Specialist Environmental Advisory Committees (SEAC)

Chair: Matthew Potter, 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.

Chair: Nicole Armit, 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.

Chair: Dr Sheridan Coakes

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.

Co-Chairs: Andrew Brooks and Ian Fuller

Andrew Brooks, CEnvP-GEO

Andrew is a Principal Research Fellow at Griffith Centre for Coastal Management. He is a fluvial geomorphologist specialising in catchment erosion research.  His Precision Erosion and Sediment Management (PrESM) Research Group won the 2017 Eureka Prize for Environmental Research for their work identifying the sources of sediment polluting the Great Barrier Reef. Since this time the team has focused on developing solutions for identifying the highest priority erosion sources and developing the science and methods to reduce erosion in these tropical catchments at a scale that is appropriate to the magnitude of the problem.

Ian Fuller, CEnvP-GEO

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.

Chair: MacLaren North, CEnvP-HER

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

Chair: Dr Stuart Kininmonth, CEnvP-ECO

Stuart has over 20 years’ field experience in marine and coral reef ecology and is currently the Research Station Manager on Heron Island for the University of Queensland. He conducts research in coral reef ecology and socioecological systems. He is an adjunct Senior Lecturer at the School of Marine Studies at the University of the South Pacific and supervises several Masters and Doctoral students. He obtained a degree in zoology and genetics (BSc.) and a graduate Diploma in Education (Dip Ed.) from the University of Melbourne in 1986. He obtained a Masters in Resource Science from the University of New England, and in 2011 was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy from UQ under the supervision of Professor Hugh Possingham. His thesis explored the role of networks in the ecology and conservation planning of coral reefs.

The recently formed CC SEAC is comprised of senior climate change  professionals from across government and industry in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand:

• Dr Cathy Bebelman, Chief Scientist at Auckland Transport
• Dr Alvin Chandra CEnvP-CC, former Assistant Director –
  Climate Risk Assessment at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology
• Nic Conland, Director at Verdi New Zealand
• Tom Davies, CEO & Founder at Thrive Places
• David Gainsford, Deputy Secretary, Development Assessment and Infrastructure at NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure
• Cushla Loomb CEnvP, Senior Principal – Climate Change at Beca
• Emma O’Neill, Associate – Environment & Planning –
  Queensland Sustainable Water Capability Lead at Aurecon
• Jon Panic, Director at Malo Sustainability Consulting
• Ross Neivandt CEnvP, National Program Director,
  Carbon Farming Outreach Program on behalf of the University of Melbourne
• Mark Williamson, Executive General Manager at the Australian Clean Energy Regulator.

The appointment of a Chair is currently pending.