Lynette Smith
Lynette has more than 20 years of experience working with subject matter experts in climate science, water, natural resources, the built environment, economics, engineering, health, and IT on risk analysis, policy, strategy, reporting, and research impact.
In her consulting work in climate risk analysis, policy and strategy, and research translation, Lynette has worked with Sydney Water, the Bureau of Meteorology, the Victorian Government's VicWaCI program, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Dja Dja Wurrung Corporation, East Gippsland Shire Council, University of Melbourne, EPA Victoria, Birrarung Valley Walk, and the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority. She is also a member of CSIRO's Enabling Resilient Investment Panel.
More recently, Lynette has worked with Group 1 and 3 corporations on their sustainability reporting, climate action plans and climate risk guidance for boards. She has also done a stint in change management in several large organisations in the government and university sectors.
Lynette has developed techniques for identifying and analysing information requirements – used to identify information, from any source, that is material to a decision: scientific, technical, institutional, traditional, and community and place-based. And she has built a repertoire of techniques for eliciting knowledge from knowledge holders and structured reasoning in situations of deep uncertainty, where data doesn't determine the options for action.
Her own subject-matter expertise is in the language sciences and philosophy – theories of knowledge representation, uncertainty and value – directly relevant to interpreting information, assessing knowledge, and working with and within conceptual and evaluative frameworks.
Vjeko Matic (PhD)
Vjeko is a climate scientist, hydrologist and decision-methods specialist, with experience across climate risk, water security, hydro-climate research, forecasting, water information and integrated water management.
He has worked with water agencies, utilities and research partners to translate sector needs into bespoke climate and water information services – including work connected with VicWaCI, Western Australia's Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority, WaterNSW, Sydney Water, and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania.
He has developed methods for bespoke climate impact and risk assessments for water systems across Australia, and led the delivery of regional hydro-climate assessments through the National Hydrological Projections and for the National Water Grid Authority – identifying and reporting the climate indicators that matter to specific water systems.
Recently, Vjeko was lead author of the Water Security Technical Report for Australia's National Climate Risk Assessment – deep engagement across the water sector on how climate risk is experienced differently across regions, communities, utilities and water systems.
His focus is on making complex, context-specific climate and water information credible, usable and comparable – without losing the realities of the systems it is meant to support. His own expertise is in hydrology, climate science and systems thinking, with specific interests in the credible structuring of uncertain evidence for decision-making.