NEA technical expert reference group (28 Aug)

ATM

Approach to Market

Client

DCCEEW

Closing Date and Time

28 August 2026

Background

 The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) or (the Department) seeks to establish a Technical Expert Reference Group (TERG) of up to ten experts to provide independent expert advice on the development of Australia’s National Ecosystem Accounts (NEA).

The role of the TERG is to provide expert advice on: 

• The environmental and economic robustness and relevance of natural capital accounting concepts, methods and data choices for national scale implementation.
• Consistency of methods with the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting and System of National Accounts frameworks.

The TERG’s advice will cover terrestrial, freshwater, marine and coastal ecosystems, consistent with the spatial scale of the NEA. The scope of expertise required encompasses environmental science, environmental economics, environmental-economic accounting and data architecture.

The TERG will form part of the long-term governance arrangements for the NEA, alongside new user reference groups also being established to provide advice on user needs.

Scope of Work

Expectations for the TERG

The TERG is intended to operate as a flexible advisory mechanism to help ensure that the NEA deliver high quality, useful information. Advice required will vary across the term of appointment depending on the needs of the NEA program at the time and the expertise and availability of TERG members. 

TERG members will provide advice in meetings, informal discussions and via email, to a maximum of 10 days of input per member per year. TERG members will be appointed for 12 months, with possible extension of a further 12 months.

The Terms of Reference for the TERG are provided in Annex B. Payment for TERG members is set at $570 per day (GST exclusive) plus superannuation if applicable. This mirrors the current Remuneration Tribunal Rate for CSIRO Advisory Committee members.

Evaluation Criteria

Demonstrated subject-matter expertise – members must have expertise in one or more areas relevant to ecosystem accounting, preferably at large spatial scales 

1. Developing accounts in the United Nations SEEA framework, official statistics production or accounts production at large scales
   1. Ecosystem extent, condition and biodiversity measurement
   2. Environmental economics

Spatial data architecture and intelligence systems

Budget

To be quoted.