Lynise Wearne

In her role as Associate Director for Water, Lynise plays a pivotal role in shaping and delivering large-scale ecological restoration initiatives aimed at enhancing water quality and biodiversity across wetland and riparian landscapes. Her leadership spans the full project lifecycle, including:

• Fostered partnerships with stakeholders to advance organizational goals and promote biodiversity conservation.
• Oversaw budget management for multiple projects, ensuring alignment with financial targets and resource allocation.
• Mentored junior staff, providing guidance on project execution and professional development opportunities.
• Coordinated cross-functional teams to deliver impactful conservation projects aligned with organizational mission and vision.
• Project Origination & Technical Oversight Leads the identification and development of high-impact restoration projects, guiding prioritisation, prefeasibility assessments, detailed design, feasibility studies, and cost modelling.
• Operational Delivery & Monitoring Collaborates closely with operations teams to oversee on-ground implementation, ecological monitoring, and performance reporting, ensuring projects meet environmental and stakeholder objectives.
• Strategic Partnerships & Market Integration Prepares client proposals and cultivates strategic partnerships to expand program reach. Evaluates projects against emerging environmental markets such as Blue Carbon and Reef Credits, aligning restoration efforts with innovative funding mechanisms.
• Co-Design with Traditional Owners Champions inclusive project development through co-design with Traditional Owner groups. Lynise has been instrumental in evolving Greening Australia’s approach to Indigenous engagement, setting new standards for respectful collaboration and shared stewardship.

• Ensuring Financial Sustainability and Growth of the Program (20%)
• Development of Strategy and Goals – Yearly, five years and 2030 (10%)
• Development of new partnerships and new investment opportunities (10%)
• Provides guidance and support to operational and technical staff, modelling values driven behaviours; staff development, annual performance planning and review (10%)
• Project Development, management and costing (10%)
• Initiates improvements for overall strategic direction, implements solutions and regularly seeks feedback, able to focus on vision and direction setting (10%);
• Managing remote teams from Cairns through to Brisbane (10 staff) (10%)

• Successful development of large complex project proposals, including financial (within NAV / associated margins); staff requirements and key project partners (State and Federal government, industry partners, research organisations) (25%)
• Project Management; including control of budget; staff resourcing; equipment management/ preparation (preparation); workplace health and safety requirements; client liaison; and ensuring all project milestones are completed (20%)
• Stakeholder engagement with Federal and State government; NRM bodies, local councils and industry partners (BHP/Virgin/Ian Potter) (20%)
• Development and analysis of strategic plans for Reef Aid and 2030 goals (20%)

• Ecological and vegetation expertise and assessments undertaken in northern New South Wales, central and southern Queensland (40%)
• Writing, analysis and review of ecological assessments reports, construction management plans, offset management plans, species management plans, and weed management protocols (25%)
• Successful development of large complex project proposals, including financial and staff requirements (State and Federal government, resource industry, private developers), survey methodology, legislative review and delivery (10%)
• Project Management; including control of budget; staff resourcing; equipment management/ preparation (preparation); workplace health and safety requirements; client liaison; and ensuring all project milestones are completed (20%)
• Business development (5%) (including presentations to clients, networking breakfasts, etc)

• Literature review/ development of threatened flora and fauna species (EPBC Act and NC Act) profiles (e.g. description, habitat requirements, distribution, threats and management) and current/potential distribution maps (50%)
• Species distribution modelling (using MAXENT and ARCGIS) (30%)
• Surveying private land - regrowth vegetation and associated remnant vegetation for potential carbon storage (associated with Federal Carbon Farming Initiative) (20%)

• Successful development and management of large research project (in collaboration with researchers in Townsville and Brisbane) on the ecology and impacts of the invasive macrophytes (Hymenachne amplexicaulis) across Queensland, Northern Territory and New South Wales (60%)
• Stakeholder engagement with landholders, NRM bodies, councils, and state governments, including development of workshops and meetings (10%)
• Successful development and management of additional grant/ research projects, including the ‘seedbank restoration methods of wetlands’ and joint application with the Nywaigi traditional owners regarding the development of wetland management strategy for the Mungulla wetlands (5%)
• Development, analysis and writing of report and research papers/ conferences (20%)
• Management and development of projects for graduate students (5%)

• Review of scientific reports and engagement with research scientists throughout Victoria regarding threatened flora and fauna species and vegetation communities affected by bushfires within National Parks (30%).
• Produced ‘Post-fire Management Strategy’ detailing current status, threatening processes, risks and recommendations for ongoing and future management and research of threatened species/communities (40%).
• Involved in writing and developing ‘Pest Plant Protocols’ and ‘State of the Parks – weed analysis’ (30%)

• Lead ecologist responsible for the development, monitoring and analysis of a large (5 year) complex project for Parks Victoria to understand best practice chemical management methods for Cytisus scoparius and impacts on native vegetation communities (100%).

• Project manager for large research project understanding the impacts and ecology of invasive plants (Cytisus scoparius) in the subalpine regions of Victoria. Specific project tasks included: a ground based surveying of subalpine vegetation; understanding impacts to biodiversity (including seed bank/ seed rain/ above ground floristics) and associated environment (soil, litter, light); and researching the potential restoration of subalpine vegetation following the removal of invasive plants (85%)
• Management of undergraduate students, lecturer and first year practical coordinator (15%)