Newsletter of the Ecological Consultants Associationof NSW Inc
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Newsletter of the Ecological Consultants Association of NSW Inc. enforced and a reform process ‘price-fixing’ or fee structures. is being introduced that will Rather, we should be able to change the way land is show that the standard of assessed. service maintained by its members ensures the best Added to this ferment is the possible result for the constant problem of survival consumer. I’m sure that all of in an increasingly competitive us have had the opportunity commercial world. There of fixing up messes brought seems to be more people about by inadequate entering the ecological field consultants. If we maintain than ever before. In a free- the highest standards then Volume 10, December 2004 enterprise world this is those requiring ecological ISSN 1449-6720 considered a good thing, as assessments will be beating a more competition brings path to our door. benefits to the consumer by Inside this Issue driving prices down. The 2004 Conference President’s Message 1-2 However, the result can be demonstrated the skills that the service is of available within the ECA, and ECA Office Bearers 2 increasingly poor quality, as emphasised the knowledge 2004 ECA Conference 2-4 corners are cut and the required to correctly The Ehrharta Fetish 5-6 cheaper tenderers lack the undertake flora and fauna skills and knowledge required surveys. As I mentioned at the Life in the Trenches 7-8 to provide a satisfactory result. Conference, all planning To Survey or not to 8-12 Such a situation has already decisions pertaining to the Survey occurred in other professions, natural environment are Road killed reptiles 12 notably building and electrical ultimately based upon wanted industries. Some of those knowledge of that entering the ecological environment. Such consulting field are poorly knowledge comes from the President’s Message trained and lack the results of flora and fauna experience needed to guide an surveys and ability of the The Japanese have an assessment through the surveyor to interpret that data. expression “we live in necessary regulatory steps or Each speaker showed how effervescent times”. For to fully understand the natural complex and important was ecological consultants 2004 has history of an area. the task of describing and certainly been an effervescent assessing the natural year. Changes to the How do we, as responsible environment. Threatened Species professional ecological Conservation Act are now consultants, counter this Thanks are very much due to coming into place, conditions trend? The Association should the organisers of the to Scientific Licences are being not enter into the world of Conference, which has been the most successful (in terms consultants) are passed onto Deryk Engel of attendance) so far. Thank those maintaining the highest [email protected] you Danny, Karen and Margot standards i.e. members of the for bringing together such an ECA. Keith Kendall expert group of speakers. I [email protected] should think that the resultant Finally, have a Merry Xmas or CD will be used as a reference what ever and don’t work too Judith Rawling tool for many years to come. hard during the break. [email protected] The attendance by several Martin Denny Nick Skelton representatives from the DEC [email protected] also helped in re-establishing a connection with this agency. ECA Office Bearers Ray Williams We have been asked to [email protected] provide two representatives 2005 from the ECA to be part of a Danny Wotherspoon working committee assisting President: Martin Denny [email protected] in the development of the [email protected] accreditation process for Special appointments: consultants undertaking both 1st Vice-President: Leong Lim Species Impact Statements and [email protected] Web page: Stefan Rose Tests of Significance (i.e. the 8- [email protected] part test), and the survey 2nd Vice-President: Stefan standards. It is hoped that we Rose Newsletter editor: Gerry Swan can have some influence on [email protected] [email protected] the process. Secretary: Elizabeth Ashby So, what do we need to look [email protected] forward to in 2005? 2004 ECA Treasurer: Paul Burcher Conference We need to maintain our high [email protected] standards and educate our The 2004 ECA Conference was clients that price is not all that Membership Officer: Paul entitled “Survey Techniques matters. Burcher towards industry standards [email protected] for flora and fauna” and was We need to revisit the matter held on Friday 19th November of accreditation and determine Public Officer: Paul Burcher in the Hallstrom Theatre, whether the ECA needs to go [email protected] Australian Museum, 6 College down this path. St, Sydney. We need to attract more Councillors: members to ECA, so that it is The subject matter of the possible to ensure that a high Stephen Ambrose conference was of particular quality of professionalism is [email protected] interest to all concerned and maintained. this contributed to the huge Jason Berrigan success of the conference. It We need to ensure that some [email protected] was aimed at informing and of the new opportunities supporting ecological opening for ecological Mark Couston consultants, local council consultants (e.g. accredited [email protected] planning and environment consultants to be used in the staff and DEC staff. biodiversity certification Elizabeth Denny Presentations addressed the process; court appointed [email protected] 2 problems we all encounter in conservation planning and for the great pocket sized field ecological consulting work, programs, including reform of guide on NSW reptiles. He viz. juggling best survey Threatened Species and has written several other techniques with time and Aboriginal Heritage books, including a revised financial constraints. protection; regulation of air, guide with Glenn Shea and noise, and water emissions, Ross Sadlier, called “A field We filled the 150-seat and waste management; guide to the reptiles of NSW”. Hallstrom theatre, with 122 regulation of contaminated Gerry is a research associate of attendees apart from speakers land, State forestry activities, the Australian Museum and a and organizers, comprising 79 and radiation safety; DEC former editor of the journal consultants, 21 Council staff, participation in environmental Herpetofauna. 19 agency, 1 community planning and assessment. group, 1 student, 1 TAFE, and Dr Karen Thumm (Frogs) they traveled from all over Dr Cate McElroy (Mammals) Karen’s research has been NSW. Cate McElroy has been mainly on threatened frogs working at Australian and in particular how The aim was to achieve a basis Museum Business Services for differences in the life history on which ecological the past eight years, during strategy of frogs should be consultants can be confident which time she has been influencing our decisions that a reasonable attempt has involved with, and has about how to manage them. been made to assess the managed, a wide range of Karen is now working as a impacts of a proposal, projects for both private clients consultant; she appears to still including techniques, effort and government agencies. In prefer to be up to her knees in and timing of the survey. addition to consulting Cate a swamp than in the office. has conducted two research The following speakers put in projects that have investigated a great deal of time and effort Dr Stephen Ambrose (Birds) aspects of mammalian and presented interesting, reproductive strategies, firstly Stephen is principal of the practical and helpful papers: on the Eastern Pygmy-possum consulting company Ambecol, and other small possum and is best known as a bird Simon A Y Smith species for her Honours ecologist. He was Research (Keynote speaker) Degree from the University of and Conservation Director of Simon is the Deputy Director Melbourne, and then on Euros ‘Birds Australia’ and lectures General of the Environment in the semi-arid zone for her in ecology at the UTS in Protection and Regulation PhD from the University of Sydney and at the Australian Division, of the Department of NSW. Catholic University. Environment and Conservation NSW (DEC). Cate presented a summary of Glenn Hoye (Bats) DEC is the State Government a review that AMBS Department, which brings conducted for the Department Glenn has been surveying and together the Environment of Environment and Heritage researching bats throughout Protection Authority, the that forms the first stage of the eastern Australia for over National Parks and Wildlife process to draft Standard 25 years. Through his Service, Resource NSW, and Survey Methods for detecting company Fly By Night Bat the Royal Botanic Gardens and EPBC Act listed terrestrial, Surveys Pty Ltd he undertakes Domain Trust, and also links non-flying mammals. surveys and assessments of with the work of the Sydney bats and provides advice on Catchment Authority. Simon Gerry Swan (Reptiles) their conservation and leads the DEC’s Environment management. Gerry works as a consultant, Protection and Regulation and is probably best known Division responsible for: Michael Murphy (Terrestrial occasionally ventures into statewide recovery programs. Invertebrates - Mitchell's somewhat more alien habitats. Most recently, the Biodiversity Rainforest Snail) Management Unit has been Dr Robert Close (Koalas) involved in the reforms to the Michael has worked in various Threatened Species positions in the NPWS (now Robert started marsupial Conservation Act and their DEC) for about 10 years, and studies with a PhD project on main task will now be has an excellent why bandicoots lose a sex implementing the new understanding of conservation chromosome, then studied the changes to the Act. planning, threatened fauna taxonomy of bandicoots and habitat requirements and rock wallabies. He then spent Amanda Paul (ACEC) associated survey and site a year in the Galapagos assessments.