In her role as decision maker with the HSNO Committee with the EPA, Streamlined Environmental Director and Scientist Dr Ngaire Phillips uses her scientific … Read More

Dr Mike Stewart has been undertaking ecological risk assessments for emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in treated wastewater and untreated wastewater overflow discharges for Gisborne District Council. His prepared evidence for a July hearing for reconsenting of wastewater overflows was … Read More

If Lockdown taught us anything it’s that working from home is a viable alternative to the daily commute. Not only does it reduce our carbon footprint but it saves money – a bonus for any small business. We’ve made the decision to further streamline our operations, with … Read More

Over the last 2 years, Streamlined Environmental Directors Dr Mike Stewart and Dr Ngaire Phillips have been absorbed in a couple of substantial re-consenting projects, namely discharge consents for Refining New Zealand’s (RNZ) Marsden Point Refinery (Mike) and Oji Fibre Solutions’ (Oji) Kinleith Mill … Read More

Streamlined Environmental Ltd aquatic ecologists Dr Rebecca Eivers and Dr Ngaire Phillips have prepared a report on the applicability of the Stream Ecological Valuation (SEV) methodology as a semi-quantitative framework from which to derive functional scores of Freshwater Ecosystem … Read More

Catchment water quality models were recently developed for both Horizons Regional Council (HRC) and Environment Southland (ES) by Dr Tim Cox. The models simulate the generation, transport, and fate of nutrients through dendritic river networks covering the entirety of each region. Calculated nutrient concentrations at key stream … Read More

Mike Stewart teamed up with Louis Tremblay (Cawthron Institute) to report on potential issues associated with emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in the Southland region. Examples of EOCs include industrial chemicals (e.g. flame retardants, plasticisers, surfactants, UV … Read More

Dr Rebecca Eivers has been working with farmer Richard Cookson designing and implementing a farm-scale CTW-train (Constructed Treatment Wetland Train) on a watercourse draining an intensive agricultural catchment supporting dairy cow production. The watercourse flows to the Waitoa River on the Hauraki Plains, near Springdale (Waikato).  … Read More

Models are used to both make predictions about the future of natural systems and to gain a better understanding of current conditions. Their use in the field of water resources is widespread, for simulating both the quantity and quality of freshwater systems. Models will undoubtedly continue to serve … Read More

For many years the marine environment was thought to be a quiet place, in fact, the famous marine explorer Jacques Cousteau even released a documentary film ‘The Silent World’ in 1956 depicting the ocean as just that. Inquisitive scientists have since unveiled the truth: the ocean is a boisterous … Read More

Streamlined Environmental Director Dr Ngaire Phillips recently undertook a week-long intensive course run by the Institute of Directors, which explores director’s roles and responsibilities. As a Director, shareholder and employee, Ngaire, along with co-owner Mike Stewart, face many of the same challenges in running their small … Read More

Water allocation modelling is relatively new to the scene in New Zealand but it’s rapidly becoming a hot topic. Increasing pressures on our freshwater systems from population and industry, and a changing climate, have motivated recent mandates on freshwater quantity accounting. Through the National Policy Statement … Read More

We are excited to welcome early career scientist Kendall Leitch to our team at Streamlined Environmental. Kendall has recently completed her MSc in Marine Science at the University of Auckland, where she investigated the effects of anthropogenic noise on marine soundscapes. She is keen to develop … Read More

Streamlined Environmental’s wetland specialist Dr Rebecca Eivers recently presented at an Information Day for Resource Managers, facilitated by NZ Landcare Trust. Rebecca presented on work she has been undertaking on edge of field mitigation options to improve water quality and biodiversity on Cookson Trust Farms in … Read More

Dr Chris Dada has added to his considerable range of microbiology and water-quality modelling skills by successfully completing a Postgraduate Certificate programme at Massey University with courses on a range of data analysis and modelling methods. During the courses, Chris extensively applied Python, SAS Enterprise Guide and SAS Enterprise … Read More

Environmental science obviously floats my boat, but for sheer drama and WTF, I go to the classics: physics, cosmology and maths.  If you are also so inclined, then let me recommend the podcasts of Melvyn Bragg’s In Our Time: Science radio series. These are available on the BBC Iplayer Radio … Read More

It is now 50 years since Apollo 11 delivered Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin onto the surface of the Moon.

Thinking that NASA’s Apollo program paid its way by giving us such technological marvels as non-stick frypans and pens that write in zero gravity is like thinking Richard Feynman’s greatest creation … Read More

Want to know the median black disc sighting range in lowland rural rivers in the Bay of Plenty region in 2016? How about in all the North Island regions, compared to the South Island regions? Well, check out the Water Quality Interactive Dashboard, which was created by Dr … Read More

Dr Tim Cox developed a catchment water-quality model for the entire Waikato River catchment using Streamlined’s Contaminant Allocation and Simulation Model ( CASM). The model was developed to support, and advance, the technical analysis underpinning Waikato Regional Council’s Plan Change One, which focuses on managing … Read More

The graph speaks for itself: with routine but infrequent water sampling, you can miss many instances of faecal contamination exceeding bathing water standards (BWS). To fill in the gaps, Dr Chris Dada has developed a way to produce swimming risk “nowcasts” which, as the name implies, tells you … Read More

