Drones, covert surveillance, environmental forensics, illegal dumping

Our battle against environmental crime is complex and constant.

It holds polluters to account and ultimately protects Queensland’s unique environment, our communities and lifestyle.

Our criminal investigative work tackles illegal activities across a broad range of sectors and landscapes, such as clearing and pollution of sensitive wetlands and national parks, unauthorised mine and quarry operations, fishing in protected marine parks, dumping of rubbish, pollution of our air and waterways, and even attempts to capture native wildlife.

Our investigative work means polluters can find themselves in court, and if found guilty they can receive prison time (or suspended sentences), fines, convictions, rehabilitation and clean-up orders to repair environments that have been damaged, and licence and permit actions that can suspend or prohibit operations from continuing.

Our investigations team

This specialist investigative work is led by our team of environmental investigators – a team with extensive local, federal and international policing, investigative and project management experience. They also have a detailed understanding in the application of numerous complex environmental, criminal and human rights legislation and the judicial system.

The team is led by State Investigations Manager Matt.

When asked what the most important parts of the job are, Matt does not hesitate.

“Communication, collaboration and relationships are vital,” he says.

“Our primary job is to connect dots and collect evidence to build criminal cases that are presented in court,” Matt said.

“We undertake detailed investigations and collect admissible evidence through a range of legislative tools and operational techniques. We work closely with scientific and technical experts to build a detailed understanding of any environmental harm and its cause. We work with forensic specialists to analyse electronic data and records as well as regularly use modern equipment, drones and satellite imagery. If necessary and where appropriate, we also have the ability to undertake limited surveillance and remote monitoring.

“Our work takes us from boardrooms to courtrooms and everywhere in-between – our national parks, oceans, beaches, the outback, industrial estates, and neighbourhoods right across Queensland.

“Our team works collaboratively with our assessment and compliance officers. We also work alongside other agencies such as Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Queensland Police Service, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnership and the federal Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority,” Matt said.

Communication, collaboration and emotional intelligence

Principal Investigator Martyn is a straight talking, (mostly) no-nonsense person. He balances humour with an undeniable commitment and pride in his work that speaks to his extensive policing background in international jurisdictions and his passion for the environment and making a difference.

Martyn wholeheartedly agrees with Matt about communication and collaboration being integral to their work.

“You also need intuition, thick skin, empathy and passion,” he said.

“You need emotional intelligence. You need to be constantly listening, compassionate and able to navigate situations which can sometimes be volatile. Equally, sometimes we speak to people who have been badly impacted by nearby operators who don’t manage their environmental requirements. Many of those victims have been through, or are still going through, a traumatic experience – you can’t rush people, you have to have empathy. You need to know how to frame a question, you need to be focused on facts,” he said.

Senior Investigator Heidi-Marie has an astonishingly diverse career which has taken her from banking, teaching, corrective services, disability services, and living in a remote First Nations community.

“There are so many moving parts in our investigations. The first question that drives my thinking is ‘How am I going to get the information I need?’

“My average investigation is likely to include reading records and reports, site visits, taking witness statements, conducting interviews, receiving written submissions, working with our drone pilots, undertaking research about which legislative powers we may need to exercise and compiling a brief of evidence

“Once a brief of evidence is submitted, we work with our litigation team who considers what our next legal steps will be.

“If someone would have told me 20 years ago, this is what I’d be doing, I would not have believed them. I was so proud when I completed my first investigations, and I remain proud knowing we are providing a service to the community and the environment. I also feel very privileged to work with an amazing group of people who willingly share their knowledge and experience and genuinely support each other during tough times and celebrate the good times.”

Senior Investigator Alice has worked with our investigations team for six years after studying ecology and conservation and working in the Northern Territory in wildlife and biosecurity enforcement and investigation roles. She is based in North Queensland.

Within the first few minutes of meeting Alice, it is crystal clear she loves her job.

Her positivity, knowledge, passion and enthusiasm is infectious and she speaks with pride, humility and empathy about her work.

“I love it. Every day and every investigation is different. Site days are my favourite days, when I go out to places like National Parks, waste facilities, mines or residential homes,” she said.

“There’s no ‘average day’, they’re all different. There are surprises all the time, I am constantly learning and I often meet amazing, interesting people.

Some of the team’s proudest moments include the Ipswich waste operator handed a ground-breaking odour nuisance penalty, sentencing of one of Queensland’s worst cases of asbestos offences, the $2.1M enforcement action following one of Queensland’s worst sewage spills and a landmark restraint order which requires a SEQ composting company to reduce nuisance odours impacting the local community.

Moments isn’t the right word though – like any criminal investigation, these results can take years to reach and be the culmination of hundreds (sometimes thousands) of hours of investigation and legal preparations.

The long-term nature of this work, may not be for everyone. So what drives us?

Martyn acknowledges investigations can sometimes take a while. “I keep coming back because every day is different and I know we are doing our best to fight the good fight for the community and the environment.”

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