Mitch has worked in environmental consulting for almost 18 years, since starting in the industry as a Technical/Research Assistant in 1991 working on the Eyre Highway realignment east of Norseman.
Much of his time as a field biologist has been spent in the eastern Goldfields and in the remote northern regions of Western Australia. The resources boom of the mid-1990s led to numerous biological survey projects for prospective gold mines around Meekatharra, Wiluna, Ora Banda, Higginsville, Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. The iron ore industry was also booming, and Mitch conducted survey work in the Pilbara at Yandicoogina and at other ore bodies close to Newman. One of Mitch’s key projects completed in this era was the Ord River M2 Irrigation Project, a massive biological survey extending from Kununarra to beyond the Northern Territory border.
As Manager of Biological Science for two large private consulting firms, Mitch has dedicated more than six years to the development of large biological survey teams of as many as 18 professional in-house scientists capable of simultaneously servicing the likes of BHPBIO, Woodside Energy Limited, Chevron, Rio Tinto Exploration, Hancock Prospecting, Fortescue Metals Group, Western Power, Murchison Metals/Crosslands Resources and Gindalbie/Karara. Mitch managed and executed one of the highest-profile and most significant environmental studies in recent times: the site selection survey for the Kimberley Liquid Natural Gas Hub. For this survey, Mitch worked on-site with traditional owners on five of the potential hub sites, from Gourdon Bay in the south to Anjo Peninsula in the north. He was intimately involved in the community and stakeholder liaison, and steered the delivery of the project in an extremely demanding timeframe.
Mitch is dedicated to professional practice, and has refereed articles relating to biological surveys for environmental impact assessment for peer-reviewed scientific publications such as Pacific Conservation Biology. He also regularly interacts with key personnel from the Department of Environment and Conservation (Perth and regional branches), academia and the Western Australian Museum to keep abreast of current issues and developments in environmental and biological consulting. In addition, his zoological research has resulted in several international scientific publications in high-ranking peer-reviewed journals.
As the Managing Director of Animal Plant Mineral Pty Ltd, Mitch is dedicated to engaging the best environmental practitioners to provide outstanding biological and environmental services to mining, industrial and land development proponents.
