Michael Blackam Email & Phone Number

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

My project and consulting work at Coffey covered hydrogeology, hydrology, contaminated land, environmental approvals, and general environmental consulting across fields that include hydrogeology and hydrology, environmental approvals, contaminated land and remediation, salinity, petroleum and gas, mining and engineering, pipelines, roads and tunnels.This experience includes regional-scale numerical modelling for water resource management and water supply, modelling and conceptualisation for coal seam gas studies, contaminant transport and decay modelling of organic pollutants, and particle transport modelling for groundwater remediation systems. It also includes modelling surface water systems and runoff generation, including the impacts of climate change, at scales ranging from local site models through to stream catchment and river basin models and flood models. My experience includes providing specialist advice to environmental auditors in Victoria, NSW, SA and WA, acting as an expert witness before Court, and acting as a peer reviewer for the Australian Government for hydrological aspects of environmental impact statements, including Matters of National Environmental Significance associated with the EPBC Act (1999).In 2015 I prepared an independent submission to the Victorian Government ‘Parliamentary Inquiry into Onshore Unconventional Gas in Victoria’, and was invited to provide expert advice on public record at a formal hearing of the Parliamentary Committee. My experience includes building and fostering technical and commercial teams, mentoring and training colleagues, and presenting many commercial environmental and groundwater training programs.

Australia

During this time I developed strong relationships and expertise across a broad range of environmental consulting and sustainability projects, focussed on the natural resources sector. I worked with clients that included government agencies and water authorities, as well as private sector industries such as land developers and agricultural/pastoral companies.I gained significant project experience covering mineral springs, groundwater salinity, dryland salinity, climate change, groundwater supply investigation, modelling and management of public supply groundwater resource aquifers, waste-water reuse, and land capability assessment. I also developed a performance monitoring system for the Goulburn-Murray Water public salinity control pumping program, and computer applications for Southern Rural Water, and the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority.

Australia

Through this time I worked as a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer with a range of companies in the aviation sector, and also held a company directorship and management position with a credit management company.