There are a range of reasons to become an Certified Environmental Practitioner, from government regulations to operate in certain fields through to demonstrating your competency to potential clients, employers and professional associates.
Head to our Benefits of CEnvP page for a fuller list on the benefits of becoming or engaging a CEnvP
You can start your application for any CEnvP certification type at any time via the online form.
Once you’ve submitted your application online, it generally takes around 3-6 months for an application to be decided on by the CEnvP Board Advisory Review Committee (BARC).
However, the process may take up to 12 months, and reaching the final stage of BARC efficiently is dependent on whether an application is complete, where all documents are in order and enough information is within the application (if unsure, add more); whether the applicant’s referees have been informed and are ready.
Please take time when reading the guidance notes to make sure you’re eligible when you apply, or for which type of CEnvP application.
The application process is divided into multiple stages:
- Registrar (verification of detail in application)
- Interview
- Board Application Review Committee (BARC)
- CEnvP Board Approval.
You will be contacted throughout the application process for a variety of reasons. For example, the registrar may need to confirm details about your work experience, and you’ll also be contacted about scheduling your interview. Head to the Certification Process page for more.
A CEnvP Program Officer will be assigned to help you through your application and answer any questions you may have.
On 1 July 2021, the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (the Department) launched the Registered Environmental Assessment Practitioner (REAP) Scheme.
As of July 2022, all EISs for State significant projects in NSW will need to be certified by a REAP before it is submitted to the Department.
To be recognised as a REAP, practitioners must complete certification requirements via a certification body accredited by the Department.
The CEnvP Impact Assessment specialist certification (CEnvP-IA) plus REAP module, is accredited and accepting REAP applications.
For all practitioners ready to start the application to be recognised as a REAP, head here: https://www.cenvp.org/guidance-notes/cenvp-ia-reap-module/
Continued Professional Development (CPD) logs are mandatory for all CEnvPs every two years equating to 100+ points of CPD.
- Specialist applicants – strongly advised at the time of application to enable the Registrar, Assessment Panel and Board ascertain your understanding of the requirement post certification.
- Standard applications – strongly advised at the time of application to enable the Registrar, Assessment Panel and Board ascertain your understanding of the requirement post certification.
CPD Logs are sought every two years, on a calendar year basis. The process starts roughly two years after certification.
We will remind you by email with your Annual Renewal notice closer to the time.
For further information regarding CPD, please head to our CPD page.
Prior to being given access to any application information, all persons involved in the certification process have signed a CEnvP Scheme confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain the necessary agreement from the owner of the document that it can be provided in support of an application for CEnvP certification.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to advise which documents provided in support of an application for CEnvP certification is to be treated as confidential.
After the certification process is completed, any confidential documentation will be destroyed.
Due the volume of applications received, the CEnvP Scheme will not enter into external confidentiality agreements for application documentation.
If this is not sufficient, applicants should choose alternate document/s to demonstrate their suitability for the certification they are applying for.
Further detail can be found here on the CEnvP Privacy Policy.
To update your contact information please notify the CEnvP office: info@cenvp.org
How can I pay fees?
Fees are paid online via:
- Credit Card – a flat fee of 1.75% is incurred to process all credit card payments via a secure third-party payment gateway.
- Electronic Funds Transfer – EFT, directly to the CEnvP bank account.
- Cash and cheques are not accepted.
What are the fees?
Application and Annual renewal fees are separate charges.
Application fees apply when an online application is submitted and are required to cover the cost of processing an application for certification.
Renewal fees must be paid annually to maintain CEnvP status and are due at the end of June. First renewal invoice, to finalise application process, is calculated on a pro-rata basis from the date of certification granted.
Why are late fees charged?
The CEnvP Scheme is a not-for-profit organisation with a small group of staff, coordinating hundreds of practitioners who offer their services voluntarily for the advancement of the Scheme.
Overdue fees and overdue recertification submissions divert these efforts from providing core certification related services.
Unless alternate arrangements have been agreed with the CEnvP Program Office, a flat AUD$40 (+GST) is charged for any fees and recertifications outstanding after 28 days from due date.
Once certified, there are two main points of maintenance required to retain certification:
- At the start of each financial year you are required to pay an Annual Renewal fee. This amount is dependent on the type certification. Renewal fees can be found on the Annual Renewals page. Invoices are issued to the last updated email address.
- Every two years your CPD log is required to be submitted, along with a recertification declaration*. At the end of each second year of certification you will be reminded to submit your CPD log by an email to the last updated email address. Find more about CPD and Recertification requirements on our CPD pages.
CEnvPs who fail to submit their renewal paperwork and/or CPD log within the required time frame will risk having their certification revoked. If this happens, you will need to submit a new application with relevant details and application fee.
The CEnvP administration team endeavour to contact all CEnvPs before certification status is revoked. It is imperative and the responsibility of the individual that you notify the CEnvP office whenever you change your contact details.
* Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, variations to CPD requirements have been offered for a limited period. Check CEnvPs pandemic response for detail.
The Land Rehabilitation specialist certification is no longer available.
The Climate Change specialist certification is under review and the Scheme is not currently accepting applications for this certification. Practitioners who have already been certified as CEnvP-CC will not be affected and their certification remains valid subject to the recertification process required every two years.
If you have, or are planning to take time off work, you may wish to apply for Professional Leave for a period of up to 12 months. Professional Leave may be granted for a range of absences, including parental leave, caring for your own, or a family member’s health, full-time study or voluntary work overseas or other situations in which special consideration is warranted.
To apply for Professional Leave, please submit the following details of your request to the CEnvP Program Office
No. The experience claimed for the minimum five years (or more for a specialisation) must be independently verified by signatures as shown in the table or by other supporting documentation. E.g. current or former employer, senior colleague, referee who knew you at that time and can specifically confirm the experience claimed. These individuals may be contacted by the Assessment Panel, Registrar, or Program Office.
CEnvP complies to ISO17024 Conformity assessment — General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons, and is audited every three years to ensure compliance. ISO17024 has strict guidelines on impartiality and fairness and CEnvP policy and processes meet these standards.
A Certification Panel is assembled to carry out this process once an applicant has progressed from the Registrar stage. Interview panel members are respected environmental professionals who are CEnvPs in the field of application, and chosen for their experience competence and ethical behaviour. The Panel members will be CEnvPs unless a specialisation is in its infancy where a panel will generally be made up of the specialist committee members.
Following interview, applications are submitted to the BARC (Board Application Ratification Committee) who review the whole application with the panel’s report in detail before making a recommendation to the CEnvP Board. The Certification Board ratify Assessment Panel and BARC recommendations. Head to the Certification Process page for a layout of the full process.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to know their levels of experience against the requirements of the application process.
Refunds are rarely given post-submission and only considered if it is obvious to the Registrar at the second stage of the certification process that the applicant cannot meet certain criteria. At that point, 50% of the application fee may be returned to the applicant. The remainder is required to assist with covering the costs of processing the application.
There are no refunds provided for accessing the CEnvP Scheme proprietary online system, nor for annual renewals.
Online via a dedicated CEnvP Scheme Microsoft Teams account.
Since societal disruption from COVID-19 Pandemic began in Australia and New Zealand, and with the occupational health and safety of all staff, volunteers and applicants of paramount importance, it was necessary to change the certification Assessment Panel interview from being face to face to videoconferencing.
The advantages of interviews being conducted remotely is the improved ability to find suitable dates for applicants and panelists to attend, and namely the important reduction of risk for all parties of sharing confined spaces.
The Program Office arranges the interview panel for applicants.