Dr Mike Stewart is teaming up with Dr Grant Northcott (Northcott Research Consultants) and Dr Josie Crawshaw (Bay of Plenty Regional Council) to undertake a State of the Environment monitoring programme of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in Tauranga Harbour. The monitoring is a first in New Zealand in … Read More

Dr Jarrod Walker of Streamlined Environmental Limited is collaborating with University of Auckland (Associate Professor Nick Shears) to restore the mauri of subtidal rocky reefs. Having been provided with Foundation North (GIFT) funding, this project aims to work with mana whenua to investigate ways … Read More

Dr Tim Cox, Streamlined Environmental’s Water Resources Modeller, has developed models that address water allocation (SWAM or Simplified Water Allocation Model) and contaminant allocation (CASM or Contaminant Allocation Simulation Model). We are now offering webinars which provide the opportunity … Read More

We are delighted to announce that Dr Rebecca Eivers has now joined Streamlined Environmental in a permanent role as Freshwater Ecology & Wetland Specialist. Rebecca will split her working time between her home in Raglan and our Hamilton office.
Rebecca … Read More

Streamlined Environmental’s (SEL) Director and Aquatic Ecologist Dr Ngaire Phillips is in Hawkes Bay for the next 2 weeks as a member of a Special Tribunal which has been appointed to consider an application for a Water Conservation Order (WCO) on … Read More

We are delighted to announce that Dr Jarrod Walker has joined Streamlined Environmental as a Marine and Coastal Specialist. Jarrod will be based in Auckland, where he has been deeply involved over the past 10 years with research, management, … Read More

Malcolm Green is currently serving as an independent commissioner on a panel of three convened by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to decide an application by the Port of Napier for resource consents for expanding the port. The other two commissioners are … Read More

Streamlined Environmental’s Ecology and Ecotoxicology Specialist Dr Ngaire Phillips has been re-appointed to the EPA’s HSNO Committee for a further 3 years. The HSNO Committee considers applications for hazardous substances, and for new organisms into New Zealand, … Read More

We are delighted to announce that Christopher Dada has been admitted as a Member of the New Zealand Institute of Environmental Health (NZIEH), having satisfied the requirements of a recognised tertiary qualification and relevant work experience in a field related to … Read More

March 2018, What it will take to fix Kaipara Harbour
A new study by a consortium of researchers led by Streamlined Environmental Ltd has shown that the bulk of the sediment depositing each year in Kaipara Harbour is … Read More

Sharing is caring, but not particularly so, when you must share your favourite bathing spot with bugs that make you sick! Freshwater bodies are susceptible to contamination and can serve as a vehicle for transmission of microbial pathogens. The … Read More

January 2018, Malcolm Green accredited as RMA decision maker
Dr Malcolm Green has recently completed MfE’s Making Good Decisions Programme, and is now accredited as an RMA decision maker.
Under the Resource Management Act, persons must be … Read More

It’s summer, everyone is at the beach, let’s have some fun.

Either I was asleep when I was being taught this in school or my senility is progressing much faster than I thought, but the following that I recently read in a book* came as a complete (and delightful) surprise to … Read More

November 2017, Streamlined scientist member of team awarded 5-year MBIE funding
Dr Mike Stewart (Environmental Chemist) is a key researcher in a 5-year project on “Managing the risk of emerging organic contaminants” (EOCs) recently announced by the MBIE.
The … Read More

November 2017, Contaminant load limits and the concept of the “critical point”
Malcolm Green presented a talk on contaminant load limits and the “critical point” at the New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society 2017 Annual Conference held in Hamilton…. Read More

November 2016, Waves in Estuaries Presentation
Malcolm Green gave a public talk on “Waves in Estuaries” at the offices of MetOcean Solutions, Raglan, on Friday November 11.
The rise and fall of the tide is the most obvious physical feature … Read More

Maths aside, we cannot ever truly know anything. Science does not prove things – it disproves things. This keeps us all in jobs, of course, arguing about what we think we know and don’t know. (Maths is different – mathematicians can prove things to be true. I don’t know whether … Read More

September 2016 Waves and Sediment Flocculation
In the shallow, largely intertidal estuaries that are typical of New Zealand, wind-lashed, whitecapped waves are important. For instance, they scour intertidal flats of mud that is eroded from the land and … Read More

Measuring “total” contaminant concentrations doesn’t always tell us about the portion that is actually able to be taken up by an organism (bioavailable). It is this bioavailable portion that is potentially toxic. Contaminant concentrations in aquatic organisms such as shellfish have been widely used as a direct measure of the … Read More

Putting PRINCE2 into Practice
Dr Ngaire Phillips recently gained certification as a PRINCE2 Practitioner. PRINCE2 (an acronym for PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a world-class international project management method. It is widely used internationally and is increasingly being adopted by government and private organisations throughout … Read More

I think you’d all agree that protecting our valuable natural resources while enabling social and economic growth is challenging. The recently recommended limit for nitrate in water of 0.8 mg/L proposed for the Tukituki River is … Read More

Macroinvertebrates, or stream bugs, have been the focus of much debate amongst New Zealand’s freshwater science fraternity in recent times. To address declining water quality, the New Zealand government has proposed a National Objectives Framework (NOF), which includes a set of national bottom line values … Read More

Every day, we make decisions that affect our health and well-being. Most of these decisions are based on some understanding of science, whether we realize it or not. Should I have that extra piece of cake (biology, chemistry)? Do I have enough time to cross the road before that car … Read More