What Preston Consulting does

Preston Consulting is a privately held, founder-owned environmental and approvals consulting firm headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, established in 2009 by Phil Scott and Catherine Pinchin. The firm delivers bespoke professional services across mining, energy, infrastructure, government, and Indigenous corporation sectors, with a service portfolio spanning strategy, environmental approvals, environmental management, mine closure and rehabilitation, auditing and compliance, study management, offsets, sustainability and decarbonisation, social surroundings and Indigenous engagement, government relations, stakeholder engagement, and land access and tenure. Engagements are direct and enterprise-focused, ranging from full turnkey project delivery to targeted advisory work under State legislation (Environmental Protection Act 1986, Mining Act 1978) and Commonwealth legislation (EPBC Act).

The firm is technology-light: there are no software products, APIs, or proprietary platforms; the underlying capability is regulatory expertise, multi-agency approvals navigation, and senior practitioner involvement on each engagement, with GIS tools referenced for mapping. Notable client engagements include Talison Lithium (Greenbushes expansion since 2022), BCI Minerals (Mardie Salt Project since 2018, producing 5.35 million tonnes annually), Caravel Minerals (Copper Project since 2021), Audalia Resources (Medcalf Vanadium Project since 2017), Image Resources (Atlas Project, full approvals secured 2024), and the POSCO/Marubeni/China Steel joint venture (Port Hedland Green Steel Project).

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees, with pricing bespoke to scope, complexity, and duration. GTM is enterprise field sales via industry reputation, regulatory relationships, and senior practitioner networks rather than channel or product-led motions. The firm operates with approximately 22 visible professionals and maintains an AMEC membership (Association of Mining and Exploration Companies), indicating integration into WA's resource-sector ecosystem.

Name

Preston Consulting

Legal name

Preston Consulting Pty Ltd

Website

https://prestonconsulting.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Preston Consulting is a privately held Perth-based environmental and approvals consulting firm founded in 2009, serving mining, energy, infrastructure, government, and Indigenous corporation clients across Western Australia with bespoke regulatory, strategic, and project management services under WA and Commonwealth environmental frameworks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

East Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting Services: Preston Consulting generates revenue through professional consulting engagements, providing environmental, strategic, and project management services to clients across the mining, energy, infrastructure, and government sectors. Services are tailored to client needs ranging from full turnkey project delivery to targeted advisory and facilitation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Preston Consulting is a Western Australian environmental and approvals consulting firm providing bespoke professional services to mining, energy, infrastructure, and government clients. The firm delivers environmental impact assessments, regulatory approvals navigation, environmental management systems, mine closure and rehabilitation planning, sustainability/decarbonisation advisory, and stakeholder engagement including Traditional Owner consultation. Engagements range from full turnkey project delivery to targeted advisory work across Strategy, Environment, Sustainability, and Consultation practice areas.

