As we move toward the end of 2016, its timely to reflect on our achievements this year, and to start thinking about the year ahead.

The new Board assumed responsibility for EIANZ’s governance at in October 2015. Across its first year, the Board focused on supporting delivery of first class member services, assuring good governance and sound financial management, and improving our communications with members. Our longer term aim is to continually improve the value offering to current and potential members. Our hope and expectation is that in doing this we will see growth in membership. The more members we have, the better the services we can provide to our members and the broader profession.

Our Divisions and the NZ Chapter have continued to deliver first class  professional development and networking events throughout 2016. Many members would have enjoyed the benefits of their EIANZ membership through participating in these events. Amongst the many, many initiatives delivered, I did want to mention the success of the Climate Change SIS ‘Learning to Adapt’ program.

This three module training  package has now established itself as the leading, and indeed award winning, professional development program responding to the challenges of climate change. My congratulations in particular go to Tom Davies MEIANZ, as SIS Chair, for his work building this program, and to EIANZ member and former NSW Division President, Fabian Sack FEIANZ, for leading its delivery.

Within the Board and Advisory Council we’ve been working to consolidate our new governance structure. I thank the Advisory Council members, and in particular, its Chair, Mark Brietfuss, for his work leading the Council.

At the Board we’ve focused on:

• developing an updated Corporate Plan,
• preparing a Statement of Corporate Governance,
• securing our financial base, improving our finance and event management systems,
• securing a new contract for the Australasian Journal of Environmental management (AJEM), including the option for electronic distribution to members
• improving member communications (eg via both The Environmental Practitioner, and the new Institute Insider)
• delivering our first Institute webinar, and
• representing EIANZ at national levels in both Australia and NZ, and much more.

It has been a busy and rewarding first year for this Board. With these foundations now in place, we look forward to reaping the rewards of that work for our members.

Our greatest opportunity and challenge remains membership growth. As we seek to deliver more and better services to our members, our capacity to do so is set by our finances. Membership is the primary driver of our budgets and so membership growth means that we can do off the solid base we have developed.

I urge members to encourage others in the profession to join EIANZ, to benefit from our current programs and work.  And to help us expand these over the coming years.

Thanks for being a member of EIANZ.