About this podcast
Casual chats between an Austrian and Australian on environmental topics that usually don't get talked about openly.
Hosts Gunnar Haid and James Hammond set out to provide a light-hearted and thought-provoking look into Contaminated Land, Resource Recovery, Ecology and general environmental issues in Australia, in particular NSW. They use their experience and industry connections to talk about subjects that, at least in their opinion, don't get talked about enough or not in the right context. Join them for a chuckle and some unique perspectives.
And don't forget to keep track of your listening experience. It is official, listening to Below the Surface collects CPD points at a rate of 0.5 points per hour of listening (self education category).
Contact: [email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast
The necessary disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this Podcast are the speakers’ own. They do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of 4Pillars Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd or any Client, Supplier or other party related to 4Pillars or the speakers.
(c) Gunnar Haid and James Hammond
Episodes
The newest 20 of 50 episodes
- #50 The Audit System · 1 h 15 min · Episode 50Episode 50: The Audit System, a Great Idea Under Pressure Fifty episodes in, Gunnar and Hammond look back at their favourite conversations before tackling a big question: is the…
- #49 The Regulator's Lens · 47 min · Episode 49What makes a good regulator? Gunnar and Hammond are joined for the second time by Jason Scarborough, former NSW EPA officer and founder of JS Regulatory Services and Echidna, to…
- #48 The Basics: Heritage · 1 h 5 min · Episode 48What makes something worth keeping, and who gets to decide? In this episode of our The Basics Series, Gunnar and Hammond talk with heritage specialist Dr MacLaren North. They…
- #47 The EIANZ · 1 h 1 min · Episode 46Who keeps environmental professionals honest, and what happens when they get it wrong? Gunnar and James open with a deceptively simple question: would you take a guaranteed…
- #46 The Career Path · 47 min · Episode 46What does a career in the environmental industry actually look like, and how do you know when it is time for a change? That change can range from minor adjustment in your life…
- #45 The Disclaimer · 54 minDisclaimers in our reports. Useless fluff or necessary ass covering? Who better to discuss this than Sarah Mansfield (LinkedIn) who is returning to Below the Surface and almost…
- #44 The Duplicate Pushback · 1 h 14 min · Episode 44In Episode #30 The Duplicate, Gunnar famously declared that duplicate soil samples in heterogeneous fill are useless. Risk assessor Belle Casement of Terravale Consulting heard…
- #43 The Negotiator · 1 h 3 min · Episode 43Hammond relives his time as a representative for Australia in international biodiversity negotiations at COP13 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. But before that a few…
- #42 The Basics: Microplastics · 53 min · Episode 43Microplastics: The Invisible Problem (or is it?) Brooke Kelly from Reditus joins Gunnar and James to unpack microplastics. From penguin carcasses and seal scat (that's science…
- #41 The AI Revolution · 59 min · Episode 41Artificial intelligence has gone from curiosity to daily tool almost overnight. In this episode, Gunnar and James sit down with AI consultant Alex Rankin who spent over 25 years…
- #40 The Risk Assessment · 58 min · Episode 40If you've ever stared at a lab result that exceeds your NEPM HIL and wondered "okay, but what does this actually mean?". This one's for you. Gunnar and James sit down with Dr…
- #39 The Big ASS Questions · 56 min · Episode 39A deeper dive into Acid Sulfate Soils. In a slightly QLD centric episode, Gunnar and James are joined by all three main authors of the QLD ASS Management Guidelines, widely…
- #38 The Bioavailability · 42 min · Episode 38How much of any given contaminant is actually taken up into human bodies? If we think about it, that is one of the single most important things to consider as an environmental…
- #37 The 2025 Reflection · 43 min · Episode 37The 2025 Year in Review (That Wasn’t Supposed to Happen) What started as a neat 15-minute intro quietly turned into a full end-of-year wrap-up. Classic Below the Surface. Gunnar…
- #36 The Client - TMA · 44 min · Episode 36What it's really like to be regulated? Regulators, take note - this one’s for you. We are shining the light on the third corner of the Regulator – Consultant – Client…
- #35 The PFAS Heath Advice · 56 min · Episode 35The NSW Health PFAS Advice includes quite some statements: “The health effects of PFAS appear to be small.” “… there was definite evidence of increased psychological distress in…
- #34 The Stormwater Stirrer · 49 min · Episode 34Gunnar (without James this time) gives it a go to get to the bottom of the very basics of what we need to think of around stormwater on a site. There are few better suited to…
- #33 The Waste Class Blues · 59 min · Episode 33James K (James Karagiannis) has personally completed a stack of waste classifications. And in addition, he has reviewed somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200 reports written by other…
- #32 The EPA CEO · 53 min · Episode 32Tony Chappel, the CEO of the NSW EPA, is our guest today, so we are definitely back with a bang after the summer holidays. Gunnar and James are (surprisingly!) well-prepared and…
- #31 The Half Price EV · 60 min · Episode 31Electric Vehicles are basically half price in Australia right now, thanks to some little-known government incentives. Gunnar and James decided it was the perfect time to talk……
