Young Alumnus of the Year

Long before Amylee was interpreting environmental legislation or working on approvals for renewable energy projects, she was learning about the natural world on her family’s mushroom farm in Tallebudgera Valley. 

Her parents taught their children to understand where food came from and how natural systems worked. There were horses, dogs, sheep, vegetable gardens and an early lesson in the relationships between what grows, what breaks down and what grows again. 

“I was always really interested in the natural environment and how everything operated and linked together,” Amylee said. 

“That was the driving force behind why I wanted to study environmental science from a really young age.” 

That fascination developed into a desire to protect what she valued. 

“I wanted to make sure that it's something that my kids and anyone has the opportunity to experience.” 

While studying environmental science, Amylee undertook internships spanning regenerative agriculture, wildlife and water infrastructure. Those experiences made her want greater influence over the decisions that determine how development happens in the first place. 

Asked why she turned to law, her answer was immediate. 

Amylee chose a Bachelor of Laws at Southern Cross University because she could shape her studies around the area in which she wanted to work. 

“I decided to study law at Southern Cross University because of the vast diversity in electives that they had. You’re able to tailor your law degree to your area of interest,” she explained. 

She studied environmental law, climate change and policy, and planning law. The smaller classes also allowed her to build close relationships with lecturers and tutors, 

particularly in administrative and environmental law, subjects that remain directly relevant to her work. She graduated in 2020. 

Today, Amylee brings both disciplines together as Technical Lead for Environmental Assessments and Approvals at NGH Consulting, a Fyfe company, as well as leading the Queensland environment and planning team. Her work includes statutory approvals for renewable energy projects, with recent work focused particularly on battery storage facilities, alongside solar, wind and hydropower projects. 

The combination of science and law allows her to understand the environmental conditions of a proposed development and the legislation that governs what can happen there. 

“I’m in a fortunate position that I can go into challenging situations and lean on the legislation. I can understand the environmental aspects of a project, so I can read a hydrology report or an ecological report and understand what the environmental condition is at the time.” 

That becomes particularly important in a field where good intentions can still have consequences for the natural environment. 

“I think we really need to embrace renewable energy, but it needs to be balanced,” Amylee said. 

“It needs to be the right type of renewable energy for that particular environment.” 

For Amylee, that can mean questioning whether remnant vegetation should be cleared for a wind farm, while recognising the potential of land already changed by previous uses. 

One project remains especially meaningful. 

“One of the things I’m really proud of is being able to turn a degraded landscape into something that’s really valuable and beneficial for the environment.” 

“A project I worked on recently was turning a degraded mine site into a renewable energy hub and it was so rewarding being able to turn this contaminated landscape into something that is producing energy for all the communities around it and producing green, sustainable, zero-emission energy.” 

The work can also require Amylee to hold her ground. 

During an earlier role working in Defence, she sometimes found herself walking onto sites and raising environmental issues that others were less enthusiastic to hear, from erosion and sediment controls to the protection of endangered vegetation. 

Her work during that period was recognised through two Australian Defence and National Security Workforce Awards in 2024, for Best Land Specialist under 35 and Best Female Technical Specialist under 35. 

Her career has also brought an early opportunity to lead. 

“I love being a team lead. I’m really passionate about wellness and wellness at work.” 

“I want to be the kind of leader that people can talk to and feel safe and supported, to be the person, for my team members, that I needed when I was in the early stages of my career.” 

Her own university experience also gave Amylee confidence in taking a less conventional path. 

“Southern Cross University is a modern, forward-thinking and proactive university. It cemented in me that it is okay to take a slightly different path and to be forward-thinking myself,” she reflected. 

For a time, Amylee wondered if she was wasting her law degree, but her experience has since changed that perspective. 

“There is no one-size-fits-all. I am a qualified lawyer, but I’m not working in a law firm. There are so many ways to use your degree.” 

“Maybe mine is not the most conventional route, but I can stand true to what I believe in, and what my values are, and go forward with that.”  

The 2026 Young Alumnus of the Year award has also given Amylee a moment to take stock of what she has achieved so far. 

“When I found out that I was receiving the Young Alumnus of the Year Award, I was so excited and so, so humbled,” she said. 

“It’s not often that we get recognised for protecting the environment. Obviously, the trees can’t speak, so it’s amazing to receive any kind of recognition.” 

The natural world that first drew Amylee towards environmental science remains part of her everyday life. Her spare time is spent open-water swimming, hiking, camping and gardening. Before work, she takes her dog to Kirra or Currumbin Beach. On weekends, she heads to the rainforests of Springbrook and Lamington National Park. 

It keeps the reason for her work close.