ABOUT US

Working Together for a Brighter Future

Planning 4 Sustainable Development is a dedicated and independent development services group that targets fair, equitable, and sustainable economic development and community capacity building.

We are a unique network of specialists who deliver people-orientated solutions through land use & regional planning, natural resource management, and remote development design. Established in Canberra in 1995, P4SD has over 25 years of experience in research, policy and regional strategies, sustainability frameworks, and forming collaborations to deliver programs and projects throughout the world.

We are leaders in community development, bringing resilience to industry, and meshing innovation with rural and remote development. Our ethos is a “learn-by-doing” approach, and we believe in delivering on-the-ground outcomes that target local capacity building. We believe in integrated planning approaches and community collaborations in order to achieve truly sustainable development.

About Us

The P4SD network boasts a wide range of unique skills in physical development, environmental science, spatial analysis, economics & business acumen that - when blended together - help people crystallise their ideas, get over hurdles and succeed with their programs and projects.

We have a strong affinity with the needs of communities and work hard to ensure that our projects are undertaken with nurtured capacity building in mind. We strive for concrete “actions on the ground” with outcomes built on continued collaboration between communities, businesses, and government.

Our work is conducted at different levels, including:

  • Policy research & strategy development

  • Technical assessments & design

  • Institutional development and capacity building

  • Collaboration mechanisms for communities & industry

  • Implementation of projects and initiatives in the field

What We Do

Our Approach

The P4SD approach involves offering tactful, solution-orientated results to complex development and environmental matters.

We’re not afraid to get stuck into the hard issues in order to provide pathways for outcomes that give certainty and confidence to families, communities, industry, and government. Our approach combines innovative tools, expert information, and strategies to provide communities, businesses, and governments with their own ‘rights-based’ development plans.

Our service delivery often includes training and capacity building, including the generation of ‘tools’ and methods that our clients own and continue to use long past our contract with them. We operate across jurisdictions, often in emerging fields, giving us unsurpassed knowledge of choices in legislation, policy, and technical means, to implement actions for good governance and sustainable community outcomes.

We’re a boots-on-the-ground organisation, dedicated to building the resilience of landscapes and communities in regional and remote areas throughout the world.

Meet the Team

  • Matt McIntyre

    Director

    Matt, Founder of P4SD, is qualified in development management and environmental science, and has 20+ years of experience in working in indigenous communities across Asia Pacific, as well as in climate action, adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity planning, carbon management, coastal zone and water quality management. Matt started P4SD with the vision to use whole of landscape approaches to development and environmental management. Now, under his guidance, P4SD has successfully pivoted to focus on using innovation and collaborative frameworks to pursue sustainable economic and community development.

  • Kari Martin

    Lead Land Use & Environmental Planning

    Kari is an Environmental Planner, specialising in climate change adaptation, renewable energy strategies, ecotourism and 3D climate change modelling. She joined P4SD in 2009 and has experience in development management, impact assessment, project design, climate change adaptation, cross-cultural communication and GIS. Kari has vast international project experience, working on projects in Samoa, Timor Leste, Maldives and the Cook Islands. Kari is passionate about ecosystem based approaches to managing the natural and built environment and also has an interest in indigenous environmental knowledge and integrating traditional knowledge with modern environmental management concepts.

  • Fran Toomey

    Lead Economic Development

    Experienced and dedicated to new ways of approaching planning and economic development. Fran’s skills and knowledge range from infrastructure planning, urban regeneration, socio-economic analysis, policy and governance. Fran provides business case development, advice on development finance options and means to institute regeneration and renewal projects. She has been involved in carbon analysis, energy efficiency, successful public-private partnerships (PPP) and social mobility projects.

