ACLCA Qld October 2023 news

Welcome to ACLCA Qld October e-newsletter.

ACLCA PRESIDENT BLURB: HELEN JONES (WSP)

2023 is rapidly coming to a close, so I trust that all our members are staying mentally and physically safe in this busy time.

The ACLCA EC and extended sub-committees have been working hard behind the scenes as always. This year we have set up a new regulatory liaison sub-committee (RLSc) who is tasked with improving our communication and consultation with DES. Our Early Career Professional (ECP) sub-committee is particularly active and have volunteered to organise our Christmas party, so it is going to be great! Plus our continued professional development (CPD) subcommittee is working hard to drive improvement in training and career progression. It’s an absolute honour to be part of such a committed community of professionals.

We have welcomed 2 new companies and 3 new associate / affiliate members to our ranks so far this year and are lucky to have what feels like a continuous stream of applications from companies / people wishing to join ACLCA. We are always looking for volunteer members of the Membership & Ethics Sub-committee (M&ESc) so please reach out to Jen if you are interested in helping us out. Sub-Committees QLD – ACLCA

Our training calendar is full and expanding. We have a rolling program into 2024 and we will be striving towards a more tailored focus for training which is based on your feedback and the great work of the CPDSc. Please take advantage of these events and provide constructive feedback or even offer to present as we are always looking for content to share to our members. I must say the October lab presentation was a nice change and I would like to hear your thoughts on having more industry partners present in a non-marketing way.

You will have also seen our new website! Having this updated to be a nationally consistent system will allow isto share content more easily and hopefully make member interaction seamless (fingers crossed).

The EC look forward to seeing you at the next face to face event which is the Christmas Party. Remember to encourage your ECPs to apply for the Damien Morris award for 2024 (due date for submissions COB 23 November 2024, see below). This is a wonderful way to recognise our up-and-coming professionals and acknowledge the efforts and great work Damien did for our industry.

2023 DAMIEN MORRIS AWARD FORINDUSTRY EXCELLENCE

As you may have seen from recent correspondence, ACLCA are encouraging nominations for the Damien Morris Excellence Award. We have received the following from Steph Napoleon at Prensa and want to share with the rest of the membership.

“Reading through the criteria, I found myself reflecting on the last two years, and my time working in contaminated land as an ECP. What stood out most was the team of incredibly passionate and hard-working ECPs I work alongside every day. Each person has a unique set of skills and knowledge which they have gained and shared through their vast and various experiences working in contaminated land. I can reflect on each of their careers (however long or short) and easily list achievements, contributions, and milestones they should be proud of. My peers show up to work each day with vibrant enthusiasm and passion to tackle whatever challenge they face – even if it’s a temperamental low flow kit.”

Steph is a typical example of our fantastic ECPs, so if you have someone who you work with that comes to mind, I encourage you to submit a nomination for this Award and acknowledge their work, growth and commitment.

This award is intended to recognise and celebrate an ECP who demonstrates exceptional enthusiasm and work ethic and is also someone who has engaged with contaminated land through their contributions within your organisation, the broader industry and ACLCA.

Without ECPs our industry would struggle to succeed: ACLCA recognises this, as did Damien, and this award is our way of honouring both Damien’s legacy and contribution to our industry and acknowledge his encouragement of ECPs – This is his legacy and our future.

We look forward to receiving at least one application for the Damien Morris Award for Industry Excellence from all member companies., noting that this is an opportunity for company principals to call attention to their fantastic ECPs. 2023 Damien Morris Award for Industry Excellence – ACLCA

EARLY CAREER PROFESSIONAL NEWS

This year the ECPSc is co-chaired by Zoe Baxter (GHD) and Andrew Hughes (Epic Environmental) and extend their thanks to Mikayla Cover (JBS&G) for her hard work as co-chair in 2022/2023 and for her ongoing support she continues to provide.

We are excited to introduce the 2023/24 subcommittee members: Bonnie Rose (AECOM), Courtney Hoskins (Aurecon), Kristyn Numa (Aurecon), Samantha Watt (Aurecon), Samuel Weiss (Environmental Earth Sciences), Bella Foster (Epic Environmental), Grace Perkins (Epic Environmental), Christie McConachy (GHD), Ashlee Baines (Jacobs), Mikayla Cover (JBS&G), Rebecca Schofield (JBS&G), Hailey Martin (SLR), Stephanie Napoleon (Prensa) and Tess Watson (SMEC).

The committee meet bi-monthly and are thrilled to plan some great events, and re-deliver some popular events, in 2023/2024, including:
Consulting 101 presented by Robbie Johns (SLR) hosted by AECOM on 5 October 2023: (Participant feedback was excellent commenting that the resource content presented at this workshop was extremely relevant and Robbie was very engaging.
ALS lab tour – booked for 2, 9 and 23 November 2023,
Informal networking open to all ECP’s – 16 November 2023 hosted at Prensa,
ACLCA XMAS party BBQ & Bowls at the Boo – 7 December 2023,
Proactive drilling workshop (early 2024),
Eco Environmental Workshop (early – mid 2024).

We would like to encourage all relevant practitioners to join the ECPSc. The Co-chairs and ECPSc roles are annual roles with positions finalised at the AGM in July each year. New positions open in June 2023.

ACLCA Early Career Professional Sub Committee have introduced a new monthly series of ‘A Day in the Life of an ECP’. Enjoy their articles!

