FUTURE PLUS - Key Persons


Dr Sarah Ball

Sarah is an experience ecologist and field manager with over eight years' experience in the consulting and research industries. She has extensive experience working in the field with catching, handling and monitoring terrestrial species, recording data and managing field teams in both the construction and research fields. Sarah has excellent data analysis and report writing skills and regularly works with a range of stakeholders including contractors, regulators, specialist ecologists and researchers. She as developed innovative monitoring and analytical research methods both in her academic and field management capacities. Sarah's main area of interest is in behavioural and evolutionary ecology which has spanned multiple systems throughout her academic career. Her extensive field experience has included projects in both the marine and terrestrial environments. She is particularly interested in the movement ecology of animals, and how that interacts with their adaptive potential to fluctuating environments.

Fauna Spotter-catcher

Kristen is an experienced fauna spotter-catcher and wildlife trainer/handler/rehabilitator with over 10 years' experience. He worked at Australia Zoo for five years as a Senior Koala and Dingo Trainer where he was primarily responsible for condition training of koalas that came in from the wildlife hospital and were unable to be released, while also working with a range of other native fauna. His koala-specific experience extends to koala rehabilitation, catch and release, health/medical checks, building and maintaining enclosures and collection of suitable eucalypt leaves for feeding. Kristen additionally worked on coal seam mines for several years as a fauna spotter-catcher where he was subsequently promoted to a supervisor role. Since commencing with FPE in 2021, Kristen has been a lead fauna spotter-catcher as well as an environmental technician for various monitoring projects. Sienna is an experienced fauna spotter-catcher/ecologist with five years in the wildlife industry and a passion for conservation of native fauna and their habitats. She has worked as a wildlife rehabilitator, educator, tour guide and fauna spotter-catcher in Victoria, the Northern Territory and Queensland. She has a particular interest in reptiles and has extensive experience as a reptile keeper at Alice Springs Reptile Centre and Australia Zoo, though she has worked with all native vertebrate taxa. Sienna is now a lead fauna spotter-catcher with FPE where she is relied upon for fauna handling, identification, rehabilitation and management.

Jono Hooper

Jono has over 10 years associated experience across a broad range of environmental disciplines, with a particular focus on ecology and a passion for frogs, gained through university studies, extensive volunteer experience, and most recently during the last nine years working full-time at Future-Plus Environmental. Jono's specialist area of frogs includes overseeing and implementing on-ground monitoring and surveys, frog identification and frog/tadpole capture and relocation. He also provides specialist advice and recommendations to clients regarding the management of threatened frog species on construction projects in SE QLD. He played a lead role in the development and implementation of the acid frog offset pond project at Sunshine Coast Airport, where 1.7Ha of breeding ponds were created. For many years, Jono has been directly involved with and coordinated several landfill monitoring and compliance projects allowing him to developed an extensive array of experiences in water and soil quality monitoring, landfill environmental monitoring (surface water, groundwater, leachate and gas) operation of monitoring equipment; report writing and data interpretation. Through his involvement in these areas, Jono has developed a strong working knowledge of environmental monitoring programs, as well as, reliable leadership skills in managing and directing fieldwork. He now manages several landfill monitoring projects and is in regular communication with clients to ensure their needs are met and delivered. Back in the office, Jono initiated and spearheaded the implementation of GIS mapping capabilities using ArcGIS. This resulted in accurate, reliable and professional mapping solutions for clients, whilst also improving efficiency in the field when maps are loaded onto GPS-capable smart devices. In 2022, he also initiated the use of drones to provide up-to-date aerial imagery for mapping and planning purposes and undertaking aerial reconnaissance flight, providing efficiencies over traversing large sites on foot.

