The EIANZ Board met on Wednesday 2 November in Brisbane. Many issues were discussed, with highlights including:

• 2015-16 Annual Report, Financial Statements and Audit - The Board discussed the Institute’s Annual Report that highlighted achievements from the year. The focus on good financial management resulted in a substantial surplus and positive audit outcome for the financial year.
• New initiatives fund - To facilitate the development and implementation of new initiatives that are aligned with the Corporate Plan, the Board established a fund that Divisions, the NZ Chapter, Board Committees and Special Interest Sections can utilise. $30,000 is available this financial year.
• Financial management – The finalisation of several projects to improve the financial management of the Institute was discussed, including the transition to Xero accounting software across the Institute, the single banking entity and the payment gateway for NZ residents. The Board thanked treasurers from all Australian Divisions and the NZ Chapter, the Finance Committee and EIANZ staff for their hard work in delivering these projects.
• Qualifications Accreditation Scheme – The Board agreed to appoint a working group to progress the potential establishment of a scheme to provide accreditation to universities for environmental courses and programs, similar to schemes operated by other professional associations. The working group will initially undertake a pilot of the assessment process for one university program, then other universities will be invited to be involved.
• Staged Training for Environmental Practitioners (STEPS) – It was agreed to prioritise the establishment of a strategic review into the STEPS program, as flagged in the Corporate Plan. As part of the review, engagement with members will be undertaken over the next few months.
• Special Interest Sections – The creation of a new Heritage Special Interest Section was confirmed, with interim chair Richard Sharp FEIANZ CenvP at the helm.
• Annual conferences – The Board noted the excellent work in delivering the 2016 Annual Conference in Brisbane and confirmed that the 2017 Annual Conference will be held in Wellington, NZ on 30 and 31 October 2017.

In addition to the Board meeting, joint meetings were held with the Advisory Council and the Certification Board. The final Board meeting for 2016 will be held on Thursday 15 December.