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ABOUT

Dr Simon Costanzo

Dr Simon Costanzo

Dr Simon Costanzo is an environmental scientist and adviser with more than 25 years of work across Australia, Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Pacific.

He has advised governments, utilities, development organisations and partnerships on complex environmental decisions, led multidisciplinary teams, facilitated difficult stakeholder processes and provided independent oversight of major programs.

Darwinian Consulting is his independent practice, based in Brisbane.

Simon on LinkedIn

Working with others

Simon works with a wide network of government agencies, development banks, universities, consultancies and community groups, and brings in specialists from that network where a project needs them. He also works directly for universities, and helps lead bids and proposals that bring university and consulting partners together.

Current roles

  • Principal, Darwinian Consulting

    Brisbane

  • Climate Risk and Sustainability Advisor, KBR

    Brisbane

  • Independent Chair, Wet Tropics Waterways Partnership

    Queensland

  • Technical Advisory Panel, Australian Water Partnership

    Indo-Pacific

  • Adjunct Principal Research Fellow, Griffith University

    Griffith Institute for Human and Environmental Resilience, and International Water Centre

Background

Simon began as a researcher at the University of Queensland, studying how nutrients and contaminants move through rivers and coastal waters. At the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency he managed the South East Queensland estuarine and marine monitoring program and served as an expert witness in environmental harm prosecutions.

He has since held senior roles in international engineering consultancies, leading water science teams and advising on environmental approvals, climate risk and sustainability. From 2011 to 2019 he was Science Integrator at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, where he led the Healthy Rivers for All partnership with WWF. He has also designed and taught courses with the International Water Centre, and established Darwinian Consulting in 2019.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy (Marine Biology)

    University of Queensland · 2002

  • Bachelor of Science (Honours Class I)

    University of Queensland · 1996

  • Bachelor of Science

    University of Queensland · 1994

PUBLICATIONS

Simon’s publications are listed on the Reports and publications page

Get in touch

Darwinian Consulting is a registered Australian business with professional indemnity and public liability insurance.