About
Environmental Planning Officer
SPREP
melanieb@sprep.org
Summary
Fifteen years of experience with environmental assessment and planning, sustainable development and climate change in government, inter-government, non-government and academic organisations. Extensive knowledge of the agricultural, mining, energy and tourism sectors. Examples of work and project experience: incorporated climate change and disaster risk management considerations in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) guidelines and EIA training courses for Pacific Island countries; audited the energy and water consumption of mainstream and eco-tourism operators in Queensland, Australia; developed a methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions for the Australian tourist accommodation sector; identified mechanisms for building social-ecological resilience in tropical savanna landscapes; developed environmental research and management recommendations for seabed mining in northern Australia; authored the Darwin Harbour Water Quality Protection Plan (Australia).
Qualifications
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy (Landscape Ecology) Period: 2002 - 2007 Status: Completed Education institution: Griffith University and CSIRO
Degree: B Science (Honours) 1st Class Period: 2000-2001 Status: Completed Education institution: Griffith University
Degree: B Science/B Economics Period: 1996-1999 Status: Completed Education institution: Australian National University
Training: Certificate IV Training and Assessment Status: Completed Education institution: Darwin Human Resource and Computer Academy Country: Australia
Training: Project Leadership Training – Status: Completed Education institution: CSIRO Country: Australia
Training: Scientists Working with Communities Course – Status: Completed Education institution: CSIRO Country: Australia
Training: Cross-Cultural Training – Status: Completed Education institution: Cross Cultural Consultants Darwin Country: Australia
Training: Social Impact Assessment for Natural Resource Development Status: Completed Education institution: Griffith University Country: Australia
Training: Landscapes and Sustainability Course – Status: Completed Education institution: International Association for Landscape Ecology
Training: Sustainability in Practice Course Status: Completed Education institution: Schumacher College
Training: Permaculture Design Certificate Status: Completed Education institution: Blue Mountains Permaculture Institute Country: Australia
Language: English Reading: Excellent Speaking: Excellent Writing: Excellent
Degree: B Science (Honours) 1st Class Period: 2000-2001 Status: Completed Education institution: Griffith University
Degree: B Science/B Economics Period: 1996-1999 Status: Completed Education institution: Australian National University
Training: Certificate IV Training and Assessment Status: Completed Education institution: Darwin Human Resource and Computer Academy Country: Australia
Training: Project Leadership Training – Status: Completed Education institution: CSIRO Country: Australia
Training: Scientists Working with Communities Course – Status: Completed Education institution: CSIRO Country: Australia
Training: Cross-Cultural Training – Status: Completed Education institution: Cross Cultural Consultants Darwin Country: Australia
Training: Social Impact Assessment for Natural Resource Development Status: Completed Education institution: Griffith University Country: Australia
Training: Landscapes and Sustainability Course – Status: Completed Education institution: International Association for Landscape Ecology
Training: Sustainability in Practice Course Status: Completed Education institution: Schumacher College
Training: Permaculture Design Certificate Status: Completed Education institution: Blue Mountains Permaculture Institute Country: Australia
Language: English Reading: Excellent Speaking: Excellent Writing: Excellent
Work Experience
Area of expertise: Proposal writing/Report writing Experience: 0
Area of expertise: Capacity building specialist Experience: 0
Area of expertise: Environmental and social safeguards specialist Experience: 0
Area of expertise: Social-ecological resilience Experience: 0
Employment date: Sat, 01/02/2014 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme Position: Environmental Planning Officer Location: Apia, Samoa Projects: Project date: Sat, 01/02/2014 - 12:00 Location: Pacific Position: Author Title: Regional Guidelines for Environmental Assessment in Pacific Island Countries and Territories Description: Regional Guidelines incorporate climate change and disaster risk management considerations Project date: Wed, 01/10/2014 - 12:00 Location: Tonga, Samoa, Tuvalu Position: Trainer Title: EIA Training Workshops Description: Development of EIA training materials and delivery of training courses/presentations for government and the tourism industry Project date: Sat, 01/03/2014 - 12:00 Location: Fiji, Tuvalu, Vanutu Position: Co-facilitator Title: National Environmental Management Strategy Workshops Description: Helped to facilitate and coordinate stakeholder input into the development of National Environmental Management Strategies
Employment date: Fri, 01/03/2013 - 12:00 - Sun, 01/12/2013 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Aquatic Health Unit, Northern Territory Government Position: Project Officer Location: Darwin, Australia Projects: Project date: Fri, 01/03/2013 - 12:00 - Sun, 01/12/2013 - 12:00 Location: Darwin, Australia Position: Author Title: Darwin Harbour Water Quality Protection Plan Description: A practical, action-focused approach to sustainable development. The overall aim of the WQPP is to ensure that water quality objectives (local guidelines) are maintained and that the community's values for waterways are protected. The WQPP identifies management actions being undertaken by government, industry and community stakeholders that are focused on monitoring, assessing and/or managing nutrient and sediment inputs to Darwin Harbour waterways.
