supporting details like burn plans, materials, and timing.
• Enforcing conditions of the permit and can request to see the permit at any time.
• Noting that burn restrictions tighten under high fire danger conditions, outright prohibiting burning-even with a permit-in some cases.
• Coordination with other agencies like DFES and DBCA as needed.

5. Educational & Support Roles

• Rangers provide public education and advice on fire prevention, hazard reduction, and safe preparation for bushfire season.
• They may offer early inspections by appointment for special concerns - like biosecurity or locked gates - and assist with variation or exemption applications when strict compliance is impractical.

6. Emergency Preparedness & Response

• Rangers may support the broader emergency management framework by:
• Assisting emergency services in bushfire response.
• Participating in mitigation efforts (e.g., fuel reduction).
• Monitoring fire-control infrastructure like numbering systems.

Work, Health & Safety Responsibilities - Fully understand their WHS responsibilities, relevant legislation, policy, guidelines and standards; and regularly update their knowledge. - Proactively recognise and identify hazards, investigate accidents and near misses, implement controls and prevention programmes, provide and maintain workplaces, plant and systems of work that do not expose employees to hazards. Ensure safe work practices and procedures are documented, understood, implemented and are being followed by employees. - Ensure that Safety & Health Representatives reporting to them are able to carry out their legislated functions. - Provide and enforce the use of adequate protective clothing and equipment, where it is not practicable to avoid the presence of hazards in the workplace. - Ensure safe use, cleaning and maintenance, transportation and disposal of substances and plant used in the workplace - Attend the WHS Committee meeting either as a member or rostered as an invited guest. - Lead a continuous improvement culture of safety where best practice initiatives are entrenched in daily business activities.
Essential Criteria:

• Highly developed ability to uphold a values-based approach in the workplace.
• Knowledge of and ability to interpret and apply legislation and regulations that pertain to the Local Government Act 1995, other Acts and Local Laws relevant to the Shire of Carnarvon.
• Understanding of and capacity to relate to people from a diverse range of social and cultural backgrounds with fairness and respect (written and verbal), including ability to prepare correspondence on behalf of the Shire.
• Demonstrated ability to work to schedules and achieve defined objectives within specific time constraints within a team using initiative and efficiency while prioritising competing tasks.
• Advanced computer skills with experience with Microsoft Suite, particularly Microsoft Excel & Word, and Synergy (or ability to learn Synergy)
• Physically able to undertake catchment, inspections, and monitoring activities.
• Proven time management skills, with the ability to work under pressure, and be well organised.
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience of core procedures and practices, and court procedures in relation to Ranger Services activities.

Desirable Criteria:

• Certificated IV in Local Government (Regulatory Services), Gazettal as a Ranger, as per the requirements in the Local Government Act 1995 or ability to acquire.
• Previous experience with Local Government.
• Previous experience in a similar role.

Pre-employment screening required for this role:

• National Police Clearance - Less than 6 months old
• Pre-employment Medical Screening
• Alcohol and Other Drug screening
• Audiometric Test

Remuneration and Benefits:

The successful applicant will join the Community Planning & Sustainability Team with a starting salary from $89,371.52 per annum, plus allowances (if eligible) and superannuation (pro-rata for part-time).

Other cash benefits include but not limited to:

• $1,201.11 p/a District Allowance* (pro-rata for part-time).
• $4,592.48 p/a Housing Allowance* (pro-rata for part-time).
• $1,503.85 p/a Annual Leave Loading 17.5% (pro-rata for part-time).
• $11,419.81 p/a Superannuation (Statutory) (pro-rata for part-time).
• $1,903.30 p/a Superannuation additional 2% (Optional, subject to employee salary sacrifice)* (pro-rata for part-time).
• $3,500.00 Retention bonus upon completion of 3 years of service* (pro-rata for part-time).
• $440.00 p/a Annual Leave Travel Assistance
• Salary Continuance Insurance

Leave entitlements*

• 5 weeks Annual leave
• 2 Local Government Public Holidays
• 10 days of paid Personal Leave
• 10 days of paid Pandemic Leave
• 38 hours of paid Volunteer Emergency Services Leave

Additional Allowances and Subsidies as per Attraction and Retention Policy*

• Salary Sacrificing for a range of benefits
• Local Club Membership Subsidies
• Gym Membership Subsidy
• Annual Pass for Aquatic Centre
• Salary Continuance Insurance
• Subject to Corporate Policy

It is not the intention of the position description to limit the scope or accountabilities of the position but to highlight the most important aspects of the position. The aspects mentioned above may be altered in accordance with the changing requirements of the role. A copy of the position description can be obtained by following this link: SENIOR RANGER PD

For further information about the role please telephone People and Culture Services on or email

To apply for the position, please submit your application by following the prompts below and clicking on "Submit Application". Please ensure you provide an up-to-date Resume and a Cover Letter that addresses the Essential and Desirable Criteria.

Applications close 4pm Wednesday 24 September 2025

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