Justin Peddersen

Job Titles:
  • Environmental Technician
Justin has experience across a broad range of environmental disciplines gained through employment with Future-Plus Environmental as an Environmental Technician. He has strong capabilities in environmental monitoring including surface water, groundwater, leachate, gas, soil, effluent and contaminated land. Justin utilises his experience in telemetry operating systems to assist FPE with the design, construction, commissioning and maintenance of a network of both telemetry and non-telemetry monitoring loggers/stations (surface water, groundwater, leachate and air quality) throughout Queensland. Through involvement in a diverse range of project field work, data analysis and reports for private clients, local and state government, non-government organisations and community groups, Justin has a demonstrated understanding of matters relating to environmental management, investigation and compliance.

Kaine Pritchard

Job Titles:
  • Environmental Scientist
Kaine is a qualified Environmental Scientist with 20 years' experience in Applied Sciences and Environmental Consulting. Kaine has extensive knowledge across a wide range of disciplines, with core strengths in ecological survey and management, soil and water science and contaminated land investigation and management. Kaine is a senior member of the FPE Team, providing high level project management roles including resource and client management, workplace health and safety, technical input into reporting and review against relevant legislative requirements for projects of all scales for private and both local and state government clients. He has a broad understanding of environmental protection policies, legislation, industry standards and guidelines and their application relevant to civil construction, development, compliance, and conservation projects in regional and residential areas of SE Queensland. Kaine has significant expertise in contaminated land investigations and natural resource management on a variety of sites including heavy industry (including landfills), commercial, domestic and natural areas. This includes specialist knowledge in the design and implementation of water quality (surface, groundwater, leachate, and effluent) monitoring programs, contaminated land investigations, remediation and validation, landfill gas assessments, acid sulphate soil investigations and treatment, revegetation plan designs and application, wastewater assessments and design, and other soil and geotechnical investigations. Kaine is also a skilled Ecologist who has worked on a wide variety of projects including flora and fauna surveys, aquatic health assessments, targeted threatened species management with relation to EBPC Act approvals and preparation and the completion of Species Management Programs.

Luke Craig

Job Titles:
  • Member of IECA
Luke is an member of IECA and active ESCP professional, skilled in the design, development and certification for infrastructure projects.

Michael Baynes

Job Titles:
  • Environmental Scientist
Michael is a qualified Environmental Scientist with over 10 years' consulting experience and has a broad range of knowledge and experience across environmental and applied sciences including: preparation of environmental assessments and environmental management plans; preparation of documentation to support applications for environmental authority and development approvals; and conducting technical assessments, including contaminated land investigation/management/ remediation, acid sulphate soil, site and soil classifications, and water quality assessments. Michael also has extensive experience in developing and implementing environmental monitoring programs encompassing coastal waters, soils, surface water, groundwater, effluent, leachate, gas, noise and dust from a range of heavy industry (landfill), commercial and domestic sites. Michael has also worked extensively in the site assessment, feasibility, planning, design and approval of the management of construction activities on-sites at a range of sites listed on the Environmental Management Register.

Nicholas Evans

Job Titles:
  • Environmental Scientist
Nicholas Evans is an Environmental Scientist/Ecologist with 7 years' experience in the consulting industry across a broad range of applied environmental disciplines. Nick's specialised experience includes ecological assessments, natural resource management, habitat surveys, fauna spotter-catcher works, environmental monitoring (water, soils, gas etc.), and development and implementation of conservation initiatives to achieve positive outcomes for biodiversity in developmental planning. Prior to starting with FPE, Nick provided spotter-catcher services on a range of transport and infrastructure projects for 2 years', where he handled/captured, identified, and cared for a range of native wildlife. He also participated in the collection and submission of specific environmental data for clients, aided in erosion control implementation, environmental auditing, reporting, and performed habitat surveys to located areas of environmental significance. During and proceeding University, Nick additionally worked as a research assistant at the University of the Sunshine Coast in collaboration with lab and field technicians from the Forestry Department to undertake fieldwork, data collect and attain viable samples for study. By doing this Nick developed time and management skills to effectively oversee efficient production and maintenance of tissue culture. This role involved following standard procedures for propagation and maintenance of scientific samples. He also assisted in tutoring lab practical classes and participated in multi-day field trips for data collection.

