I have just returned from Perth after attending the annual EIANZ conference. It was great to be part of an organisation that represents our profession and meet with practitioners from all industries and disciplines. Glenn Hokin, who the NSW Division supported to attend the conference, provides a summary of the conference later in the NSW newsletter. Quite a few NSW members made it across. The Advisory Council met the day before the conference including holding a joint session with the EIANZ Board. This is the major planning day for the Institute so expect to see more information on new initiatives over the coming months. If you hadn't a chance, have a read of the EIANZ 2024-25 Annual Report – many of our NSW events were also highlights for the Institute.

The year is rapidly coming to an end – the newsletter highlights what’s coming up. I’m looking forward to catching up with NSW members at our end of year celebration on 4 December. There are also reforms underway in national and NSW legislation and policy which don’t stop for the end of the year. Please have a look at the list included in this newsletter and consider whether EIANZ should make a submission. Thank you to everyone on the NSW Committee and those helping with running events who volunteer their time to support NSW members.

Upcoming EIANZ events

4 December 2025 | End of Year Celebration

As 2025 draws to a close, join us on 4 December to celebrate the year's achievements and look ahead to what’s next. It's the perfect setting to catch up with friends and share stories from the year, forge new connections, and enjoy great food and conversations. Join us to unwind and network before the year ends.

We're gathering at a new location, the Royal Exhibition Hotel near Central Station, making it more accessible for people from across the region, including the Illawarra, Newcastle and beyond, to join the celebration.

Early-bird tickets are available to EIANZ members for $35 before 20 November 2025, after which tickets will be $45. Tickets are limited, so grab yours today!

Learn more and register →

13 November 2025 | Early Careers Pub Social

Are you a student or early career professional looking to connect with like-minded people?

The EIANZ NSW Division Students and Early Careers committee invite you to the final Early Careers Pub Social of 2025. Come down for an informal session filled with new faces, and make some connections that can last your whole career!

The session will start at 6pm on 13 November at the Aurora Hotel, Surry Hills (Level 1), and is free for all to attend. If you have any questions about the event, please contact Mitchell Gertos at mitchell.gertos@aecom.com.

Upcoming Webinars

Stay informed with EIANZ's upcoming webinars running through the end of the year. These hour-long sessions deliver valuable insights on environmental topics relevant to our diverse membership expertise.

6, 13, 20, 27 November 2025 | Artificial Intelligence: Black Belt training
11 November 2025 | The Art of Persuasion: Performing Well in a Professional Role – a legal perspective
12 November 2025 | Environmental Leadership: Tools they don't teach - Increasing your impact as an environmental professional

Have an idea for a webinar topic or know a great speaker? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to discuss how we can help bring your webinar concept to life: nsw@eianz.org

Division news

Event Recap | Careers in Environment Night 2025

We were thrilled to welcome a vibrant mix of students, early-career professionals, and experienced practitioners to our recent panel and networking event. The evening featured a dynamic panel discussion where a diverse line-up of professionals shared their career journeys, insights into the industry, and provided advice for those just starting in their careers.

Following the panel, attendees had the opportunity to engage in open networking with over 20 experienced practitioners – sparking meaningful conversations, exchanging ideas, and building connections. We’ve been delighted to hear how helpful and inspiring many found the event, with feedback highlighting the value of both the panel discussion and the networking opportunities.

A heartfelt thank you to our professional guests for generously sharing their time and expertise, and to everyone who contributed to making the event a success. Special thanks to the four panellists for sharing their career journeys and incredible advice:

Sarah Hart, Principal Ecologist, Stantec
Todd Brookes, Principal and Environment Service Line Lead, bd infrastructure
Suzanna Remmerswaal, Group Leader – Impact Assessment and Planning, AECOM
Allison Reynolds, Project Hydrogeochemist and Senior Consultant, JBS&G

If you haven’t already, we’d love to hear your thoughts via our short feedback form, which attendees to the event will find in their inbox. Your insights will help us shape future events.

Looking forward to hosting more events that support students and early-career professionals’ learning, connection, and community within our profession!