  • Jim Gall

    Lead Design Intervention

    Jim Gall, of Gall Architects, has degrees in both Environmental Science and Architecture. This allows him to contribute valuable thinking to the areas of sustainability, community visioning, climate change responses and resilience building. He has more than 30 years’ experience in architecture, urban design and planning as well as landscape analysis. He has been involved in cutting edge work on low carbon and resilient urban development in Queensland and in Samoa where he assisted P4SD with the City of Apia - Resilience Development Strategy. Jim was also involved in the Samoa Tourism Authority project designed by P4SD which aimed to increase the resilience of small-scale tourism operations (160) after the tsunami (2009) and devastating cyclone of 2012.

OUR PURPOSE

To get boots on the ground and work with producers, small business and communities to maximise natural capital services for more productive landscapes, healthier waterways and climate adaptive land use.

Our Work Through the Years

1995 - P4SD founded in Canberra

  • Structure Plan for City of Queanbeyan completed
  • Healthy waterways based subdivision in Queanbeyan, NSW, wins Housing Industry Association award
  • Effluent treatment models used in Sydney Olympics planning
  • First bushfire risk assessments in Jerrabomberra Estates (NSW) using GIS and remote sensing

1996

  • Land suitability assessments & LEPs for rezoning completed in North Cooma, Queanbeyan, Yass and Jindabyne
  • Runoff and water balance models used in subdivision design: Walgrove Estate, Yass
  • Pender Lea Chalet development designs increases resilience & ensures water security

1997 – Planning & Disaster Risk

  • Bushfire risk mapping Weston Creek (ACT)
  • Niue Land Use and Environment Planning project, AusAID and the Government of Niue (3 year contract). National GIS system, Village & Coastal plans & draft Planning & Resource Use Planning legislation

1999

  • Funding sees action commenced for Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Vulnerability Assessment, Niue using UNFCCC methods.

2000 – Sustainability

  • Formation and operation of the Pacific Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG), covering 21 country members. Set up to prepare Pacific preparations for the World Summit in 2002
  • SDWG releases "Pacific Islands & Territories - Synopsis of Sustainable Development in the Pacific 2001
  • Pacific wide GIS & Remote Sensing training program (SPREP & SOPAC) commences across 14 Pacific Island countries.

2002

  • SDWG helps Pacific submission delivered to the World Summit for Sustainable Development 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Output agreement includes text critical to Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

2003 – Sustainable Land Management

  • "Small Islands Developing States Global Programme for Sustainable Land Management" (SLM) is designed and secures USD29 million via the Global Environment Facility (UNDP & UNCCD)

2004

  • National Sustainable Development Strategies - model templates to 14 Pacific Island countries
  • Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) approach to Land Use Planning used in Vanuatu
  • Erosion and sedimentation risk mapping of the Tagabe catchment, Vanuatu, using GIS and remote sensing

2005 – P4SD sets up office in QLD

  • SLM National Action Programme (NAP) templates for 14 Pacific Island countries
  • Regional capacity building to complete 14 NAP's
  • Secure US6.5 million in funding for Agro-biodiversity Bangladesh: Situation Analysis and Project Design Document "Protecting native rice seeds."

2006 - Planning & Capacity Development

  • Research papers for Land Conflict in the Pacific Program, completed for Pacific Islands Forum: Environmental causes of Conflict & Use of GIS & RS in the Pacific
  • Capacity Assessment of Pacific Regional Organisations to manage Sustainable Land Management programming, UNCCD

2007

  • Environmental Management Framework (EMF) for PNG 15 Year Transport Sector Support Program (AusAID & SMEC)
  • Site Contamination assessments for Airservices Australia: Cooktown & Sunshine Coast airports

2008 - Carbon, Climate Adaptation & Disaster Risk

  • Reafforestation Carbon project in Kilcoy, Queensland, and the use of NCAT adds $2m to sale price of rural property
  • Advice on SLM in the Pacific includes options for carbon crediting

2009

  • Member of Plan Vivo Foundation as Technical Adviser for international carbon accrediting group
  • Engaged by the Pacific Island Forum to research the ‘Environmental Causes of Conflict in the Pacific’ - the Land Management and Conflict Management program (PIF, World Bank & AusAID)

2010

  • Review of "GIS for Administration, Land Use Planning & Environmental Management in the Pacific", for the Pacific Island Forum (PIF)
  • Maldives National Action Programme - Land & Coastal Vulnerability

