What's your job about?
BMD Urban is a civil construction company with a range of different projects, including earthworks, roadworks, and pipeworks. My job is to work with site management to ensure that we’re meeting our environmental obligations and are compliant with any relevant legislation and standards.
Each day is different, but on a typical day, I’ll visit a few of our sites to check on them. I’ll usually do a site inspection in the paddock to check out what’s happening on the ground and then check that all the required documentation is in place. I’ll also have a chat with site management to ensure we’re planning for any environmental issues we may encounter as the project progresses to the next stage.
One of the biggest focuses for the environmental team in South East Queensland is erosion and sediment control. During earthworks, there’s a big risk of exposed dirt leaving the site and ending up in local waterways, which can be a major source of pollution. BMD spends a lot of time and resources to ensure that as little dirt as possible leaves our sites, and the environmental team works closely with site management to make sure we’re using the right controls and that they’re adapted as projects progress.
What's your background?
I grew up in Moreton Bay and graduated from Redcliffe State High School. I moved up to the Sunshine Coast for University and studied for a Bachelor of Environmental Science at USC. I worked in retail during uni, which helped me develop interpersonal skills that I still use every day at BMD. I got practical experience while studying by volunteering at a local native nursery and local Bushcare groups. I was also lucky enough to spend three weeks in Borneo on a research trip for uni, which was one of the highlights of my degree.
After uni, I moved back to Brisbane and worked as an HSE consultant for about a year. My work was mostly with asbestos, which was interesting but not what I wanted to do career-wise, so I decided to move on to BMD and have been here almost a year now.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes, but a similar degree would be essential. You learn a lot on the job, but background knowledge is crucial. However, the most important skill you need is people skills. I work with a lot of people with clashing priorities and different ways of approaching situations and handling conflict. You need to be able to adapt your approach based on the person and situation to ensure you can work with them and end up on the same page.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
I love the really challenging moments. Our sites change so rapidly, so it can sometimes be difficult to ensure that we have adequate controls in place as our works progress. In those situations, we work with foremen, project managers and area managers to find a solution that will protect the environment but stay within the budget and timeframe of the project. The conversations are not always easy, but it’s so satisfying to find a solution that everyone agrees on.
What are the limitations of your job?
It can take time to build relationships and gain the trust of site management. In the early months, I felt like an outsider when visiting sites, especially as oftentimes I’d only get to visit every few weeks, and the conversations would usually be centred around issues that needed to be fixed. I have built good working relationships, but it’s taken time.
I work Monday-Friday. However, have been called in for a few hours on a weekend to deal with an incident (did get an early knock the next Friday though!).
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