Event Recap | EIANZ Annual Conference

From Glenn Hokin, NSW winner of the Student and Early Career Travel Grant

I was privileged to be awarded the NSW EIANZ Student and Early Career Travel Grant for the 2025 Annual Conference in Perth. It was a tremendous experience, with two days of brilliant speakers, engaging content, and some truly remarkable professionals. The conference culminated in a field trip to either the Kings Park Botanical Gardens or a day on Rottnest Island.

The theme of the conference was collaboration: however, many themes shone through, with key takeaways being the notion of curiosity driving discovery and excellence, seeking hope when things threaten to overwhelm, and the value of teamwork and caring for one another.

The three keynote speakers were exceptional: Professor Fiona Wood resonated with my previous career experience as a nurse, and drew out lessons from healthcare and how these empower environmental disciplines, Professor Josh Byrne provided four fascinating case studies from the Western Australia context, and brought some technical aspects into sharp relief, while Keith Bradbury drew on his substantial experience across decades to inspire excellence in the environmental science disciplines.

Concurrent sessions were grouped thematically around Cumulative Impact Assessment or Project Management, teamwork and strategic planning or Truth Telling, Stakeholder and community Engagement on day one, while on day two a focus on Energy and Water was one session, running concurrently with a continuation of day one's content. These sessions were presented by our peers, and provided current best practice insights into our profession.

Day two concluded with a focus on plastics, and a novel activity dissecting Teddy Bears (you had to be there!).

The field trip to Rottnest Island was a real highlight for me, and I enjoyed seeing the quokkas, and the pristine marine and terrestrial aspects of the island, along with the cultural tour, and a look into the nursery and regeneration efforts.

I have attended many conferences in my former career in healthcare, but this was something really special.

A big shout out to EIANZ Events Manager Narelle Mewburn and the technical team for pulling together such a well planned and executed event.

I highly commend future conferences to all EIANZ members, and hope to see you all in Melbourne in 2026!

Connect with DPHI through EIANZ

Have you ever wanted to provide direct feedback to government on how their policies impact your environmental work? EIANZ holds a position on the NSW DPHI Peak Planning Bodies Forum, giving our committee representatives the ability to raise questions about policies and practices that influence our profession and the environmental outcomes we deliver. If you have questions or feedback you'd like us to present on your behalf, please contact us at nsw@eianz.org.

Latest News

Draft information on SODA

Recent legislative updates to the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 have formalised the Strategic Offsets Delivery Agreement (SODA) as an alternative compliance mechanism under the NSW Biodiversity Offset Scheme (BOS). SODA allows developers to meet their biodiversity offset obligations by entering into a contractual agreement with the Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT). Instead of directly sourcing and retiring biodiversity credits, proponents make an upfront payment to the BCT, which then assumes full responsibility for securing and delivering the required offsets over time. This model provides immediate regulatory certainty, reduces exposure to market volatility, and facilitates strategic, landscape-scale delivery of conservation outcomes.

Unlike direct credit purchases or payments into the Biodiversity Conservation Fund (BCF), SODA arrangements are project-specific and tailored to the unique credit profile, scale, and risk of each development. While this offers greater flexibility and assurance of compliance, it generally attracts a premium cost reflecting delivery and contingency risks borne by the BCT. For proponents facing complex approvals, rare credit classes, or tight project timelines, SODA provides a pragmatic and reliable offset pathway.

Restoration Practitioner Survey

The NSW Plan for Nature aims to halt and reverse the decline in nature, with restoration as a key priority. But right now, there is not a clear picture of who’s doing this critical restoration work.

If you are an environmental practitioner involved in some form of restoration (terrestrial and aquatic) you can help shape how the NSW Government supports and strengthens the landscape restoration movement in NSW. Take the Restoration Practitioner Survey to share your insights by 14 November.

Central Coast Strategic Conservation Plan

The NSW Government has released the draft Central Coast Strategic Conservation Plan for public exhibition, aiming to balance urban growth with environmental protection across the region. The plan is designed to support new homes and jobs over the next 30 years while safeguarding habitat for native plants and animals by identifying suitable development areas, providing planning certainty for developers, and offering upfront biodiversity approvals where appropriate. An interactive map is available to explore what the plan means for specific projects.

