Alida Mckern Email & Phone Number

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Responsibilities:• Administration, marketing, recruitment & staff training, financial control, operations and product delivery, QA/QC, client networking & liaison for a small business.• Landscape plans and reports for Council planning permits: subdivisions, estates, multi-dwellings, commercial and industrial developments, aged care, educational institutions and community projects.• Managing the conflicting priorities of up to 3 projects concurrently in addition to the works completed for Knox City Council. • Collaborative stakeholder management with clients including architects, urban planners, local government agencies engineers, planning lawyers, building surveyors, arborists, and developers.• VCAT Expert Witness representation, preparation/presentation of plans, reports, and statements. • Specialist landscape services to Local Government Agencies: including Whittlesea, Brimbank, and Knox. • Pro bono contribution to local community groups through committee representation.• Specialist advice and landscape concept plans for community projects such as school grounds, community gardens, and sporting club settings.Achievements:- Growing the business from a start-up in 2000 to having produced over 1,000 landscape plans endorsed for Council planning permits.- 80% success rate as a VCAT Expert Witness in obtaining overturns for planning refusals and approvals.- Recognised by clients for on time delivery of projects within budget and to a quality level that exceeds expectations. References available upon request.- 90% of business through referrals: Botanix has cultivated good working relationships with clients promoting repeat business and referrals

Melbourne, Australia

Responsibilities:• Assessment & endorsement of landscape plans for planning approval including: residential estates, industrial & commercial sites, & multi-dwelling developmets.• Landscape referrals for planning applications.• Preparation of Permit Conditions relating to landscape design & vegetation protection.• Investigations of Knox Planning Scheme breaches & enforcement referrals.• Assessments & approvals of new landscape works for compliance with planning permits.• Specialist landscape advice to Strategic Planning for planning scheme amendments.• Initiation & Development of first Knox Landscape Enforcement Referral system for accurately processing & recording breaches of the Knox Planning Scheme in relation to illegal removal, destruction & lopping of protected vegetation. • Customer service & education including counter queries, client meetings re development plans, published articles, & conflict resolution to discuss and advance planning applications.Achievements:- Completed & endorsed more than 100 landscape assessments for planning permit approvals.- Successfully utilised LEAN Management Principles to address breaches of the Knox Planning Scheme - vegetation protection overlay controls, by introducing & implementing an evidence-based system for assessing breaches & applying penalties in accordance with the P&E Act 1987. - Successfully managed landscape compliance & planning breaches for landscape & vegetation on private property protected under the provisions of the Knox City Planning Scheme.- Introduced a monitoring system for 10 most fragile sites of biodiversity significance on private property -improved compliance & quality of all 10 monitored sites.- Attended CASBE meetings & contributed advice re sustainable landscape outcomes for ESD assessments.- Raised standards for landscape compliance & educated developers re Council's best-practice expectations: Refer PIA Journal article on landscape compliance for MUDs (May 2022)

Melbourne, Australia

Responsibilities:• Landscape design advice for Development Applications.• Inspections of new estates, parks and streetscape for compliance with endorsed landscape plans.• Counter advice for applicants seeking application advice regarding Council landscape requirements.• Liaison with Council and Consultant Professionals: Planners, Engineers and Urban Designers to achieve best practice design outcomes on private developments, public parks, streetscapes and estate designs.Achievements:- Improved project quality control and officer accountability: designed systems for transparency and auditing, improving documented knowledge of landscape inspections and approvals, and guiding effective resource allocation.- Prepared landscape guidelines for new multi-dwelling developments requiring a planning permit. This reduced counter enquiries by 20% and raised quality of landscape plan submissions to Council standards resulting in fewer revisions and quicker approvals.

► City of Darebin Streetscape Strategy – Project Management, Chairing Community Steering Committee, Implentation► Landscape Guidelines for Developments within the City of Darebin – Project Management ► Fairfield Shopping Centre Urban Design - Project Management, Contract Administration► High Street Northcote Streetscape Improvements – Detail Design, Contract Documentation & Administration► High Street Thornbury Shopping Strip Urban Improvements – Project Management, Community Consultation, Design & Documentation, Contract Administration► High Street Westgarth Shopping Strip Urban Improvements - Project Management, Community Consultation, Design & Documentation, Contract Administration► Clyde Jones Reserve Neighbourhood Park, Thornbury – Project Management► Darebin Creek Wetlands Project – Project Management► City of Northcote Sustainability Project - Brochure preparation, Community consultation► Ruby Thompson Reserve Playground & Park, Northcote – Project Management►City of Darebin Streetscape Strategy – Project Management, Chairing Community Steering Committee, Implentation►Landscape Guidelines for Developments within the City of Darebin – Project Management ►Fairfield Shopping Centre Urban Design - Project Management, Contract Administration►High Street Northcote Streetscape Improvements – Detail Design, Contract Documentation & Administration►High Street Thornbury Shopping Strip Urban Improvements – Project Management, Community Consultation, Design & Documentation, Contract Administration►High Street Westgarth Shopping Strip Urban Improvements - Project Management, Community Consultation, Design & Documentation, Contract Administration

►The Jawbone Williamstown Boardwalk – Community Consultation & Design►Bells Beach Foreshore Masterplan & Boardwalk – Community Consultation, Design, Construction Management►Rushworth Town Centre Masterplan – Council Consultation, Masterplan & Street Furniture Design

Graduate Diploma, Urban Planning And Environment, Hd

Bachelor'S Degree, Landscape Architecture

Bachelor Of Applied Science - Bappsc, Horticultural Science

Certificate, Small Business Administration/Management

Education record