Employment date: Mon, 01/08/2011 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/03/2013 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Environment Protection Authority, Northern Territory Government Position: Project Officer, Emerging Issues Location: Darwin, Australia Projects: Project date: Tue, 01/05/2012 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/06/2012 - 12:00 Location: Darwin, Australia Position: Convener/facilitator Title: Policy-making for energy-water-climate change challenges Description: - Organised and facilitated an inter-governmental policy-making forum, with input from an energy-water-climate specialist - Developed a briefing paper on integrated policy-making for energy-water-climate issues Project date: Mon, 01/08/2011 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/03/2013 - 12:00 Location: Darwin, Australia Position: Author Title: Expert policy advice Description: Prepared expert advice on: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes and procedures, environmental offsets, the National Food Plan, threatened species, seabed mining and onshore unconventional gas.
Employment date: Wed, 01/04/2009 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/07/2011 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Environment Centre Northern Territory Position: Policy Officer Location: Darwin, Australia Projects: Project date: Wed, 01/04/2009 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/07/2011 - 12:00 Location: Northern Territory, Australia Position: Reviewer Title: Environmental Impact Assessment Description: Reviewed environmental impact statements and prepared advice on mitigating and minimising environmental impacts for major development projects across the mining, gas and agricultural sectors Project date: Wed, 01/04/2009 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/07/2011 - 12:00 Location: Northern Territory, Australia Position: Environment sector representative Title: Government stakeholder committees Description: Made significant contributions to environmental and natural resource management decision-making through involvement in government stakeholder committees addressing: catchment management, water allocation planning, weeds management, and mine site management and rehabilitation
Employment date: Thu, 01/02/2007 - 12:00 - Sun, 01/02/2009 - 12:00 Current: No Company: CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems Position: Post Doctoral Fellow Location: Darwin, Australia Projects: Project date: Thu, 01/02/2007 - 12:00 - Sun, 01/02/2009 - 12:00 Location: Northern Territory, Australia Position: Project manager Title: Evaluating the resilience of tropical savanna land-use systems Description: - Reviewed social-ecological resilience theory and critiqued methods for resilience analysis of linked social-ecological systems - Identified planning and management actions to support social-ecological resilience in tropical savanna landscapes and promoted ideas to government, industry and NGOs Project date: Thu, 01/02/2007 - 12:00 - Sun, 01/02/2009 - 12:00 Location: Northern Territory, Australia Position: Project manager Title: Fostering sustainability with horticultural growers from non-English speaking backgrounds Description: - Conducted interviews with Vietnamese fruit and vegetable growers (in the Northern Territory) to identify how to support them in developing sustainable enterprises - Produced a project report and delivered presentations for government, growers and catchment groups
Employment date: Sat, 01/12/2001 - 12:00 - Wed, 01/12/2004 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Queensland Pork Producers Inc Position: Policy Officer - Environment and Economics Location: Brisbane, Australia
Employment date: Wed, 01/08/2001 - 12:00 - Thu, 01/08/2002 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Queensland Farmers' Federation Position: Research Officer - Environment and Natural Resources Location: Brisbane, Australia
Employment date: Tue, 01/05/2001 - 12:00 - Wed, 01/08/2001 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Griffith University Position: Research Assistant - Sustainable Tourism Location: Gold Coast, Australia Projects: Project date: Tue, 01/05/2001 - 12:00 - Wed, 01/08/2001 - 12:00 Location: Queensland, Australia Position: Researcher Title: Energy and water consumption audits for tourist accommodation Description: - Conducted energy and water consumption audits for tourist accommodation and identified best practice environmental management (a continuation of my B Sc (Hons) research) - Consulted with government authorities and private operators, managers and engineers within the tourist accommodation sector to develop a methodology for calculating sector-wide greenhouse gas emissions at a national level - Produced a report for the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism and academic papers
Area of expertise: Capacity building specialist Experience: 0
Area of expertise: Environmental and social safeguards specialist Experience: 0
Area of expertise: Social-ecological resilience Experience: 0
Employment date: Sat, 01/02/2014 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme Position: Environmental Planning Officer Location: Apia, Samoa Projects: Project date: Sat, 01/02/2014 - 12:00 Location: Pacific Position: Author Title: Regional Guidelines for Environmental Assessment in Pacific Island Countries and Territories Description: Regional Guidelines incorporate climate change and disaster risk management considerations Project date: Wed, 01/10/2014 - 12:00 Location: Tonga, Samoa, Tuvalu Position: Trainer Title: EIA Training Workshops Description: Development of EIA training materials and delivery of training courses/presentations for government and the tourism industry Project date: Sat, 01/03/2014 - 12:00 Location: Fiji, Tuvalu, Vanutu Position: Co-facilitator Title: National Environmental Management Strategy Workshops Description: Helped to facilitate and coordinate stakeholder input into the development of National Environmental Management Strategies
Employment date: Fri, 01/03/2013 - 12:00 - Sun, 01/12/2013 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Aquatic Health Unit, Northern Territory Government Position: Project Officer Location: Darwin, Australia Projects: Project date: Fri, 01/03/2013 - 12:00 - Sun, 01/12/2013 - 12:00 Location: Darwin, Australia Position: Author Title: Darwin Harbour Water Quality Protection Plan Description: A practical, action-focused approach to sustainable development. The overall aim of the WQPP is to ensure that water quality objectives (local guidelines) are maintained and that the community's values for waterways are protected. The WQPP identifies management actions being undertaken by government, industry and community stakeholders that are focused on monitoring, assessing and/or managing nutrient and sediment inputs to Darwin Harbour waterways.
