2022

We are proud to have achieved #10 in the 2022 Australia Best Workplaces list (Medium business category) and listed as one of 30 Best Places to work for Women. We have incredible people on board doing extraordinary work to make a difference to the world.

#10 in the 2022 Australia Best Workplaces

2022

Performance review of Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder

2021

Alluviums Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) has been developed and drives an aspirational and innovative approach to applying the three pillars of reconciliation – relationships, respect and opportunities. We aim to shape a better Australia where the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and hence all Australians, are improved through a deeper level of understanding, leading to mutual respect and opportunity.

Completion of Reconciliation Action Plan

2021

EcoFutures was created in 2021 to provide policy, strategy and planning advice associated with ecological systems. Our focus is on solving complex problems including climate change adaptation and catchment scale systems analysis and management. Our ecologists also support delivery across the broader Alluvium group.

Launched Eco Futures

2021

Alluvium has become a leading provider of the Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy (CHAS) work being delivered under the QCoast2100 program in Queensland. Our work has been recognised as setting a new standard in coastal hazard science and engineering and meaningfully engaging stakeholders and the broader community in the process is fundamental to our approach. The development of the strategy has a strong focus on understanding the needs of stakeholders and communities and integrates technical assessments that respond to increasing sea-levels and changing climate and includes a robust economic assessment, and flexible and adaptable management and engineering options. Our work provides each coastal Council with a long-term strategy for the future management of their coastal areas.

Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategies

2020

We play a significant role in helping our clients to better understand relationships between green blue infrastructure and community health.

Working for Melbourne Water we developed a prioritisation process to identify specific locations for investment. This work was based on the cooling potential, and heat vulnerability of the surrounding population, population density, stormwater benefit and broader urban forest policy in Melbourne’s Local Government Areas. The data was incorporated into a Power BI dashboard with Mapbox as a tool for displaying and engaging with spatial data.

Urban Cooling Dashboard

2020

We believe the road to sustainability is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. As much as we have optimised our office environment and business processes to be energy efficient, but we acknowledge the fact that we will always have some environmental impact as an organisation. We have embedded new policy to achieve a zero carbon impact by purchasing only the highest quality, verifiable carbon offsets that can be purchased in the market

Carbon footprint

2020

Alluvium’s team have been active over the past decade in advancing the policy, science, planning, and engineering of waterway naturalisation. We recently helped to transform a 1.6 km section of concrete channel into a naturalised waterway in Ipswich and reimagined 1.4 km of Arnolds Creek in Melton West.

We are recognised as leading the industry where we create designs to maximise social and community benefits, along with ecological and flood management outcomes. Advancing the social value of our design work we now partner with entities such as the medical and rehabilitation industry to pursue biophilic design solutions and incorporate patient recovery considerations into to waterway naturalisation design.

Channel Naturalisation

2020

It is not often you get to design an whole new city. Alluvium teamed with the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC) to develop a Water Sensitive City vision and strategy for the new city of Amaravati in India which will become the state of Andhra Pradesh new capital city.

We delivered an investigation to inform design objectives and targets for hydrology, water quality, IWM (water reuse and water related energy usage), urban heat mitigation, ecology, social amenity/function and urban form.

The project delivered a water sensitive vision and objectives, urban heat management plan and a stormwater management strategy to be integrated into the city design.

Designing a new water sensitive city

2020

Working with Agrifutures, we undertook a review of capital requirements of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector combined a review of historical data with economic modelling to develop an understanding of how investment levels contribute to sector growth, what barriers exist and how these could be overcome. The report found an annual investment of $8.7 billion is required to meet the NFF’s target and grow the annual value of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector from just over $63 billion to $100 billion.

Capital requirements for Agricultural sector

2019

We have always aimed to take on the biggest and most complex challenges, and the work associated with the Great Barrier Reef certainly falls into this category.

One of our core skills in our business in the translation of science, modelling and monitoring into decision frameworks and the application of those into investment plans and on-ground actions.

In 2019 Alluvium, Natural Capital Economics and Central Queensland University led the development of an integrated hydro economic model which provided empirical data on the efficacy of policy options to reduce the export of sediment and nutrients from the GBR catchment.

Our work now informs investment priorities for the Federal Government via the Reef Foundation.