2012 - Land Rehab, Water and Protected Areas

  • Water balance model South Walker Creek Mine, Isaac region QLD’
  • Section 323 investigation of mine and lands adjacent to the Great Sandy National Park
  • Mine rehabilitation, planning and supervision Johns Road, Noosa
  • Mine closure works & negotiations for Sherrin Rentals
  • Landslip restoration project Witta (QLD)

2013

  • Timor Leste Program of Works for Protected Areas. Assisted with stablishing the country’s first Protected Areas
  • Carbon & natural capital approaches and options for the Nino Konis Santana National Park, Timor Leste
  • National Learning Needs Assessment - Climate Adaptation & Disaster Risk Reduction for the Office of Prime Minister, Cook Islands
  • Review of good governance and Public Financial Management systems across 9 Pacific Island countries – readiness for Carbon & Climate finances

2014

  • SANAD Waterpark and Surf-park Resort, Sunshine Coast, QLD – LU advice; Bushfire risk analysis; Ecological assessments; Wetland lake design & Water Quality Management Plan, Fauna impact assessment, Emergency Management Plan
  • Presented a paper ‘Role of Land use and Development planning in avoiding risk and increasing resilience to Climate & Natural Disasters’At the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction meeting in June 2014, P4SD. Suva Fiji
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2015 - Climate & Disaster Risk Reduction

  • Planning 4 Resilience – Apia Strategic Plan, Samoa - Ridge-to-Reef methods for Climate adaptation & Disaster risk reduction (CCA & DRR) approach to land use planning (Planning & Urban Mgmt Agency, Samoa)
  • Kokoda Track and Browns River Catchment, Sustainable Development Strategy - Sustainable tourism, carbon and natural capital opportunities for alternative livelihoods (PNG & Govt of Australia)
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2016

  • Samoa Tourism Authority - Climate Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Project - Increasing the Resilience & Coping Capacity of Tourism Development & Reliant Communities, (STA & UNDP, Samoa. GIS & RS Mapping, Engagement of 160 Village Councils and communities. Production of 6 Sustainable Tourism Development Plans
    •

2017

  • Use of airborne imagery & LiDAR for national disaster risk analysis Vulnerability Assessment (CCA&DRR) for Samoa’ (World Bank & MNRE, Govt of Samoa). Whole of country climate & natural disaster hazard mapping & risk analysis for community integrated management strategies (CIMS).
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2019 - Innovation, Networks & Natural Capital

  • Fitzroy Region Innovation Program – Innovation in Agribusiness & Industry to advance Queensland & Central Highlands Development Corporation

2020

  • Food & Fibre Plus – Central Queensland Innovation & Cluster networking initiative, addressing continuity, circularity, water security & sustainable land management. It involved the CHDC, GW3, RAPAD & Govt of Queensland

2021

  • Land Restoration Fund Approved Adviser: Carbon Farming Advice Rebate Program
  • Niue Environmental Information Management System- design & management of an EIMS, centred on GIS database
  • Regional Drought Resilience Plan – Fitzroy & Capricornia - Stakeholder engagement & plan development ( CQU and RECoE Alliance)
  • CRC TiME (Transitions in Mining Economies) Project 1.3 Mapping the regulation of mine closure – project committee member
  • Carbon Market Institute (CMI) Australia member

2022

  • Engagement & meshing indicators & data to produce the State of the Environment Report for Samoa”
  • Environment Outlook for Samoa inclusive of the Future Response framework (Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment, Samoa)
  • Project Management - Central Queensland Smart Cropping Centre in Emerald, QLD
  • Living Forest, Amazon, Ecuador - Carbon crediting project - Carbon sequestration proposal for credits under the Plan Vivo framework

DOWNLOAD OUR CAPABILITY STATEMENTS

Want to know more about our capabilities and core areas of focus? All of this and more can be found in our latest Capability Statements. Get your copy by entering your details in the form below and we will send it to you via email.