October A Day in the Life of an ECP October 2023 | ACLCA

Rebecca Scholfield – JBS&G | Project Consultant

September A Day in the Life of an ECP September 2023 | ACLCA

Sam Weiss – Environmental Earth Sciences Bsc (Geology (Hons)) Bsc Soil Science| Environmental Scientist

August A Day in the Life of an ECP August 2023 | ACLCA

Zoe Baxter – GHD BSc (Environmental/ Earth), GradDip (Groundwater Hydrogeology) Environmental Scientist
Ashlee Baines – Jacobs B.Eng (Hons) BSc Graduate Environmental Scientist | Contaminated Lands Assessment & Remediation

ACLCA ECP Session at ecoforum

An ECP from each ACLCA State Chapter is awarded an opportunity to attend and present at ACLCA ECP Session at ecoforum/sustRem 2023.
in Melbourne, 10 -13 October 2023. ACLCA ECP Presentation EcoForum October 2023 – ACLCA

Congratulations to Hannah Bennett (GHD) and Andrew Hughes (Epic Environmental) as finalist for ACLCA Qld ECP Sponsorship. This opportunity is very positive for their consulting careers. Hannah was awarded winner of the ECP Sponsorship. Congratulations Hannah. Hannah received a $1500 Sponsorship towards attending and presenting at the ACLCA ECP Session at ecoforum.

Hannah shared the following of her experience. ‘I’m grateful to have had a fantastic experience at ecoforum2023. Gaining experience presenting to an audience was invaluable (if not nerve wracking!), and getting to engage with clients, suppliers, regulators, researchers and fellow consultants within an environment of knowledge sharing was both inspirational and extremely educational. I got to be amongst some of the thought leaders of our industry as they worked to tackle major problems we’re facing – it was hard not to be inspired! I would recommend any and all ECPs to apply for this opportunity in years to come – it’s a formative experience that I think can help shape your career. What a great opportunity -thanks ACLCA!’

ACLCA QLD SUB-COMMITTEES

Auditor Sub-Committee provide a forum to enhance the contamination assessment and management process in QLD, promote best practice, provide leadership to Qld ACLCA members and support Executive Committee in liaison with DES and other stakeholders as required to achieve these goals. The ASc is represented by Cameron Kay ACLCA Executive Committee / interim chair (Core Consultants), Christian Atkinson (Grounded Environmental), Mark Stuckey (Environmental Earth Sciences), Trevor Lloyd (Lloyd Consulting Environmental Services), Marc Salmon (Easterly Point Environmental), Brad May (Epic Environmental), Louise Cartwright (Epic Environmental).
ACLCA Qld Technical Practice Guidelines (TPGs) have been prepared by the ASc for ACLCA members. Please refer to the resources section to access TPGs. RESOURCES QLD | ACLCA.

Regulatory Liaison Sub-Committee primary function is to support the Executive Committee in liaison with DES and other stakeholders as required, with broad representation from across Qld ACLCA membership. The RLSc is represented by David Harris Interim Chair (WSP), Cameron Kay (Core Consultants), Adam Lupton (GHD), Carina Jakobi (AECOM), Byron Brewster (SMEC), Ryan Stewart (Aurecon(, Kat Spruth (Environmental Earth Sciences), Kevin Masterton (Australian Environmental Auditors).

Regional Sub-Committee has recently been established to improve the Association’s service offering to members outside of metropolitan Queensland. With over 100 regional consultants registered with ACLCA Queensland, from a number of member companies, the Executive Committee recognised that it was crucial to ensure all members have access to all that the Association offers, regardless of locality. The Regional Subcommittee has been established to help regional members access and contribute to the Association, facilitating improved planning and execution of networking events and training in regional areas. The committee is made up of members from regional areas, including North Queensland, Central Queensland, and the Gold Coast. It is chaired by me (Luke Jacovides), which allows for a direct conduit between the RSc and the Executive Committee. See this page for our most recent regional event: https://aclca.com.au/10th-august-2023-regional-networking-events-and-presentation/ RSc is represented by Cairns: Jo Lavers (GHD), Emma Cornish (AECOM), Townsville: Hamish Whitney (GHD), Central Qld: Reece Zonta (Aurecon), Patrice Brown (CQG), Sunshine Coast: Katrina Rope (GHD), Andrew Winters (Environmental Advisors), Gold Coast: Tara Macdougall (Aurecon), Angus Hughes (GHD), Alex Kochnieff (SQP Consulting), Hailey Spry (Easterly Point).

Continuing Professional Development Sub-Committee (CPDSc) supports the Executive Committee in identifying and planning opportunities for learning and development for ACLCA members. The CPDSc is responsible for the review and continued improvement of the CPD Module Series as well as the development of new Modules and training opportunities where training gaps are identified. The CPDSc has also established and now maintains the mentoring program for our members to work together towards their industry certifications. Our current focus is reviewing the CPD Module Series and intend to include a series of case studies through the Modules to replicate the progression of the ASC NEPM process. The CPDSc is represented by Georgina Kerr (Chair, Aurecon), Mark Stuckey (Environmental Earth Sciences), Carina Jakobi (AECOM), Mitchell Delaney (JK Environ Group), Ned Connolly (SLR Consulting), Supriya Lath (AECOM) and Ryan Stewart (Aurecon).
CPD Module Series: The Executive Committee thank all our CPD Module presenters for preparing and presenting the workshop and for their continued support of the CPD Program. Appreciation is also extended to our fabulous member company hosts and all participants. 2023 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Modules | ACLCA