Manage complex Applications and systems development projects, project planning and governance, programs planning and reporting, stakeholder engagement, organisational change management, communication and training planning, data migration and test planning, applications deployment.

Manage complex Applications and systems development projects, project planning and governance, programs planning and reporting, stakeholder engagement, organisational change management, communication and training planning, data migration and test planning, COTS applications deployment.

Ben provided consultancy advice and leadership in relation to complex, technical and sensitive environmental approvals and processes across Commonwealth and State jurisdictions. This includes referral and approvals negotiations, variations to conditions of approval, offset requirements and negotiations, compliance reporting, auditing and analysis and strategies to reduce administrative burden and improve environmental outcomes. Ben also has skills and experience in the establishment and management of Expert Technical Panels and Committees, stakeholder consultation and community engagement processes, and development of internal training and reference material. Ben also has experience with policy development and project management in relation to broader strategic issues for industry. For example, Ben has developed a national mine closure and relinquishment issues discussion paper for the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA).

Ben’s Director role with the Department of the Environment allowed him to gain considerable experience managing the approvals and compliance processes for over 1200 EPBC Act approved projects across a broad range of industries including oil and gas, mining, residential, infrastructure, renewable energy, dredging, and land clearing. This also included some work on Strategic Assessments and heritage values. During this time, Ben worked through the approvals and secondary approvals negotiation process with many small and large proponents, State Governments and other statutory bodies. As a result, Ben has a very good understanding of the pitfalls and efficiencies in these processes, and was fortunate enough to develop a strong network of industry, State and Commonwealth Government contacts. Through this experience, Ben has identified many opportunities for approval holders to streamline approvals, avoid duplication and reduce their administrative burden.

In this role, Ben was responsible for managing delivery of multiple large grants programs on behalf of the Australian Government. This included providing strategic advice to the Minister, Advisors and Executive Management on complex industry and administrative issues, as well as developing and managing multiple communications and risk management plans, and developing systems to . Ben was also involved in the development and implementation of a national accreditation / quality frameworks including project delivery of the databases and related IT infrastructure.

In this role, Ben conducted commercial and home sustainability assessment services including through contracted services to New South Wales Government’s Sustaining our Towns initiative. This included providing energy efficiency and sustainability advice to home owners, business owners and community groups to help reduce energy consumption and green house gas emissions, development of communications plans and stakeholder engagement frameworks and training material.