Specialist Environmental Advisory Committees (SEAC)

Specialist Environmental Advisory Committees (SEACs) are selected and endorsed by the CEnvP Board to provide opportunity for consultation with and involvement of stakeholders. CEnvP SEACs ensure specialist input into the formation, standards and continuous improvement of a specialist certification.

Diversity in background of members is desirable, including geographically diverse representatives from across Australia and New Zealand. SEACs have at least five and a maximum of 11 members. The majority of members should be CEnvPs or other types of registered specialists. SEAC members may include members of EIANZ and other professional associations and staff from regulatory agencies, industry bodies, corporations, consultancies, research bodies and tertiary institutions.

CEnvP currently has specialist committees in: Site Contamination, Impact Assessment, Geomorphology, Ecology, Heritage and Social Impact Assessment.

If you are interested in becoming a member of any of our specialist committees, please click through to the SEAC Membership Expression of Interest form via the button below.

All SEAC members are bound and agree to follow the Terms of Reference.

If your organisation has a new specialist certification you believe would be viable, please first read the SEAC Terms of Reference, then please email the program-office for an initial discussion.

Find below the Chairs of each current CEnvP SEAC.

Site Contamination SEAC

Matthew Potter, SEAC Chair, CEnvP-SC

Matthew Potter has been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ALGA since June 2022. Matthew has 29 years of experience in the environmental services industry. Over his career he has worked across many facets of industry, including as a consultant, regulator, and contractor. This unique experience enables Matthew to appreciate the wide and varying needs of the industry. Matthew is committed to driving engagement and collaboration across the contaminated land and groundwater sector. Matthew has been an active member of the SC-SEAC since June 2022.

Impact Assessment SEAC

Nicole Armit, SEAC Chair, CEnvP-IA

Nicole has dedicated over 20 years to the environmental industry and has held senior positions at EMM Consulting since July 2015, being appointed as a Director in October 2020. Nicole specialises in providing strategic planning and assessment advice, and in the project management and delivery of environmental assessments and approvals for major projects. She also has experience in environmental auditing, environmental management systems, and stakeholder engagement.

Nicole earned her certification as a CEnvP-IA+REAP in June 2022 and has been an active member of the IA-SEAC since January 2023.

Social Impact Assessment SEAC

Dr Sheridan Coakes, SEAC Chair

Dr Sheridan Coakes is a social scientist with a PhD in Psychology, with 30 years’ research and applied experience in the areas of social impact assessment (SIA) and stakeholder engagement across a diverse range of sectors including mining, quarrying, oil and gas, infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry.

Sheridan currently holds the position of National Social Practice Lead with Umwelt Australia, is a Commissioner with the NSW Independent Planning Commission (second term) and convenes the SIA Community of Practice for the Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ). She has been instrumental in working with public and private sector clients to better institutionalise SIA and social license; and to afford meaningful community voice in these
processes.

Sheridan’s work in professional services, followed on from her role with the Commonwealth Government in designing and implementing the social assessment methodology for the Australian Regional Forest Agreement Process – one of the most significant applications of social impact assessment and community engagement by government at a national level; and her subsequent role in the Social Sciences Centre in the Bureau of Resource Sciences (BRS). She has published
and presented papers and seminars on social assessment and community engagement in a variety of forums, contributing to international texts on Social Assessment and engagement practice.

She has a deep knowledge of planning legislation and policies and has a sound understanding of the ‘public interest’ and frameworks for the effective integration of social science research to facilitate evidence-based decision-making.

Geomorphology SEAC

Andrew Brooks, SEAC Co-Chair, CEnvP-G

Ian Fuller, SEAC Co-Chair, CEnvP-G

Ian is a Professor in Physical Geography at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand, where he has been based since 2003. He is also a part-time Principal Fluvial Geomorphologist and Technical Director at Tonkin + Taylor.

His work in fluvial geomorphology provides an integrated understanding of river systems at multiple spatial and temporal scales. He has completed numerous projects for stakeholders in river management, working in catchments throughout New Zealand. Prior to arriving in New Zealand, Ian completed his PhD at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1996, followed by a lectureship at Northumbria University.

Heritage SEAC

MacLaren North, SEAC Chair, CEnvP-H

Mac has 30 years’ experience as a heritage practitioner and archaeologist. In his career, he has worked for the heritage regulator in NSW, as in-house heritage advisor to a range of government agencies and, since 2006, has operated his own consulting practice. He has extensive experience working with asset-owning organisations and their challenges of managing a portfolio of heritage assets, while also seeking to meet their operational challenges. Much of his work has been with the infrastructure sector, working with water, electricity road and rail operators and constructors. He has also worked with commercial property owners, developers and constructors on modifications to heritage places or new builds on green or brownfields sites. He works as an expert witness in heritage disputes and has been actively involved in heritage law reform projects.

Mac was one of two recipients of the inaugural 2020 CEnvP Scheme Service Award, for his advocacy work for the Heritage certification. He was the first CEnvP (Heritage) and has been actively involved with the SEAC since 2019

Ecology SEAC

Mervyn Mason, SEAC Chair, CEnvP-E