Manage & Maintain Public Green Spaces
Many destinations and attractions work hard to provide a variety of public green areas to their residents and visitors. Those with exceptional quality and presentation can leave lifelong impressions.
Foster beauty, pride and respect through learning to effectively manage and maintain a range of parks and leisure spaces.
This course prepares students for roles in parks and leisure management.
It includes the study of a broad range of leisure facilities and different approaches to managing those resources. Students will also gain valuable horticultural insights along the way.
DEVELOP A CAREER IN PARKS & LEISURE or RESORT MANAGEMENT
This is an experiential learning-based course. Throughout your studies you will have the opportunity to network with and learn from a variety of industry professionals. Establishing real-world relationships and confidence is key to career success.
Modules
Note that each module in the Advanced Certificate in Parks & Leisure (Environment) is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.
WHAT DOES A PARKS MANAGER DO?
There are many different types of parks, meaning there are many different types of parks management jobs.
Large organisations may employ a senior manager, and a series of deputy or submanagers. Smaller organisations may only employ a single manager.
Parks managers need to be knowledgeable in a wide range of things; from horticulture to managing the sustainable use of land resources; to management and planning in areas of staffing, finance and day to day operations.
Parks managers may be responsible for small or large areas of parkland, in urban or rural areas, and either public owned or privately owned facilities. The role of the parks manager will ultimately depend upon the types and sizes of facilities they care for. These may include:
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Wilderness areas
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Urban Parks
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Countryside parks
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Wildlife parks and zoos
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Holiday resorts
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Tourist Theme Parks
Meet our Principal John Mason
John has many years of experience as a horticulturalist and park manager. After graduating from Burnley Horticultural College in 1971, John established a nursery and landscape business in Melbourne. After two years in private enterprise, he took up the position of Superintendent of Parks and Gardens for the Shire of Melton. During three and a half years at Melton, he designed and built 42 new play areas (prior to his appointment, this 500 km2 municipality boasted less than 10 playgrounds).
In mid1977, John moved to the City of Essendon to become their first Director of Parks and Recreation. In a little over a year at Essendon several innovative projects commenced, including Montgomery Park.
Late in 1978, he was offered a new position with the Playgrounds and Recreation Association of Victoria, to promote and develop the concept of community groups building their own playgrounds using volunteers and recycled or donated materials. A little over two years (and more than a hundred playgrounds later), John left this position to establish an Australian branch of Playground Clearing House Inc. (Paul Hogan's American Community Playground Organisation).
In the early 80's, John also worked for a period as Superintendent of Parks for the City of Heidelberg.
Whilst successfully operating Playground Clearing House for several years, John founded the Australian Horticultural Correspondence School (now ACS Distance Education) and became a freelance consultant in park planning and management.
ACS Distance Education now offers over 600 different courses.
John Mason is a former Australian National representative for the International Playgrounds Association, former Victorian Secretary and Vice President of the Australian Institute of Horticulture, President of the Latrobe University Biology Society, and member of many professional bodies, including:
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A fellow of Parks and Leisure Australia (formerly The Royal Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation)
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Fellow of the Australian Institute of Horticulture
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Fellow of the (UK) Institute of Horticulture
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Member of the Australian Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation
Park and public green space design, management and maintenance have been core passions throughout his life's work.
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