Protecting the Great Barrier Reef

2019

We have been supporting both State and Federal Governments in Australia for over a decade to understand solutions to balancing environmental, consumptive and cultural needs for the provision of water.

Engaged by the Australian Water Partnership, Alluvium in conjunction with Natural Capital Economics, WWF, Badu Consulting, and Latrobe University, are now supporting the advancement of environmental flows in Myanmar. This will include identifying options in terms of policy, guidelines and governance for the adoption of environmental flows in Myanmar, and developing a technical method for determining environmental flow requirements, using case study sites in the Ayeyarwady Basin

Development of options for advancing environmental flows in Myanmar

2019

Our business is highly committed to the integration of science and economics in decision making and we fit well with work associated with the economic assessment of ecosystem services and environmental water management.

As an example, in 2018 Natural Capital Economics and Alluvium were engaged by the Australian Water Partnership to deliver an ecosystem services valuation for the Arawanty river in Myanmar.

We are very focused on the economics of environmental water, and have been leading domestic and international projects to understand the economic value of the provision of environmental water in State and Regional water Resource Management Plans.

Ecosystem services and environmental water economics

2019

Engaged by the Queensland Government we took on the challenge to quantify the impact of 10 years of funding into Natural Resource Management investment across Queensland.

Through a comprehensive engagement process and development of an evaluation framework we mapped the impact on the environment, communities and economy.

Evaluation of 10 years of investment into NRM

2019

2019 completed another period of growth where we pursued opportunities to expand nationally and internationally. We opened an office in Newcastle in 2017, Byron Bay in 2018 and New Dehli (India) in 2018

Expansion into New Dehli, Newcastle and Byron Bay

2018

Working with a specialist team of economists, lawyers and policy advisors, Alluvium led a project understand the costs and benefits of trading or selling water to the Commonwealth or others market participants under either a trading platform or via the water efficiency measures.

This body of work helped the ACT to consider the optimum approach to water management which can meet the needs for the current and future population and allows the generation of income which may be directed to funding better catchment and river health outcomes.

Enabling Water Trade in the ACT

2018

In 2014 Alluvium started what was a long, complex and ultimately rewarding effort to support the NSW Government in reconfiguring the Nimmie Caira as part of the $180 million water saving project. This was arguably one of the most ambitious environmental project to come out of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

This project is an excellent example of where we can work on developing an enduring solution to delivery of both ecological and commercial outcomes, and more specifically, 85,000 hectares of a floodplain will come back to natural life.

Realising commercial and ecological outcomes for the Nimmie Caira

2018

2018 was indeed a milestone with the delivery of our 3000th project.

Our 3000th project was supporting Hunter Water Corporation to develop a Stormwater Harvesting Decision Framework.

3000 projects milestone

2018

Bringing together the skills of Alluvium and Mosaic Insights we have been advancing the understanding of the relationships between green infrastructure and urban cooling. We are leading providers in quantifying the urban heat island effect on a range of scales from the street level to the city-wide scale, and from there modelling the cooling potential of blue-green infrastructure and WSUD. In 2018 we led a key piece or work to analyse the cooling benefit of urban forestry and irrigation for the city of Amaravati in India.

WSUD and urban cooling at a city scale

2018

Our Journey reflects a determined drive to continually evolve our business and in 2018 our focus had turned to the social landscape and how our urban water work in particular would benefit from pursing design solutions guided by human welfare outcomes as well as river health.

Mosaic Insights was created to allow us to focus on understanding social landscapes and to help our clients to create resilient, liveable landscapes that connect people, support ecological systems and increase economic opportunities.

The creation of Mosaic Insights closes the loop on our ability to think through and solve problems extending across biophysical, economic and social issues.

Mosaic Insights

2018

The expansion into coastal management was a natural progression to allow us to deliver a complete catchment to coast consulting practice.

We have become one the leading providers of coastal strategy and planning for climate adaptation, and the first consultant nationally to deliver a complete Coastal Hazard Assessment Strategy for the Queensland Government, setting the benchmark for quality in this process.

We bring together and understanding of hydrology, coastal processes, inundation modelling and economics to deliver coastal consulting services nationally which help to describe and mitigate coastal hazard risks.

