About us

Wave Consulting is an innovative environmental, engineering consultancy with a central focus on water and renewable energy.

Climate change is always at the core of what we do.

Our work is predominantly in cities: Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, and more.

Consult, design, construct, maintain

To make a true difference, we work across the entire spectrum from policy, strategy, design of infrastructure through to building and maintenance.

We consult with local and state governments, small and large developers.

How we work

look for innovation in every single project

believe action on climate change saves money*

deliver projects on time

take a water-energy nexus perspective

*Sustainability, saving water and saving energy means saving money

Our core values

At Wave, we put these four values at the centre of our company:

innovation
sustainability
commitment
community
leadership.

What we do differently

There are a lot of consulting companies around, so why choose us?

Our key difference is how we work and our culture.

We believe that small teams like ours are more dynamic, efficient, collaborative and accountable.

Interested in working for Wave?

If you live and breathe water and energy, visit our jobs page for more information.

“Rob led the team that put together the successful business case for what has become South Australia’s WSUD (Water Sensitive Urban Design) capacity building program, Water Sensitive SA.

What impressed us all the most was how easy it was to work with Rob, and how well he understood the big picture without losing sight of the necessary detail. With the need to engage efficiently with a lot of stakeholders, Rob ensured we had a robust business case development process leading to a robust outcome.”

— Sam Phillips, Water Projects Engineer | Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty Range

What is the 'water and energy nexus'?

The water and energy sectors are central to our business, and we strive to connect these two fundamental services of a city.

It isn’t new to consider both water and energy together (just ask the Romans and the Dutch), but the term ‘water-energy nexus’ is a relatively new term. It has its origins in America when Peter Gleick documented the large water usage associated with energy generation.

For us, this water-energy nexus means three things

saving water means saving energy

saving energy means saving water

moving water is energy-intensive, so passive systems are good for the environment, good for you, and good for the energy grid

There are significant benefits in working across both sectors, beyond the commodities and the infrastructure.

We bring expertise from one sector and utilise it in the other.

The Wave Consulting backstory

Rob, Wave Consulting’s director, grew up on the beach, surfing every day. He surfed through all conditions and was acutely aware of the environment and climate.
As a kid, he was in the water before the sun came up, and after school walking home with only the streetlights to guide his cold feet.
Surfing isn’t a glorious sport. You spend 99% of the time doing three things: paddling, waiting and almost drowning. But the 1% of the time you spend on the wave is pure joy! Surfing gives you a first-hand view of the nexus between water and energy. You feel it and appreciate the complexities of the climate system, from the micro to the macro.
The backdrop to being in the water and searching for waves is the city. While Rob stared at the horizon, he became acutely aware of the impact of the city on our natural environment. Wave Consulting was born out of this realisation.
In 2012 more than 50% of the world’s population lived in cities. By 2050 it is forecast that 70% of the 9 -10 billion people on the planet will live in cities.
We need to change the way cities work, and the way they use, generate and treat water and energy. Cities are the economic engines of the world, and consequently the key driver of the world’s emissions.
So, the opportunity to protect the atmosphere and oceans isn’t really down on the beach. It’s in the city and in every house, street and suburb we build. It changes at your house, on your street, in your city.
The name Wave captures the flow of water and energy, the sensitivity of the planet, but also the opportunity to do something unique. You can choose to take a new path, ride a new wave.
We work hard, every single day, to achieve our goals and be true to our mission.