Environment & Planning

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Navigating environmental, social and economic complexity

Achieving successful outcomes for owners, investors and communities requires projects and places to be planned and managed in a manner that is considerate of environmental, social and economic impacts. If the true value of our ecosystem’s capital is considered along with sustainable design in these complex times, we can create a lasting change for good.

Our clients are navigating the delivery and management of highly complex projects and asset bases within a new generation of business risks: climate change impacts, ever-changing regulatory frameworks, nature-related risks and disclosures, the influence of more informed and empowered communities, as well as consideration of diverse stakeholder needs.

Aurecon partners with clients to navigate this complexity with innovative and reliable strategic planning, environmental management and natural capital advice backed by technical expertise. Our multidisciplinary expertise, together with rigorous methodologies and the application of digital processes, generates meaningful economic results accompanied by nature-positive outcomes.

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How can the 2032 Brisbane Games fundamentally transform our communities for the better?

Aurecon's Martin Russell, Director, Environment & Planning and Em Tantau, Senior IT Manager demonstrate the power of GeoEasyTrack© at the 2025 Esri User Conference.

Our Environmental Planning Digital Ecosystem

Aurecon’s Environmental Planning Digital Ecosystem brings data, technology, and human insight together to help de-risk project development and approvals, streamline design processes, and meaningfully engage with stakeholders and communities.

As infrastructure development moves beyond urban centres, particularly to support the energy transition, projects are increasingly located in environmentally and culturally sensitive landscapes. Addressing social, cultural, and biodiversity considerations early, and with empathy, is key to optimising site selection, project establishment and long-term operation.

The Digital Ecosystem is already delivering strong outcomes for clients seeking data-driven insights to navigate complex planning, approvals, and community engagement factors.

Aurecon's Martin Russell, Director, Environment & Planning and Em Tantau, Senior IT Manager demonstrate the power of GeoEasyTrack© at the 2025 Esri User Conference.

How does Aurecon's Digital Ecosystem work?

Aurecon’s Environmental Planning Digital Ecosystem addresses the complexity of analysing vast volumes of environmental, spatial and social data whilst applying design parameters to make better informed decisions early on.

It integrates multiple data sources and applies powerful analytics to detect risk, and identify pathways and sites, to support a client’s essential infrastructure planning, design and construction decisions. Watch this video to learn more.

Quick demo of Aurecon's RPAT digital tool

Planning

RPAT© and SSAT©: Automated and data-driven support to de-risk corridor and site selection decisions for greater investment and development certainty.

Quick demo of Aurecon's GeoEasyTrack digital tool

Design

GeoEasyTrack©: Automated calculation to minimise impact of access track construction to reach project sites.

Quick demo of Aurecon's 3DVegClear digital tool

Assessment

safeGuard©: Downloaded onto portable devices to allow real-time in-field safety compliance.

3DVegClear©: Tree canopy analytics tool to automate scenarios of minimising vegetation clearance.

Reporting

Aurecon air®: Creating a clear, digital project narrative for two-way connection with community and stakeholders.

Learn about Aurecon air®

CASE STUDY

Digital modelling reduces environmental and social impacts for Transgrid's EnergyConnect

Our digital ecosystem identifies optimal infrastructure sites with least constraints, calculates the minimum land or vegetation clearance, de-risks field team access to remote areas, and transforms complex environmental data into clear, visual stories for clients, communities, and regulators.

When applied to Transgrid’s EnergyConnect, using RPAT© route-planning assessment tool and GeoEasyTrack©, Aurecon enabled data-driven assessments of tower locations and span lengths, and automated preliminary concept design of access tracks to all tower locations.

This helped to optimise the route and minimise the number of structures, whilst reducing both environment and social impacts.

Partnering with our clients to enhance environmental sustainability

A better future is a world that works for all of humanity and the planet. We look beyond compliance to enable nature positive infrastructure and nature-based solutions that benefit our clients, communities and the planet. We co-create a shared future that enhances environmental performance and resilience in an economically beneficial way.

Our multidisciplinary specialists protect and strengthen our client’s performance and resilience by addressing the risks and opportunities created by climate change. We understand the environmental impacts on clients’ businesses and design thoughtful solutions for infrastructure projects and investments, adding natural and economic value across a project or asset’s lifecycle.

Achieving a resilient Asia Pacific takes an unconventional approach to shift the way we think, do and collaborate.

Our services

Aurecon's planning and environmental management solutions, and nature advisory expertise, realise the aspirations of our clients with measures that address performance and resilience across a project or asset’s full life cycle, enabled by digital tools and processes.

