Environmental Approvals and Nature Impact- Queensland

Environmental approvals are no longer just a regulatory step - they’re a strategic lever for unlocking Australia’s next wave of infrastructure, investment, and innovation.

WSP has partnered with the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) for their environmental approvals and nature impact event series. Stay tuned as we share event updates, bold ideas, practical insights, and key takeaways.

As the nation races toward net zero, the systems that govern how we plan and approve infrastructure are under pressure. Fragmented processes, regulatory overlap, and capacity limitations are slowing down the very projects that we need to power our economy.

This national conversation isn’t just about policy - it’s about reimagining how we plan, approve, and deliver infrastructure that supports both people and planet. From digital tools that streamline decision-making to co-designed reforms that cut through red tape, the future of environmental approvals is smarter, faster, and more collaborative.

If we want to build faster, smarter, and more sustainably, we need to start with better planning and better decisions underpinned by better policy.

Matthew Uidam Managing Director, Earth and Environment, WSP

Matthew Uidam Managing Director, Earth and Environment, WSP

Explore Matthew's most recent article 'Unlocking certainty: Why Australia must invest early to build smarter'.

Event Details

Wednesday, 12 November 2025 11:30 am – 2:00 pm

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre,
Corner Merivale and Glenelg Streets, Brisbane

Visit the CEDA event page for further information.

At this event, we’ll explore pathways under Queensland’s environmental approvals frameworks to streamline processes, support sustainable development, and gain more project certainty. We’ll also examine anticipated federal reforms, how they may affect assessment pathways, and how industry is balancing development with nature impact assessments.

Speakers

Keynote
Dr Ken Henry AC
Chair, The Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation

Panelist
Rob Lawrence
Deputy Director-General, Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

Speaker
Bill McCredie
Partner, Allens

Panelist
Senior Representative
Queensland Renewable Energy Council

Facilitator
Matthew Uidam
Managing Director, Earth and Environment, WSP

Panelist
Jana Dore
Policy Director External Affairs, Queensland Resources Council

Panelist
Dr Liz Young
Research Director, Queensland Decarbonisation Hub, Principal Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Futures, The University of Queensland

Insights

Valuing what matters – Factoring in nature and biodiversity

We spoke to WSP’s Alex Cockerill, National Executive – Ecology, and Kanya Raj, Senior Economist – Infrastructure Advisory, about how to recognise, measure, and protect the value of nature.

Learn more

Tackling the two top challenges in major project delivery

Mining projects have always been complex, but the race to accelerate critical minerals projects in order to meet renewable energy targets is putting the sector under increasing pressure.

Learn more

Learning from Country for a water-resilient future

With a growing population and a changing climate, we have a real opportunity to learn from Traditional Owners in managing our water resources for a sustainable and resilient future.

Learn more

Projects

EnergyConnect

Essential to ensuring security and reliability of the grid to support increasing renewable energy connections, the new EnergyConnect transmission line will link New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria and would assist in transporting energy from the South-West Renewable Energy Zone to major demand centres.

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Land iQ

The Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure, working with its partners WSP and Giraffe has developed a world first, whole of government spatial tool to transform planning and pre-development processes.

Learn more

Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone

For Australia to achieve net zero, the National Electricity Market (NEM) must transform. To fill the gap as coal-fired generation progressively retires, renewable energy zones (REZs) have been identified as hubs for new generation, storage and transmission infrastructure.

Learn more