Coastal services integrated to Alluvium offering

2017

The establishment of Natural Capital Economics and Mosaic Insights in our business has allowed us to work in areas much more focused on human welfare outcomes. We now focus on projects relating to understanding of climate change impacts and adaptation measures.

Natural Capital Economics and Alluvium teamed to deliver a key project for the State Government to understand the economic impact from extreme heat on infrastructure, rural production, the environment and on urban populations.

This project is a perfect example of where science and economics needs to be highly integrated to produce meaningful project outcomes.

Economic Vulnerability Assessment of Extreme Heat to Victoria

2017

Natural Capital Economics (NCEconomics) was formed in late 2016 to bring to the market a unique economics practice that was highly committed to the integration of science and economics in decision making.

Since its launch, NCEconomics has rapidly become an economic consultant of choice where clients are seeking to understand more complex issues associated with water resources, climate change and natural resource economics.

Launched Natural Capital Economics

2017

We view water as well as being essential for life and critical enabler for improving liveability. It can help to green cities to provide shade and help in connecting the community to their streetscapes, open spaces and natural assets.

Our work in Integrated Water Management Planning always includes objectives around social inclusiveness, community health and economic prosperity.

We have led the industry to consider how water can be used to create sustainable, liveable and healthy communities. We believe effective use of water in urban can make a material difference to the future wellbeing of the community.

Redefining community benefit outcomes form urban water management

2017

Waterway restoration design is a core part of our DNA and in 2017 we were proud to win the ‘Technical excellence in waterway management’ award at the River Basin Management Society Awards Night.

We led the transformation design of Stony Creek in western Melbourne as one of the largest waterway naturalisation projects in Australia. The project has been recognised for its innovation in bringing together elements of river engineering, open space management, and liveability.

This work has set the benchmark for urban waterway naturalisation and supported other key projects such as developing channel naturalisation policy in Sydney and naturalisation of Cottage Creek in Newcastle.

Winner – Technical Excellence in Waterway Management Award – channel naturalisation

2016

Responding to increasing international opportunities, Alluvium International was created to focus our efforts and manage different risks and governance needs that international work brings.

Alluvium works with clients such as the Asian Development Bank, World Bank and Australian Water Partnership in countries mainly across the Asia-Pacific.

Alluvium International has an office in New Dehli in India, and has delivered work in India, Laos PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Samoa Nepal, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tuvalu, New Guinea and Columbia.

Launched Alluvium International

2015

2015 marked an important point in the maturity of the business with the decision to appoint Non-Executive Directors to the Alluvium Board. Dr Neil Byron and Prof Barry Hart joined us in 2015 and Dianne Tarte added further depth in 2019.

Our Non-Executive Directors play a critical role in governance, strategic thinking and staff development.

Appointment of Non Executive directors

2014

An important motivation in founding Alluvium was creating an inspirational, supportive place to work. Between 2010 – 2014 we participated in the BRW Best Place to Work awards, before instigating our own third party process to allow us to ask a broader suite of questions.

During this period we were ranked in the top 50 Best Places to Work every year, peaking with a ranking of 16th.

We are proud of that our staff rate Alluvium as a great place to work and we actively use the information to monitor to identify areas where we can improve, and celebrate areas that we do exceptionally well.

#16 in the BRW Best Places to Work Survey

2014

Alluvium has played a leadership role in advancing the science and engineering solutions in the Murray-Darling Basin. We have worked with the MDBA to advance environmental watering conceptual models to produce the Basin Plan Science Strategy.

From 2010 – 2013 we developed the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, a significant body of work. We remained involved to fine tune the plan up to 2016.

Supporting the implementation of the Plan, we developed a large number of the Sustainable Diversion Business Cases across Victoria and New South Wales, which underpinned approximately $220M of planned investment in water efficiency infrastructure.

Leadership in the Murray Darling Basin

2013

Growth for Alluvium has always been driven by opportunities to be involved in work that drives our staff and makes a positive, lasting difference to our world. Central to these aspirations is our involvement in developing and helping implement best practice across Australia and beyond.

In 2010 Alluvium opened an office in Canberra to allow us to become more embedded in the national debate and discussion on water reform around Australia.

Brisbane followed in 2012 and in 2013 Alluvium acquired Equatica to both create a Sydney presence and to strengthen our capability in urban water management more broadly.

