Johanna is a principal scientist with over eighteen years’ experience in ecological assessment, waterway management, environmental monitoring, reporting and policy. She has completed field-based vegetation and habitat condition assessments in different environments, ranging from riparian areas surrounding rivers and wetlands, through to coastal, inland, and alpine zones. Management planning, monitoring design and implementation have also been key aspects of her career. She has designed and coordinated numerous environmental and waterway action plans, as well as monitoring programs which identify condition, trajectory and adaptive management approaches for future works. She has an excellent understanding of waterway processes, developed through her work with a range of waterway engineers, geomorphologists, aquatic scientists and agency staff.

Johanna has also managed large, statewide, multi-disciplinary environmental projects which aim to change and improve the management and monitoring of environmental assets. Examples of this work are the development of a biophysical assessment method for Tasmania’s rivers and streams (the Tasmanian River Condition Index) for the three Tasmanian NRMs; and the Securing Priority Riparian Areas project for the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). The coordination of project teams and stakeholder engagement was a significant component of this work.

Johanna worked in DELWP’s water policy division for seven years and has a strong understanding of policy development, strategic planning, and legislative frameworks across a range of jurisdictions in Australia. Johanna has an excellent working knowledge of Victoria’s native vegetation and protection legislation and is registered with DELWP as a competent Vegetation Quality Assessment (VQA) assessor. 

Johanna is passionate about her work, the natural resource management industry, and its community. She was Secretary of the Australian River Basin Management Society (RBMS) from 2011-2016 and has helped to organise several Australian Stream Management Conferences and industry seminars in Victoria.

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