Product overview

Preston Consulting offers a comprehensive suite of environmental consulting and approvals services for industries including mining, green energy, infrastructure, land development, and marine sectors. The core offering is environmental and approvals consulting, which includes strategic advice, environmental impact assessments, risk management, government approvals, and project management from initiation to closure. Services are delivered through distinct practice areas covering strategy, environment, sustainability and decarbonisation, and consultation. The company operates as a professional consulting services firm rather than a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Environmental and Approvals Consulting Services Strategic environmental consulting services for project approvals, including environmental impact assessments, regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement, and government approvals under Western Australian and Commonwealth legislation. Targeted at mining, energy, infrastructure, and government clients needing to secure environmental approvals for major projects.
• Strategic Advisory Services Due diligence, risk assessment, land tenure issue resolution, strategic assessments, coordination of risk workshops, environmental management system assessment, ecological and technical surveys, option assessments, and life-of-operation planning. Provides strategic environmental and project advisory for enterprise clients.
• Project Management Services Developing project goals, deliverables, and timelines; resource allocation advice; risk identification and mitigation strategy development; and contingency planning for complex projects across mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
• Mine Closure and Rehabilitation Services Mine closure plans per DEMIRS guidelines, rehabilitation strategies, post-mining landform design, soil remediation, ecosystem re-establishment, mine closure costing, and post-closure environmental monitoring. Serves mining operators needing to plan and execute end-of-life site rehabilitation.
• Auditing and Compliance Services Internal and external auditing, environmental site inspections, EMS audits against ISO 14001:2015, compliance obligation registers, and evidence gathering and reporting. Targeted at enterprises needing environmental compliance assurance.
• Sustainability and Decarbonisation Services Renewable energy environmental support, greenhouse gas emissions assessments and management plans, decarbonisation initiative planning, National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) obligations, and Safeguard Mechanism compliance. Targeted at energy and resource companies pursuing decarbonisation pathways.
• Social Surroundings and Indigenous Engagement Services Traditional Owner group liaison, engagement strategy development, consultation material preparation, on-country consultations, Social, Cultural, Heritage Management Plans, and incorporation of outcomes into environmental assessments. Targeted at mining and infrastructure clients requiring Indigenous engagement for project approvals.
• Government Relations Services Identification of government stakeholders, engagement strategy mapping, ongoing liaison with government departments, consultation material preparation, and meeting outcome reporting. Targeted at enterprise clients needing government liaison to advance project approvals.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rio TintominorOthersPreston Consulting has provided environmental and approval services to Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto is featured as a client in the 'Our Partners' section of the company website, indicating a consulting services relationship for project approvals and environmental management.
• Alinta EnergyminorOthersAlinta Energy is listed as a client partner on the Preston Consulting website. The relationship involves providing environmental and approval consulting services for energy sector projects.
• Mineral ResourcesminorOthersMineral Resources (MinRes) is featured as a client partner. Preston Consulting has provided environmental and approval services to this Western Australian mining company.
• Pilbara Ports AuthorityminorOthersPilbara Ports Authority is listed as a client partner. The relationship involves providing environmental consulting services for port infrastructure projects in the Pilbara region.
• Western Green HubminorOthersWestern Green Hub is featured as a partner/client, indicating a collaborative relationship in sustainable/green energy projects in Western Australia.
• Image ResourcescoreOthersImage Resources is a significant client for whom Preston Consulting has provided multi-year environmental and approvals support for the Atlas Project. This includes strategic advice, environmental impact assessment, stakeholder consultation, and ongoing compliance management since 2019.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GHD: Large Australian-headquartered engineering, environmental, and advisory firm with deep WA mining presence. Overlaps with Preston across environmental approvals, mine closure, and Indigenous engagement, but operates as a broad multi-disciplinary incumbent with global reach rather than a specialist environmental boutique.
• Stantec: Global design and consulting firm with a Perth office and established WA environmental and approvals practice (including the acquired Cardno business). Comparable to Preston in approvals and environmental management services for mining and infrastructure clients.
• Arcadis: Global design, engineering, and environmental advisory firm with Australian operations including Perth. Competes with Preston for mining and infrastructure environmental approvals work, offering broader sustainability and design advisory at greater scale.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure and environmental consulting firm with a substantial Perth office serving WA resources clients. Competes with Preston on major mining and infrastructure approvals work, with broader capability across engineering, design, and program management.
• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with deep environmental, water, and mining sector expertise. Comparable to Preston in environmental impact assessment and approvals for resources clients, with substantially larger global bench and capability set.
• Ramboll: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental consultancy with Australian operations. Comparable to Preston in environmental approvals and sustainability advisory, particularly across mining, energy transition, and infrastructure — but at much larger scale and broader scope.
• WSP: Global professional services firm with a strong WA presence across mining, energy, and environmental approvals. Comparable in target market and approvals capability, with substantially larger bench and ability to deliver mega-projects that Preston cannot.
• Wood plc: Global consulting and engineering firm with a significant Perth presence focused on mining and energy. Overlaps with Preston on environmental approvals, mine closure, and EIA work for WA resources clients, operating at much larger scale as a broad engineering and project delivery incumbent.

Direct peers

• RPS Group: UK-headquartered environmental and engineering consultancy with significant Australian operations including Perth. Comparable to Preston in its integrated environmental impact assessment, approvals navigation, and mining sector focus, though at substantially larger scale.
• SLR Consulting: Global environmental and advisory firm with a strong mining approvals practice across Australia, including a Perth office. Most directly comparable to Preston as a mid-sized, specialist environmental consultancy serving mining and infrastructure clients with end-to-end approvals, management, and closure services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/preston-consulting-pty-ltd/?originalSubdomain=au

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Preston Consulting