People Spotlight: Meet Nicky Lee
Our People Spotlight series gives you an inside look at our technical experts around the world. This week, we are highlighting an associate director and team leader from our Water Resources group in Melbourne, Australia and providing an insight into their inspiration and work.
Nicky Lee has over 23 years of experience — including 19 years with AECOM — serving in a variety of roles including technical delivery, project management, business development and team leadership. Her technical focus areas include surface water assessments to support regulatory approvals and environmental impact statements, along with strategic water management. During her time with AECOM, she has worked in the Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne offices.
Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.
I was fortunate to grow up exploring waterways and the natural environment throughout New Zealand. From a young age, I developed a love of all things related to science and water, and was driven to not only protect but improve our natural assets for future generations. My interest in pursuing education and a career in environmental science grew from this passion. I was fortunate enough to secure a graduate position with URS, which was later acquired by AECOM.
From a young age, I developed a love of all things related to science and water, and was driven to not only protect but improve our natural assets for future generations.”
What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?
One of my favourite projects is the surface water assessment associated with the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro project. The 250-megawatt pumped storage hydroelectric power generation facility is the first pumped hydro project in Australia in over 40 years and is the third-largest electricity storage device in the country. The project will act as a natural battery storage, allowing energy to be stored and harnessed on demand.
As the technical lead for water quality, I was responsible for assessing potential impacts and mitigation measures resulting from releases from the project into the Copperfield River’s surface water environment. The project was not only interesting but also highly complex from a technical perspective. It involved modelling multiple water quality/flow scenarios and undertaking toxicity assessments, along with frequent engagement with the regulator to ensure that a complete environmental outcome was achieved. As a result of our studies, environmental approvals for the project were obtained.
As the technical lead for water quality for the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro project, I was responsible for assessing potential impacts and mitigation measures resulting from releases from the project into the Copperfield River’s surface water environment. The project was not only interesting but also highly complex from a technical perspective.”
Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.
The Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro project has helped enable the renewable generation potential of North Queensland and created 500 employment opportunities in the region. When complete, the project will store and dispatch 2,000 megawatt-hour of electricity each generation cycle, enough to power 143,000 homes for at least six hours. This additional electricity will help the state achieve its renewable energy targets and Australia’s transition to net zero. Additionally, this project involved the beneficial use of two existing mine pits associated with the decommissioned Kidston gold mine which were repurposed to add additional infrastructure and turbines.
When complete, the project will store and dispatch 2,000 megawatt-hour of electricity each generation cycle, enough to power 143,000 homes for at least six hours. This additional electricity will help the state achieve its renewable energy targets and Australia’s transition to net zero.”
Share a piece of career advice.
Look for opportunities to try something new and challenging. One of the benefits of working at AECOM is the diverse range of career paths and interesting projects on offer. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience a wide variety of projects and roles, which has allowed me to not only grow professionally but also better understand the career path I would like to take.