Completed expansion into Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney

2013

2013 was indeed a milestone where we clicked over our first 1,000 projects delivered.

Our 1,000th project was working for the Metropolitan Planning Authority in Victoria on the development of a Whole of Water Cycle strategy and plan for the Rockbank Precinct Structure Plan.

1000 Projects delivered Milestone

2012

The safe and sustainable closure of large mines presents a generational challenge for Australia. We have played a major research and policy reform role in understanding, designing and influencing post-closure mining landscapes.

Our work is underpinned by our involvement in over a decade of research into the central issues and challenges in creating sustainable landscapes in highly disturbed environments.

Our project involved the review of Australian and global best practice diversion design and developed an understanding of the link between hydrologic and hydraulic parameters and the shape, size and occurrence of geomorphic units within the stream systems.

Criteria for functioning river landscape units

2012

Advanced fluvial geomorphology and stream restoration capabilities have been and remain central to our identity. We employ highly qualified specialists, work on the largest and most complex physical form issues, undertake R&D and build the capacity of our clients and competitors.

One of the areas where we have unique capability is understanding the cumulative impact of waterway subsidence from underground longwall mining.

In 2012 Alluvium received a research grant to investigate the cumulative impact and fluvial geomorphic processes from subsidence on the Isaac River in central Queensland. This work explored the ongoing geomorphic, hydrologic and ecological processes to provide industry leading best practice guidelines.

Isaac River Cumulative Impacts

2011

We strive to influence policy development at the highest levels, and our work has driven major policy reform in Australia and internationally.

Working with the Malaysian Government, and through an extensive consultation process, we developed a consolidated environmental policy to drive the creation of strategies and frameworks for balancing environmental issues with economic and social development issues for all sectors in Sabah.

Development of Sabah’s national environmental policy

2010

Alluvium leads the design and construction management of instream water regulation structures, which are critical to the efficient distribution of water for the environment and irrigation.

Old Man Creek and Beavers Creek form a large anabranch system on the Murrumbidgee River. We were engaged to develop a design to reduce the loss of water in the system and improve fish passage.

The complexities of the hydrology and hydraulics in this ancient landscape presented some challenges, however we were able to develop an innovative design that was able to deliver the right volumes of water at the right time to maintain the existing environment values and meet irrigator requirements.

Old Man Creek Water regulation

2010

We have always sought to understand and integrate indigenous values into our work. In 2010 we were proud to closely involved in the reinstatement of flows to Lake Condah.

Lake Condah forms a part of the “Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape”, and is identified as a Wetland of National Significance, for its cultural and ecological values.

We worked with traditional owners to develop an innovative, environmentally and culturally sensitive engineering solution to reinstate flows to Lake Condah based on the eel trap principles.

The project was awarded the Victorian ‘Earth Award’ at the Construction Contractors Federation (CCF) annual awards in 2010.

Lake Condah CCF Earth Award

2009

A core capability is our business is being able to understand complex ecohydrological science, develop evidence-based recommendations, and communicate effectively with agencies and the community.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) commissioned Alluvium to develop flow requirements associated with ecosystem functions within the Murray Darling Basin.

The project was a significant piece of thinking and explored the assumption that the key ecological functions are underpinned by processes which can be described by the geomorphology and hydrology at a river reach scale.

Basin Plan Ecosystem functions

2008

Exceptional client service has been a foundation since our first day.

Early on we participated in the BRW Client Choice Awards, which surveys more than 30,000 business people, and is the largest independent study of clients of professional services firms in the world. We are very proud of our achievements, which reflect the consistent drive of our staff to raise the bar on client service.

2008 – Winner – ‘Most Innovative’ professional services consulting practice

2009 – Finalist – Best Consulting Engineering Firm (revenue less than $50M)

2010 – Finalist – Best Victorian Firm

2011 – Winner – Best Consulting Engineering Firm (revenue less than $50M)

2013 – Finalist –- Category not identified

BRW Client Choice winner ‘Most innovative Professional services company’

2006

Our founders wanted to do business a different way, driven by a clear philosophy that a leading consulting firm could measure its success by metrics beyond profit.

Technical excellence, ethical decision making, broad staff ownership, client service and innovation were critical elements of the business we create. They remain central to the way we do business today.

Alluvium Consulting launched