An Australia Zoo wildlife rescuer has won a Fair Work battle against the Queensland tourist attraction run by Steve Irwin's widow, Terri Irwin, and their children, Bindi and Robert. 

Erica Henning, who joined the famous conservation park in 2023, challenged her grade two classification before the Fair Work Commission (FWC).

She argued the role's specialist demands required a higher level of skill and independence than the zoo recognised.

In her role, Ms Henning responds to reports of injured native animals, drives 4WD rescue vehicles, captures and transports wildlife and, when necessary, sedates animals before returning them to the zoo's wildlife hospital.

She also handles controlled medications, trains new rescuers and often works with limited supervision while responding to emergencies.

Attempts to resolve the dispute before it reached the commission failed as Australia Zoo and Ms Henning could not agree on a revised position description. 

During the FWC hearing, Ms Henning argued she performed a range of duties that aligned with grade three, including training new staff, sedating animals and working independently in the field. 

Evidence before the commission showed she had trained a new rescuer across species including kangaroos, wallabies, possums, gliders, bandicoots and flying foxes. 

A key point of dispute was whether the role involved ordinary 'animal care' or the higher-level 'specialised animal care' outlined in the award.

Australia Zoo argued that specialist work was largely reserved for senior rescuers, who are classified as grade three and handle higher-risk animals such as emus, marine mammals and venomous snakes. 

But Ms Henning told the Commission new rescuers were required to observe multiple demonstrations before handling certain species themselves.

During cross-examination, Australia Zoo Native Animals and Wildlife Rescue curator Toby Millyard acknowledged Ms Henning helped train newer staff members.

He also agreed 'any animal can be classified as dangerous if you do not know what you are doing'. 

The Commission also heard Ms Henning routinely used blow pipes to sedate injured animals and handled controlled drugs, with rescuers required to calculate dosages based on an animal's weight before administering medication. 

Australia Zoo general manager Luke Reavley argued many of the animals handled by Ms Henning were routinely transported to the wildlife hospital by volunteers and members of the public who may have no formal training. 

These include wedge-tailed eagles, lace monitors, sea turtles, flying foxes, echidnas, carpet pythons and koalas. 

But Deputy President Nicholas Lake was unconvinced, rejecting comparisons between trained wildlife rescuers and members of the public.

'Speaking from the perspective of an untrained member of the public, I have some hesitancy accepting what seemed to be the suggestion that most members of the public are able to do what the rescuers do, in for example, restraining and transporting, an adult kangaroo,' he said in his decision, published on Wednesday.

Deputy President Lake ultimately sided with Ms Henning in his ruling, finding the role was more appropriately classified as grade three under the Amusement Events and Recreation Award 2020. 

It means Ms Henning moves from grade two to grade three, a difference currently worth 89 cents an hour under the award. 

'I consider that (Ms Henning's) role involves specialised care,' Deputy President Lake said.

'I consider interpreting and applying the drug dosage instructions when sedation is required involves some complexity.'

He found the role required rescuers to undergo specialist training and demonstrate competency handling different species, using equipment such as blow pipes and administering sedatives.

'The requirement for the rescuers to undergo training to demonstrate competency in specific animals, as well as training in special tools like a blow pipe and training in dosage requirements for sedation, demonstrates a specialist level of care,' he said.

'These more complex animals can include lace monitors, snakes, koalas, flying foxes, brush-tail possums and macropods as they either have a slightly different handling technique, or they are an animal that is more likely to scratch or bite you.'

In his ruling, Deputy President Lake observed that the award 'does not neatly apply to wildlife rescue roles' because of the broad range of industries it covers.

The Amusement Events and Recreation Award 2020 covers an eclectic mix of businesses, including theme parks, museums, golf courses, bowling alleys, zoos and aquariums. 

'If indicative tasks were to be applied as a checklist it might be held that an employee cannot fall in grade three unless they are a cocktail waitress who is also a lifeguard and animal handler,' he wrote.

The Daily Mail Australia has contacted Australia Zoo for comment.

Australia Zoo was founded by wildlife icon Steve Irwin, who died after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a documentary at Batt Reef off Port Douglas in far north Queensland in 2006. 

Bindi was just eight years old and Robert was two years old when their father died. 

The siblings now help their mum Terri run the Sunshine Coast tourist attraction.