1. You have been part of the ALGA volunteering family for some years. Can you highlight some of the work you have done with us over the years and what you find most rewarding as a volunteer?

My volunteering journey started with ALGA back in 2016 when I first joined the Sydney Branch Committee and assisted with the organisation and facilitation of local branch events. In 2018 and 2019, I was the Chair of the Sydney Branch Committee and took on a more active role in the organisation of local events. I have also been a regular presenter at ecoforum events since 2016 and have assisted with the ecoforum conference and other event committees in various capacities since 2021. Most recently, I have been appointed to the Board of Directors but am also looking forward to retaining an active role in event committees and other exciting initiatives led by ALGA. One of the aspects I find most rewarding about volunteering is the opportunity to connect with and meet individuals from across the industry. There are a number of truly great people I have built strong relationships with purely by meeting them as part of my volunteering roles at ALGA. I also find that volunteering often pushes me outside of my comfort zone as I get pulled into intimidating roles such as chairing events. Those roles are always daunting but ultimately are almost always a great opportunity to build new skills.

2. Congratulations on your appointment to the Australasian Land and Groundwater Association (ALGA) Board of Directors at the recent Annual General Meeting. Can you share with me what drew you to putting your hand up as a Board Director for ALGA?

Thank you! I am very passionate about the important role that ALGA plays in the industry but in all honesty, I think it was a moment of spontaneous bravery and some strong encouragement from one of my mentors that pushed me to nominate myself! Being elected to the Board is something that I never would have imagined would be possible so it is an opportunity that I do not take lightly or for granted and I am motivated to use this opportunity to action feedback from our members, grow our offerings and challenge the organisation to take meaningful steps on climate action.

3. Given you have worked in the sector for more than 10, can you share what attracted you to the contaminated land and groundwater sector and what part of your current role at Qantas you are most passionate about?

The solutions and outcomes focused aspects of contaminated land and groundwater management has always appealed to me and still motivates me today. The technical aspects of my role have always been a strong source of challenge and interest for me because there is just so much to learn that it is simply impossible to master every topic in one career. Lastly, in terms of my current role, the scope, complexity and scale of the environmental risk management at Qantas is so large and so diverse that it keeps me on my toes! My current role provides me with a nice blend of technical challenges, project directing opportunities, risk identification and management focus areas as well as environmental strategy functions that feed both my natural curiosity as well as my appetite for professional challenge and growth.

Dr Danielle Toáse is an environmental geochemist with more than 10 years experience spanning across the research, regulation, remediation contracting, consulting and corporate environmental management sectors. She completed her PhD in 2015 at which was focused on the development of chemical fixation amendments for application at legacy landfills in Antarctica. Her specialist areas include emerging contaminants, contaminated site assessment and remediation, circular economy and environmental risk management. She is currently completed her Masters in Business Administration majoring in Sustainability and has been a Board Member of ALGA since 2023.