Aurecon is a leader in delivering strategic planning advice, assisting clients to navigate the statutory approval process to obtain the environmental and social licence to operate for transport, energy, aviation, defence, industrial, resources and chemicals, water and port projects and assets, and master planning for major landholdings and precincts.

Our planners work with clients to develop strategies, assess options, and undertake impact assessments to optimise the value of land-use decisions, shaping and planning this process. To help secure approvals and improve environmental performance, we use geospatial information platforms to centrally store, map and analyse environmental data in addition to engaging visual media and digital tools.

One example is digital environmental impact assessment reports that present complex technical data as interactive and user-friendly information on a digital platform. These transform tabled data and project information into annotated maps and 3D visualisations.

Our services are valuable for large-scale landholdings through to infrastructure assets and include:

Urban planning policy and strategy development
Site master planning
Site and route options selection
Approvals strategies
Major project approvals
Environmental Impact Assessment
Land access
Cultural heritage (archaeology) assessment and management

To optimise land use and obtain the environmental and social licence to operate, contact environmental planning and approvals lead, Stephen Cole, or urban planning lead, Courtney Hollerich.

For New Zealand-based planning and approvals, contact Environment and Planning Director, Louise Strogen.

Aurecon’s application of environmental and social sciences shapes sustainable cities and regions through our design and advisory projects. Our industry knowledge extends through markets and throughout local, state and federal jurisdictions. This knowledge allows us to look beyond compliance, towards design and management solutions that unlock opportunities for clients to achieve nature-positive outcomes.

We apply digital engineering solutions, integrated geospatial technology and use digital real-time environmental monitoring to enhance our ability to investigate, plan, design, deliver and operate sustainable assets and projects. Our services include:

Environmental compliance management in design, construction and operation
Environmental management plans (EMPs), including Construction EMPs and Operational EMPs
Environmental monitoring and measurement
Environmental designs for water, infrastructure and waste
Environmental due diligence

To ensure assets are compliant with environmental requirements and operate in harmony with natural environments, contact our environmental design and management lead, Peter Fawcett.

We connect physical infrastructure with biodiversity, land and soils, and water, through human-centred design and nature-based thinking to reimagine new value in the climate transition economy.

Clients face a number of challenges in seeking sustainable solutions that realise environmental aspiration across supply chains. By valuing land, water, biodiversity and natural assets as capital, organisations can begin to generate value in a way that provides social benefit, enables internal and external capital investment, manages risk and enhances reputation.

To create and realise value through natural resources, contact natural capital lead, Peter Gillam.

Identifying biodiversity assets, helping clients avoid and mitigate biodiversity impacts and incorporating nature positive concepts into business practice:

Environmental policy and legislation advice
Environmental assessments
Flora and fauna surveys, monitoring and reporting
Selecting nature-based solutions (environmental offsets, revegetation, restoration)
Nature positive legislation and policy
Nature positive education
Net gain and nature-based solutions
Nature positive plans and strategies
Nature positive reporting (such as alignment with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures)

To connect the impacts and dependencies of living ecosystems with the intrinsic value of life, contact our biodiversity and nature positive lead, Liz Root.

Solutions for the optimisation of land quality and use, preservation of value in natural and built form assets and the protection of human and environment health:

Contaminated land assessment and management
Human health and ecological risk assessment
Remediation, restoration and redevelopment
Soil and land suitability/capability assessment
Strategic cropping assessment

To understand impacts on land and soils and how to optimise land quality, contact our land and soils lead, Stuart Taylor.

Providing holistic, integrated and multidisciplinary expertise to shape sustainable water cycle management, maximising the value of water for all people and the environment in our solutions and advice, including the following service offerings:

Catchment hydrology and hydrogeology studies
Integrated water management
Water sensitive urban design
Water quality and ecohydraulics
Water security, resilience and climate change
Waterways and riparian management

To create and protect value in water, contact sustainable water lead, Dan Evans.

Explore projects

More projects

Transforming Limestone Coast Technical College into state-of-the-art education facility using local timber and sustainable design.

Limestone Coast Technical College showcases Aurecon’s leadership in integrating sustainable materials, accelerating design and delivering adaptable spaces that meet industry and community needs.

Balancing navigational safety and seagrass protection through sustainable dredging at Singapore ferry terminal.

Fishing boats at Changi Point, Changi Village Singapore

Expediting rebuild of Milner Bay Port wharf, restoring global manganese exports in record time.

