Lorraine Elliott – Cardno WA, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Where do you live?
Perth, Western Australia.

How did you come to work for the Cardno group?
I started my career as a Town Planner with the Brisbane City Council. But my husband is from Western Australia so we decided to move back to the west over 11 years ago, which is when I started working for Cardno WA.

What did you know about Cardno before you started?
I had heard of Cardno when I worked in Queensland, although I was not too familiar with the company.

What is your role at Cardno?
I am a part time Senior Town Planner with Cardno WA. As a working Mum its great to have the flexibility to work part time in a professional role.

How long have you been with Cardno?
11 years.

How did you find the transition from working for a company which was acquired by Cardno?
I enjoy working in a larger company environment, although day to day work in the planning business unit has not changed dramatically.

Describe a typical day at Cardno.
A typical day often involves reviewing the work of other planners, statutory planning, preparing rezoning and subdivision proposals/applications, liaising with clients, councils and government bodies and attending client and council meetings.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your job?
I have a number of clients and wide variety of projects to work on at any one time. Many projects are challenging and sometimes require careful management to ensure a positive outcome for clients.

What projects have you worked on?
My major client is BP which is a large portfolio because they have a number of sites and have a number of projects on the go at any one time. I am heavily involved in the residential development ‘Kingston’, south of Perth (near Bunbury). The development is currently planned for 1,500 lots with half of the lots already created. I am also involved in the Mirvac/LandCorp Swanbourne development which involves the redevelopment of a former high school site.

What makes Cardno a great place to work?
I enjoy working with a great team of people from a variety of disciplines. Also the flexibility the company offers is important.

Do you participate in any of Cardno’s social activities?
Occasionally I attend social activities. The bowling nights and Christmas parties are lots of fun.

What does Cardno offer you that other companies don’t?
I have two children 5 and 8, and work part time (3 days a week) to manage my work and family life.