Paul Wood

Job Titles:
  • Environmental Scientist
Paul is a qualified Environmental Scientist with over 15 years' consulting experience on land development and infrastructure projects throughout Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. As the Project Director for all major projects delivered by FPE, Paul is responsible for providing technical, financial and client management functions to achieve our quality assurance objectives. Paul provides a range of environmental services, from conducting preliminary soil and water investigations and conservation management strategies including environmental investigations and feasibility studies, through to preparation of environmental impact assessments and management plans to support applications for environmental approvals and monitoring and audting implementation. Paul has worked on a diverse range of projects for local and and state government, non-government organisations, community groups and private clients. He has completed projects in a broad range of sectors, including land development, transport, mining and gas/utilities. Paul is often required to provide interpretation, direction and management for a range of complex and multidisciplinary projects, including major linear infrastructure projects. Through this experience, Paul has acquired a strong working knowledge of environmental legislation and regulatory requirements. Paul currently oversees the implementation, financial and human resource management and project direction for a number of projects including soil conservation and ESC, contaminated land investigations, acid sulfate soil investigations, ecological surveys (terrestrial, marine and aquatic), bushfire, water and effluent quality monitoring.

Peter Dews

Peter is a qualified and experienced professional with over 40 years' experience in a broad range of key Civil Engineering Projects, including: design and implementation of erosion control works, design of marine structures and shore protection works, planning and management of major infrastructure developments including subdivisions, roads, pipelines, reservoirs, etc. Peter has extensive experience in planning and construction management of major residential and industrial developments including the construction of major and minor roads, services, road and pedestrian bridges, coastal waterways, jetties, revetment walls, navigation locks, flood control weirs, residential and commercial developments. Other key experience includes Peter's skills in planning, achieveing authority approvals and the development and mangement of processes designed to minimise the risk of environmental damage during project construction. A significant experience in Erosion and Sediment Control Planning and Plan preparation, auditing, design and certification is brought with Peter. Peter works with FPE to provide specialist services including RPEQ certification and reporting.

Samuel Thompson

Job Titles:
  • Environmental Scientist
Sam is an experienced environmental scientist with skills across a diverse range of environmental disciplines, but particularly in geosciences, environmental chemistry and ecology. He excels in contaminated land investigation, management and remediation, environmental compliance monitoring including soil, water (surface and groundwater), noise and air quality, aquatic health assessments, and aquatic ecology. Sam has been involved in a diverse range of projects for private clients, local and state government, non-government organisations, and community groups that have established and expanded his knowledge in the consulting industry.

Simone Forman

Simone commenced working with FPE as an undergraduate and since this time, has developed skills across a diverse range of environmental and ecological disciplines including flora and fauna survey and management, aquatic health, water, soil and air quality, landfill environmental monitoring (surface water, groundwater, leachate and gas), wastewater investigations and design, contaminated land investigations and remediation and more. Through her involvement in project management, field work, data analysis, and preparation of a variety of technical reports, Simone has achieved a strong working knowledge and understanding a number of matters relating to environmental/ecological management and compliance for private clients and local and state government and departments. Simone's main area of interest and capability is in ecology and conservation, which is reflected through her chosen area of tertiary study (animal ecology) and completion of additional training and competencies. Her background in Environmental Science and Ecology stems from highschool, where she received awards for Marine Science and Biology. She then received a Vice-Chancellor's Merit Scholarship from the University of the Sunshine Coast to complete a Bachelor of Science. Simone has an understanding of statutory requirements with respect to environmental matters and is regularly involved in undertaking the required surveys and assessments required to address specific legislative requirements, including complex fauna monitoring projects, preparation of species management programs, undertaking baseline fauna inventory assessments (including trapping and monitoring of target species), and the provision of conservation advice and input into management plans.