The Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978, Section 24B, permits the Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist (eriss) to undertake, on a commercial basis, research on environmental matters for other persons. eriss may undertake research in so far as it is appropriate for the research to be performed by eriss on behalf of the Australian Government. eriss will not undertake commercial work where there is a perceived or actual conflict with its statutory role.
Our professional staff have highly developed skills and recognised expertise. This diverse range of skills offers enables us to provide a comprehensive environmental consulting service with a depth of expertise and breadth of experience equal to almost any challenge. In addition, we have broad experience in working with Indigenous Australians, including helping them address environmental issues and concerns associated with activities on their traditional lands.
The amount of commercial research that eriss can undertake is limited, as the bulk of resources are allocated to meeting its obligations under the Act. Generally, preference will be given to those commercial research projects that focus on maintaining or enhancing eriss’s expertise in the fields of monitoring and researching the impact of uranium mining activities to protect human and ecosystem health, research on tropical river systems and the ecology and conservation of tropical wetlands, however, projects in related fields may be undertaken. The final decision on whether to undertake a project will be based on an assessment of current obligations, available resources, capacity and expertise.
Contact information
- interpretation and analysis
- chemical environmental monitoring
- chemical water quality standard development in compliance with the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality
- site characterisation
- acid rock drainage assessment
- Ultra low level alpha spectrometry for isotopes of U, Th, Ra, Pb and Po
- low level gamma spectrometry
- environmental radionuclide transport
- sedimentation and dating studies
- radionuclides as tracers for erosion
- environmental radiation surveys and assessments
- radon and radon progeny measurement
More information about Environmental Radioactivity and low level radiochemistry
- derivation of site specific water quality limits in compliance with the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality
- whole of effluent ecotoxicological testing
- determination of acute and chronic toxicity of chemicals and complex effluents to local freshwater organisms
More information about Ecotoxicology
Freshwater and wetland ecology and monitoring
- development of biological, chemical and physical monitoring techniques and holistic monitoring regimes
- vulnerability assessments and development of management plans for wetlands
- training in wetlands conservation and management
- interpretation and application of the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality
- freshwater ecology impact assessment
- wetland inventory assessment
- Three-dimensional hydrology, landform evolution and erosion modelling
- catchment impact disturbance assessment
- characterisation and prediction of sediment transport
- remote sensing (satellite and aircraft) data manipulation and rectification
- hyperspectral data processing and interpretation (eg enabling identification of specific minerals, location of acid mine drainage, revegetation assessments and wetland mapping)
- airborne radiometric survey interpretation
- spatial analysis and modelling
- specific quantitative and qualitative environmental risk assessments integrating all areas of SSD expertise
- development of environmental risk management frameworks and operational risk assessment tools
- radiation dose assessment
- radiation risk assessment
- environmental audits complying with requirements of the ISO14000 series of standards by certified auditors
- contaminated site assessment
- environmental site assessment
- SSD staff have participated in the development and delivery of training programs on radioactive waste management and wetlands management for a range of clients.
- Training course development and delivery has been undertaken on behalf of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna and South East Asia and in collaboration with a range of national tertiary institutions and other international organisations.
Ian Furner, Business Manager
Supervising Scientist Division
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 461, Darwin NT 0801, AUSTRALIA
Tel +61 (0)8 89201100
Fax +61 (0)8 8920 1199
Ian.Furner@environment.gov.au
www.environment.gov.au/ssd
ABN 34 190 894 983
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