Multidisciplinary engineering and maritime expertise applied to Milner Bay Wharf disaster recovery.

Designing the largest indoor sports centre in New Zealand, the resilient Taiwhanga Rehia.

The 50 m competition pool at Parakiore, the largest aquatic and indoor sports venue in New Zealand.

New 24km expressway improves safety, resilience, and connectivity while supporting regional growth.

Construction site on the Ōtaki to north of Levin (Ō2NL) expressway, officially named Te Pae o Tararua.

Designing human-centred integrated modular rail stations for Auckland's southern growth area.

Ticket gates at entrance to Drury Rail Station, Auckland, New Zealand.

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Explore insights

More insights

Aerial drone view of Sydney City and Sydney Harbour showing Sydney Harbour Bridge and Lavender Bay.

How Auckland can learn from Sydney’s tech boom

Aurecon draws insights from Committee for Sydney’s Jeremy Gill on how we grow Auckland's tech economy through placed-based, connected innovation precincts.

Aurecon employees inspecting Central Kowloon Route tunnel.

Featured insights

How will Asia connect billions through resilient transport systems?

Asia’s transport networks must evolve to deliver sustainable, connected mobility. Learn how Aurecon is shaping Asia with innovative infrastructure solutions.

Reducing approval risk in renewable projects through ecology

Aurecon’s ecology and biodiversity expert shares how to achieve timely project approvals, what regulators want, and how to navigate regulatory changes.

News, blogs & podcasts

Renene Windsor, Industry Director, Transmission & Distribution and Michael Drowley, Director, Environment and Planning, talk about biodiversity modelling to support renewable energy connections.

Aurecon recognised as sustainability leader for environmental planning innovation

Aurecon recognised in AFR's Sustainability Leaders List 2026 for its innovative Environmental Planning Digital Ecosystem designed for complex infrastructure.

Our blog – Just Imagine

Environmental twins could save us the day after tomorrow

By making use of big data to predict potential impacts and changes, environmental twins could replace environmental management plans as we know them.

Nicolas Buchoud and Michael Nolan discuss the growing importance of resilient infrastructure.

Our podcast – Engineering Reimagined

Ep.67 Resilient infrastructure: protecting the future of our communities

Grand Paris Alliance for Metropolitan Development President Nicolas Buchoud shares his expert insights on the significance of resilient infrastructure systems.

Get in touch with our people

Or contact an office near you.

Julie Harrison

Managing Director, Water & Environment – Australia

Vivian Lee

Market Director, Environment & Sustainability, Asia

Braith Gilchrist

Environment Leader – Australia

Harriet McKee

Environment & Planning Practice Leader – New Zealand

We would love to work with you to bring your ideas to life, so get in touch and we'll get back to you.

Or contact an office near you.

Navigating environmental, social and economic complexity

How can the 2032 Brisbane Games fundamentally transform our communities for the better?

Our Environmental Planning Digital Ecosystem

How does Aurecon's Digital Ecosystem work?

The Digital Ecosystem for planning, design, assessment and reporting

Planning

Design

Assessment

Reporting

CASE STUDY

Digital modelling reduces environmental and social impacts for Transgrid's EnergyConnect

Partnering with our clients to enhance environmental sustainability

Achieving a resilient Asia Pacific takes an unconventional approach to shift the way we think, do and collaborate.

Our services

Planning and approvals

Environmental design and management

Natural capital advisory

Biodiversity and nature positive

Land and soils

Sustainable water

Explore projects

Transforming Limestone Coast Technical College into state-of-the-art education facility using local timber and sustainable design.

Balancing navigational safety and seagrass protection through sustainable dredging at Singapore ferry terminal.

Expediting rebuild of Milner Bay Port wharf, restoring global manganese exports in record time.

Designing the largest indoor sports centre in New Zealand, the resilient Taiwhanga Rehia.

New 24km expressway improves safety, resilience, and connectivity while supporting regional growth.

Designing human-centred integrated modular rail stations for Auckland's southern growth area.

Explore insights

How Auckland can learn from Sydney’s tech boom

How will Asia connect billions through resilient transport systems?

Reducing approval risk in renewable projects through ecology

News, blogs & podcasts

Aurecon recognised as sustainability leader for environmental planning innovation

Environmental twins could save us the day after tomorrow

Ep.67 Resilient infrastructure: protecting the future of our communities

Get in touch with our people

We would love to work with you to bring your ideas to life, so get in touch and we'll get back to you.