Meet the team

ERIAS’ Principals average more than 25 years’ experience through industry appointments and as consulting advisers with international energy and resource companies. Our Principals are supported by senior consultants with technical expertise in a range of disciplines including terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecology, social impact assessment, stakeholder engagement, environmental chemistry, land management, oceanography, spatial data analysis (GIS) and closure landform modelling.

David Browne

David has over 30 years of experience in the mining, oil and gas, energy, infrastructure and agricultural industries, which includes environmental and social impact assessments, closure plans, the management of potential acid-forming waste rock and tailings, community consultation and operations management.

David has worked on resource and energy development projects in most Australian states and territories, and elsewhere in Asia-Pacific (New Zealand, China, Indonesia) and Africa (Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Ghana), and has held Environment Manager positions with Pasminco, Normandy Mining, Newmont Mining and Origin Energy. Prior to ERIAS, David was General Manager ESIA (South Australia/Northern Territory) and then CEO of the environment and social performance service line in a large consulting firm.

Andrew Pym

Andrew is an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Management specialist with over 28 years’ experience in the energy, resources (mining and oil & gas) and infrastructure sectors, undertaking projects in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Malawi, New Caledonia, China, New Zealand, Indonesia and Argentina. He is experienced in ESIA and management services including: design, management, review and reporting of major project environmental and social impact assessments to IFC standard; construction and operations environmental management and monitoring (EMS and EMP development and implementation); environmental compliance and due diligence auditing; and social performance management (strategic advice and stakeholder engagement planning and implementation).

Andrew began his career with Santos and has subsequently undertaken contract assignments with BHP Petroleum, APA Group and British Gas/Shell. He has a strong grounding in energy, petroleum and mining development and operations issues management and has conducted audits in Australia, Papua New Guinea, China and New Zealand for lenders and pre-acquisition due diligence, regulatory compliance and decommissioning/relinquishment planning and implementation programs.

Michael Wright

Michael has over 25 years consulting and industry experience in environmental and social permitting studies, environmental management, auditing, due diligence and project management for the mining, oil & gas and power generation industries. Michael has a particular focus on marine and freshwater environmental management and has worked in Australia, throughout the Asia-Pacific, Africa, United Kingdom, the Americas and international waters. Michael has held industry positions with resource companies and was previously Papua New Guinea Manager for a large consulting firm.

Luci David

Luci has over 25 years of consulting experience and has gained practical experience of both site and corporate activities through several secondments to mining companies during that time. Luci specialises in project direction/management and projects have included environmental assessment and management of mining, gas and infrastructure projects in Australia, the Asia-Pacific and Africa. This has included scoping studies, baseline and characterisation investigations, environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs), environmental and social management plans (ESMPs), stakeholder engagement, sustainability reporting, liability assessments and compliance reviews/audits. Several of these projects have involved working with either the World Bank/IFC or their performance standards and guidelines

Clark Monaghan

Clark is an aquatic scientist and chemist with over 20 years’ experience in environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA), particularly the assessment and management of impacts from greenfield resource projects in tropical, high-rainfall environments. Clark has worked on over 40 projects in all Australian states and nine other countries (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Lao PDR, New Caledonia, Central America, Indonesia, Ghana, Guinea and Greenland).

Clark has extensive experience managing, conducting and reviewing environmental studies and investigations to meet international standards, and is experienced in the assessment of sediment transport in riverine and marine systems; freshwater, coastal and marine chemistry; and freshwater and marine ecology, particularly assessing risks due to exposure to contaminants.

Greg Terrens

Greg has over 30 years’ experience as an environmental specialist and senior environmental advisor working on all environmental aspects of oil and gas exploration and production projects, operations and decommissioning. He has filled roles ranging from Senior Environmental Advisor with ExxonMobil with extensive experience in oil and gas operations and new projects in Victoria, Western Australia, UK and west Africa. He has led new facility oil and gas project approvals in the Middle East with a large international consulting firm.

Melanie Brown

Melanie is a social performance and stakeholder engagement specialist with over 15 years’ experience in mining, energy, infrastructure, tourism and natural resource management. Melanie has delivered multiple environmental and social impact assessments and management plans for projects in Papua New Guinea, Australia and Tanzania, and has expertise in planning and executing socio-economic field surveys, ecosystem services assessments and stakeholder engagement strategies. Melanie also specialises in sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies and reporting.

Scott Breschkin

Scott is an aquatic scientist specialising in designing, managing and executing marine and freshwater surveys and conducting environmental impact assessments for oil and gas, infrastructure, energy, mining, and port development projects. Scott has worked on projects in temperate and tropical environments throughout Australia, as well as internationally, particularly in the tropical Pacific, often in remote and challenging environments. Scott’s expertise includes conducting ecological surveys, water and sediment quality investigations and oceanographic surveys. Scott’s approach is to work with clients and regulators to design robust, defendable and fit-for-purpose solutions that are easily communicated to relevant stakeholders to assist in environmental permitting, approvals, monitoring and management.

Muse Opiang

Muse Opiang is senior environmental specialist, with specific training in tropical biodiversity. He has 17 years of experience in Terrestrial Biodiversity Research & Conservation, Training & Mentoring and working for energy and resource industries in Papua New Guinea. His focus is to find appropriate solutions to biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability through research, practical project development and management, capacity building, communication, and leadership.

Muse has worked on resource projects in Papua New Guinea at both a practical and strategic level, and his areas of expertise includes environmental approvals, monitoring and management, the design and implementation of environmental investigations, audits, waste management strategies and project management.