Sustainability Specialist

wasn’t the career I was looking for Of all the subjects I studied in this degree, those related to sustainability were my favourites

My first substantial role in the built environment was in town planning Initially I assessed development applications at Pittwater Council These ranged from alterations and additions to multi-unit residential development applications and everything in between

I then moved on to land release planning This role required me to develop the masterplan for the suburb of Ingleside and implement the Warriewood Valley masterplan I really enjoyed this work, especially as it fuelled my interest in sustainability

Anja Te Wake (RALPH 2003)

Quickly realising that a career in sustainability was the right career path for her, Old Girl Anja Te Wake (RALPH 2003) now works at the NSW Department of Planning and Environment to help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change. Here, Anja shares how she channelled her passion for the environment into a fulfilling profession.

Tell us what you have been up to since graduating from SCEGGS.

After graduating from SCEGGS, I completed a Bachelor of Architecture at UTS I enjoyed the course, but realised that architecture

While working in planning, I completed a Masters of Environmental Planning at Macquarie University

Pittwater Council was then amalgamated to form Northern Beaches Council, at which point I became the sustainability lead for strategic planning projects In this role I was tasked with obtaining a Green Star Communities rating for the land release areas and developing the sustainability section of their Local Strategic Planning Statement

My next role was at the City of Sydney where I was one half of the team that developed and implemented the multi-award-winning project –Planning for Net Zero Energy Buildings This project implemented new planning rules for commercial developments, hotels and shopping centres, requiring them to have zero emissions from energy use This project was ground breaking as it was the first time in Australia that developments would be required through planning rules to obtain offsite renewables for the energy they couldn’t produce themselves

While at the City of Sydney, I also led projects that resulted in new planning rules requiring developments to increase their canopy cover by up to 15% and for the first time, implement biodiversity corridors

After leaving the City of Sydney, my family and I travelled around Australia for seven months This was an amazing opportunity and I loved seeing all of the remarkable ecosystems, flora and fauna Australia has to offer Our trip reinforced my commitment to working in the environment field, where I can help ensure these ecosystems are protected for future generations

Upon returning from our travels I entered my current role in climate change adaptation at the NSW Department of Planning and Environment .

How did your contributions to the City of Sydney’s “Planning for Net Zero Energy Buildings” influence your career?

Although I’m currently working in climate change adaptation, my role in the Planning for Net Zero Energy Buildings project highlighted to me how much I like working in climate change mitigation It also confirmed that a sustainability focused role is part of the right career path for me

In addition, the stakeholder engagement work we did for the Planning for Net Zero Buildings project significantly expanded my network to include others working in all aspects of the built environment and sustainability

I’m sure I will draw on this expanded network and my improved stakeholder engagement skills for future projects

What does your role at the NSW Department of Planning and Environment entail?

Unlike my previous roles that focused on climate change mitigation or biodiversity conservation and enhancement, in my current Resilience Planning role I help communities adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change and other shocks and stresses, such as infrastructure failure

I am currently working on the NSW Government’s response to the 28 recommendations of the 2022 Flood

Inquiry into the catastrophic floods that occurred across NSW between 2020 and 2022 My focus is on the 10 recommendations that relate to planning

What impact has technology had on your industry?

Modelling for climate change mitigation or adaptation has had the biggest impact . Examples I have worked on where it has been beneficial include:

• modelling different scenarios of how a building functions while using different infrastructure and systems to determine the most cost-effective way to achieve net zero energy

• flood modelling to identify different flood levels and how development, cut and fill impact those levels and the flood function .

How can current students prepare for a career path in strategy planning and sustainability?

If you have a passion for sustainability or planning, studying in any relevant field will help you to secure a role in either They are such diverse fields with a huge range of jobs, so they usually don’t require a specific qualification Your passion is the most important thing! Another piece of advice would be, once you have started your career, don’t be afraid to move around within the field until you find the right role for you In my career, I have had many roles focusing on slightly different things and there are still many more different roles that I could try Generally, in sustainability, there are two types of roles – policy writing and project implementation Gaining an understanding if you prefer writing or project management, will also help you to determine your career path