Last month the Legislative Council’s Portfolio Committee No. 4 - Regional NSW handed down its final report into the impact of renewable energy zones (REZ) on rural and regional communities and industries in NSW.  The inquiry contained specific findings related to social impact assessment (SIA) and recommended the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure review the SIA process so assessments are standardised, independently verified, and expanded. As a qualified and experienced SIA practitioner working across two REZs in NSW, we asked our Senior Social Planner Sonya Pascoe to share her views on the report.

Environmental consultant Emma Spires joined Onward three years ago as an intern while she completed her university degree in environmental science. At the time, she knew very little about the world of environmental consulting and wasn't quite sure what to expect from working in a company like Onward.

Looking back, one thing Emma wished she’d had before starting was an insider's perspective. She’s shared a few of the lessons she’s learned from her time at Onward.

Nyah Moore joined Onward’s Graduate Program in February after graduating from the University of Newcastle in late 2025. We invited her to write about her first months working as an Environmental Consultant.

Projects today need to meet and maintain a range of requirements to ensure they are environmentally compliant. Staying on top of complex and ever-evolving environmental regulations can be challenging, especially without the right tools and processes.

Having an appropriate environmental compliance management system in place can streamline project compliance. There are a range of off-the-shelf and customisable software options available to make compliance management a breeze, as Environmental Consultant Emma Ferguson explains.

Learning Python may seem like a bit of a steep learning curve to those of us not familiar with programming languages, but it’s become the go-to timesaver for the Onward Spatial Services team.

Spatial analyst and environmental project manager Melania Massingham shares her learnings about the only snake welcome in our offices.