Psp Ecological is a sole operator ecological consultancy run by Steve Priday.

ABOUT STEVE

Steve Priday is an ecologist with more than 25 years’ experience working in state and local government and in environmental consulting. Steve combines skills in fauna and flora survey with a comprehensive understanding of survey design principles and skills in statistical analysis and GIS.

After graduating with a Science degree with Honours from the University of Queensland, Steve began his career with Australian Museum Business Services, the consulting arm of the Australian Museum in Sydney, in 1996. Initially a Project Officer, he worked on a range of ecological assessments and monitoring programs until becoming a Project Manager in 1998. In this position he managed major biodiversity surveys in the Coleambally Irrigation Area in the NSW Riverina, Gosford City Council on the NSW Central Coast and in several Department of Defence properties in southern and central NSW. He also managed a major research project for the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority investigating the movements of arboreal marsupials in relation to a major road corridor in southern NSW, pioneering designs for infrastructure that facilitates movements of possums and gliders over major road corridors.

In 2000 he moved to the Queanbeyan Office of the, then, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service where he worked in a range of roles all relating to NPWS’ responsibilities under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. His main roles with NPWS were in the preparation and dissemination of native vegetation classification and mapping of highly cleared landscapes of the NSW South Western Slopes bioregion. He was also heavily involved in the provision of advice to local government on the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands and South Coast of NSW in relation to development assessment and local government planning matters in his role as Conservation Planning Officer from 2001 to 2003.

From 2003 to 2005 he worked as a Threatened Species Officer, with roles in the preparation and implementation of a recovery plan for endangered ecological communities in the Bega Valley and in woodland bird management on the NSW Southern Tablelands and South Western Slopes.

After moving back to Brisbane, Steve initially worked remotely for the Cooma-Monaro Shire Council in the preparation of biodiversity planning layers, including a roadside vegetation planning layer, and associated management guideline documentation.

In 2008 he established Psp Ecological Consulting.

Psp Ecological has undertaken a wide range of projects since its inception, including:

• fine-scale vegetation and weed mapping projects for Brisbane City Council in numerous bushland reserves throughout the LGA (part of an ongoing program with BCC);
• preparation of ecological restoration plans for Brisbane City Council;
• preparation and implementation of monitoring plans for three threatened plant species in the Central Tablelands of NSW for the NSW Dept. of Planning and Environment;
• surveys of an endangered plant species for Brisbane City Council;
• surveys of the larval food plant of an endangered butterfly species in several conservation reserves and travelling stock reserves for the NSW Dept. of Planning and Environment;
• fauna and flora species distribution modelling and development of a strategic biodiversity planning layer for Snowy River Shire;
• species distribution modelling of declining woodland birds for the NSW Dept. of Planning and Environment;
• surveys in vegetation monitoring plots in temperate grassy woodlands for the NSW Dept. of Planning and Environment;
• an assessment of the efficacy of biocontrol agents for the control of Cat’s Claw Creeper and Madeira Vine in the Brisbane region for Brisbane City Council;
• surveys of vegetation in Koala habitat areas for Ipswich City Council.

Steve has also had peer-reviewed papers examining specific aspects of the issue of declining woodland birds published.