Employment date: Mon, 01/08/2011 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/03/2013 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Environment Protection Authority, Northern Territory Government Position: Project Officer, Emerging Issues Location: Darwin, Australia Projects: Project date: Tue, 01/05/2012 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/06/2012 - 12:00 Location: Darwin, Australia Position: Convener/facilitator Title: Policy-making for energy-water-climate change challenges Description: - Organised and facilitated an inter-governmental policy-making forum, with input from an energy-water-climate specialist - Developed a briefing paper on integrated policy-making for energy-water-climate issues Project date: Mon, 01/08/2011 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/03/2013 - 12:00 Location: Darwin, Australia Position: Author Title: Expert policy advice Description: Prepared expert advice on: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes and procedures, environmental offsets, the National Food Plan, threatened species, seabed mining and onshore unconventional gas.
Employment date: Wed, 01/04/2009 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/07/2011 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Environment Centre Northern Territory Position: Policy Officer Location: Darwin, Australia Projects: Project date: Wed, 01/04/2009 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/07/2011 - 12:00 Location: Northern Territory, Australia Position: Reviewer Title: Environmental Impact Assessment Description: Reviewed environmental impact statements and prepared advice on mitigating and minimising environmental impacts for major development projects across the mining, gas and agricultural sectors Project date: Wed, 01/04/2009 - 12:00 - Fri, 01/07/2011 - 12:00 Location: Northern Territory, Australia Position: Environment sector representative Title: Government stakeholder committees Description: Made significant contributions to environmental and natural resource management decision-making through involvement in government stakeholder committees addressing: catchment management, water allocation planning, weeds management, and mine site management and rehabilitation
Employment date: Thu, 01/02/2007 - 12:00 - Sun, 01/02/2009 - 12:00 Current: No Company: CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems Position: Post Doctoral Fellow Location: Darwin, Australia Projects: Project date: Thu, 01/02/2007 - 12:00 - Sun, 01/02/2009 - 12:00 Location: Northern Territory, Australia Position: Project manager Title: Evaluating the resilience of tropical savanna land-use systems Description: - Reviewed social-ecological resilience theory and critiqued methods for resilience analysis of linked social-ecological systems - Identified planning and management actions to support social-ecological resilience in tropical savanna landscapes and promoted ideas to government, industry and NGOs Project date: Thu, 01/02/2007 - 12:00 - Sun, 01/02/2009 - 12:00 Location: Northern Territory, Australia Position: Project manager Title: Fostering sustainability with horticultural growers from non-English speaking backgrounds Description: - Conducted interviews with Vietnamese fruit and vegetable growers (in the Northern Territory) to identify how to support them in developing sustainable enterprises - Produced a project report and delivered presentations for government, growers and catchment groups
Employment date: Sat, 01/12/2001 - 12:00 - Wed, 01/12/2004 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Queensland Pork Producers Inc Position: Policy Officer - Environment and Economics Location: Brisbane, Australia
Employment date: Wed, 01/08/2001 - 12:00 - Thu, 01/08/2002 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Queensland Farmers' Federation Position: Research Officer - Environment and Natural Resources Location: Brisbane, Australia
Employment date: Tue, 01/05/2001 - 12:00 - Wed, 01/08/2001 - 12:00 Current: No Company: Griffith University Position: Research Assistant - Sustainable Tourism Location: Gold Coast, Australia Projects: Project date: Tue, 01/05/2001 - 12:00 - Wed, 01/08/2001 - 12:00 Location: Queensland, Australia Position: Researcher Title: Energy and water consumption audits for tourist accommodation Description: - Conducted energy and water consumption audits for tourist accommodation and identified best practice environmental management (a continuation of my B Sc (Hons) research) - Consulted with government authorities and private operators, managers and engineers within the tourist accommodation sector to develop a methodology for calculating sector-wide greenhouse gas emissions at a national level - Produced a report for the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism and academic papers