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/
All current CEnvPs must submit a CPD log every two years to maintain their certification. A minimum of 100 points is required, with at least 50 points related to your specialty if you hold a specialist certification. We will send reminder emails as the CPD log submission due date approaches.
Applicants seeking certification are strongly encouraged to submit a CPD log with their application. This helps the Registrar, Assessment Panel, and Board assess your understanding of the post-certification requirements.
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.
The Land Rehabilitation specialist certification is no longer available.
The Climate Change Specialist Certification has been redesigned and will be launching soon. At this time, the Scheme is not accepting new applications for this certification. Practitioners currently certified as CEnvP-CC will not be impacted. Their certification remains valid, subject to compliance with the biennial recertification process. Further details regarding the launch of the redesigned certification will be provided in due course.
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 must be independently verified by a “Work Verifier” or through specific supporting documentation. If you are self-employed and the sole employee, you can nominate a client to verify your work or submit documentation such as a client’s contract, ABN number, proof of insurance, etc.
Work verifiers 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.
Firstly, a Registrar specialised in the certification you are applying for will verify and assess whether your application demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and experience. If your application progresses beyond the Registrar Assessment stage, an Assessment Panel is assembled for a more in-depth evaluation.
Interview panel members are respected environmental professionals who are CEnvPs in the relevant field, chosen for their experience, competence, and ethical behavior. The panel members will be CEnvPs unless the specialisation is in its infancy, in which case the panel will generally consist of specialist committee members.
Following the interview, applications are submitted to the Board Assessment & Review Committee (BARC), which reviews the entire application and the panel’s report in detail before making a recommendation to the Certification Board. The Certification Board then ratifies the recommendations of the Assessment Panel and BARC.
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.
The following documentation is required to be signed by an authorised witness:
o Copies of your degree(s) or academic transcript(s) as evidence of your educational qualifications. Alternatively, direct access via My eQuals is also accepted.
o Official Statement of Claim declaring that materials provided in your application are accurate and complete.
(see suggested Authorised Signatories in Australia, and in New Zealand).