The draft plan is on public exhibition until 11 November 2025, with feedback welcomed via the NSW Planning Portal.

Meet a Committee Member

Get to know a member of the EIANZ NSW Division Committee with this brief Q&A! The NSW Division Committee gets together monthly to develop events, submissions and programs designed to engage and provide for the developmental needs of members in NSW.

The committee is here to help and connect with you; feel free to approach any of us at the next event.

Rhidian Harrington

I’ve been part of the EIANZ furniture for nearly a decade now – currently as a general committee member for the NSW Division, and an active member of both the Ecology Special Interest Section and the Biodiversity Offsets Community of Practice. Over the years, I’ve worn a few EIANZ hats – President, Vice President, mentor (for three years), and organiser of events.

I’m the Director and biodiversity offset specialist at H2F Pty Ltd, a business dedicated to purchasing and managing land for conservation while generating biodiversity credits under the NSW Biodiversity Offset Scheme. My day can go from reviewing complex Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements or Biodiversity Credit Purchase Deeds to wrangling weeds, feral pigs, and spreadsheets. Before launching H2F three years ago, I co-founded a leading ecological consultancy and have been a practising ecological consultant since 2003. In short, I’ve spent over two decades trying to balance development with nature – and like to think that on occasion I had a win for nature.

What you studied, qualifications, journey to your role and specialisation(s) in the environment industry

I spent a long time at university – mostly because I loved it (and partly because ecology has a habit of pulling you down fascinating rabbit holes). I started with a Bachelor of Science and Honours in Ecology at James Cook University in Townsville, where I studied the use of riparian corridors by birds in savanna woodlands.

From there, I headed to South Africa for a Master of Science (Zoology) at the University of the Witwatersrand, researching the decline of the Roan Antelope in Kruger National Park – it was extremely satisfying that my research led to the recovery of the Roan Antelope at Kruger. I began a PhD in Botswana’s Chobe National Park, but life had other plans – kidney failure brought me back to Australia, where, after a transplant, I completed my PhD at the University of Melbourne. My research focused on the effect of artificial water points on bird distribution and abundance.

After my PhD, I spent a year as the Black-eared Miner Recovery Officer, then transitioned into ecological consulting – and I’ve been there ever since, working all over Australia to deliver the best outcomes for nature that I can.

Because professional standards matter – and so does good company. EIANZ connects me with passionate, like-minded environmental professionals who genuinely care about doing this work well. It’s about ensuring our industry delivers the environmental outcomes legislation was designed for – and finding people who actually enjoy talking about biodiversity offsets and positive outcomes for nature.

Open for submission

NSW

Central Coast Strategic Conservation Plan | Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure | Closes 11 November 2025
Learn more →

Review of NSW South Coast Region water sharing plans | Natural Resources Commission | Closes 7 November 2025
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Draft Environmental Guidelines for Solid Waste Landfills | NSW Environmental Protection Authority | Closes 25 November 2025
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Draft Product Lifecycle Responsibility Regulation | NSW Environmental Protection Authority | Closes 25 November 2025
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Murray Valley Floodplain Management Plan | NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water | Closes 16 November 2025
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Billabong Floodplain Management Plan | NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water | Closes 16 November 2025
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Narran Lake Nature Reserve | NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water | Closes 16 November 2025
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Eidothea hardeniana P.H.Weston & Kooyman, a tree – proposed critically endangered species listing | NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee | Closes 26 December 2025
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Uromyrtus australis A.J.Scott, a tree – proposed critically endangered species listing | NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee | Closes 26 December 2025
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Polystichum moorei Christ, a fern – proposed critically endangered species listing | NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee | Closes 26 December 2025
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Isopogon prostratus McGill. – proposed endangered species listing | NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee | Closes 26 December 2025
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National

Nature Repair Market: Enhancing Native Vegetation method design | Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water| Closes 4 November 2025
Learn more →

Consultations that are currently open for submissions in NSW and across Australia can be found here →

EIANZ website instructions

To register for EIANZ events, update your contact details or access your subscription of the journal you must log in to the EIANZ website. Your details are registered as:

Welcome to the October Newsletter