Hi Carl,
As the current President of the Ecological Consultants Association of NSW
Inc (ECANSW), I totally agree with you.
I can only speak about the situation in NSW, but the ECANSW has been
conferring with the NSW Department of Environment & Climate Change (DECC)
for the last 6 years about the development of a NSW Government scheme for
accreditation of consultants who conduct ecological consultancy work in NSW.
However, this process has stalled over the last couple of years as a result
of inaction by the DECC. The advice we have received from the DECC is that
this is no longer high on their list of priorities. This has been a source
of great frustration to ECANSW because we recognize the need for
accreditation of consultants and, as an organization, we have devoted a lot
of time, resources and intellectual energy into working with DECC to help
set up the accreditation scheme.
As a consequence, a member of the Executive Council of the ECANSW, Dr Martin
Denny, published a discussion paper in "Consulting Ecology" (the ECANSW
magazine) in February 2009 proposing an industry-based, rather than a
government-based accreditation scheme, just as there are in other industry
groups such as engineering, architecture, surgery. This would be purely for
ecological consultancy work that is conducted in NSW. Feedback on this
discussion paper is currently being sought from our members, some of which
has already been published in the Discussion Forum of the ECANSW Website
www.ecansw.org.au. I can send you a copy of that paper as an attachment if
you wish.
Having said all that, the DECC has begun to accredit ecological consultants
as biobanking specialists in NSW, a specialized form of ecological
consultancy work. Information regarding the NSW Biobanking Scheme and a list
of accredited consultants can be viewed on the DECC's website at
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/biobanking.
With respect to membership of the ECANSW, all members need to be
appropriately qualified and experienced to practice ecological consultancy
in NSW and applications for membership are rigorously appraised by the
ECANSW Executive. Each member signs a Code of Ethics and Business Practice,
a member can be disciplined by the ECANSW Executive if an official complaint
demonstrates that one of our members has violated that Code of Practice. A
list of our members and the ECANSW Code can be viewed on the ECANSW website.
Simon Mustoe may also contribute to this discussion at a later stage because
he has been pushing the development of a national accreditation scheme for
ecological consultants through the EIANZ.
With respect to consultants' reports, these are put on public record (in
NSW, at least). Reports of state-significant projects are displayed on the
NSW Department of Planning website www.planning.nsw.gov.au. Reports of
smaller projects are usually on public display on relevant council websites.
If a development triggers the EPBC Act, then (as we have read in earlier
emails), the reports are displayed on the DEWHA website. In each case,
public feedback is invited by the relevant government department(s). The
question arises, is there enough time for the public to respond to these
invitations, as has already been raised in an earlier email.
Dr Stephen Ambrose
President,
Ecological Consultants Association of NSW Inc.
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Carl Clifford
Sent: Monday, 22 June 2009 11:19 AM
To: Birding-Aus Aus
Subject: Should Consultants Be Licensed? Should Their reports
Be Placed in the Public Domain?
Dear All,
With consultants being used more and more to provide data to support
enterprises that affect the environment and the public. There seems to
be no form of regulation to superintend their work and qualifications.
As most other professions and trades (even tanning salon operators}
are required to have some minimum level of qualification and
professional standards, should not consultants also be subject to the
same?
Reports produced for a consultants' client regularly affect large
portions of the populace, should they not be placed on a public
register for public consultation and future reference?
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
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