Stantec Acquires Niche, Expanding Environmental Leadership Across Australia

Addition of ecology and biodiversity specialists enhances the ability to deliver sustainable outcomes for clients, communities, and nature

Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has acquired Niche, a 200-person environmental consultancy headquartered in Sydney, Australia, along with its wholly owned subsidiary, Ausecology. The addition strengthens Stantec’s ability to help clients advance critical infrastructure and development projects while protecting and restoring the natural environments communities depend on.

Recognized nationally for its leadership in ecology, heritage, natural capital, and land restoration, Niche brings a strong east coast presence and a team of highly respected specialists whose work has helped balance growth, conservation, and cultural stewardship across Australia. Together, Stantec and Niche are creating one of the country’s leading environmental services practices with bicoastal operations, positioned to support clients at every stage of the project lifecycle. The acquisition grows Stantec’s environmental services team in Australia to nearly 450 professionals, with a presence in every mainland state.

As Australia invests in energy transition, transportation, housing, and resource development, environmental considerations are becoming increasingly central to project success. The addition of Niche expands Stantec’s ability to guide clients through permitting, biodiversity, and environmental planning challenges while accelerating the delivery of infrastructure and development that benefits communities for generations to come.

“Niche has built an exceptional reputation for helping clients achieve lasting outcomes for both people and nature,” said Gord Johnston, president and chief executive officer of Stantec. “Their talented team strengthens our ability to address some of Australia’s most important opportunities and challenges, from advancing the energy transition to delivering resilient infrastructure and protecting biodiversity. Together, we’re creating an environmental practice with the scale, expertise, and purpose to help clients move critical projects forward while leaving a positive impact on communities and the environment.”

Expanding opportunities and impact
The acquisition enhances Stantec’s environmental services capabilities across Australia while increasing its presence in key sectors including energy, transportation, resources, land development, and land management. Niche serves approximately 200 clients with little overlap with Stantec’s client base. Longstanding relationships will provide new avenues of growth for Stantec across several business lines, while offering Niche clients access to global multidisciplinary services. Niche’s additional biodiversity consulting business will be a new service at Stantec, helping clients navigate increasingly complex environmental requirements while achieving meaningful conservation outcomes.

“We are excited to take this next step in our evolution by joining Stantec,” said Ian Rollins, managing director, Niche. “Together, we are able to provide greater value for our clients and create new growth opportunities for our people. We look forward to being able to scale our impact and create more positive outcomes that strengthen communities, protect cultural heritage, and restore nature.”

Niche project experience 
Niche’s diverse portfolio has helped to shape stronger communities and healthier ecosystems, spanning several key areas including energy, land development and management, resources, and transport infrastructure. Notable projects include

• HumeLink Transmission Line – supported the energy transition by preparing Transgrid’s HumeLink Biodiversity Development Assessment Report, the largest assessment of its kind to date in Australia. The report and associated counsel helped limit ecological impacts on the 365-kilometer high-voltage transmission line.
• Paramatta Square Redevelopment – supported the A$2.7 billion municipal redevelopment by carrying out archaeological excavations within one of Sydney’s most historically and culturally significant landscapes. Conducted in collaboration with Darug Traditional Owners, the work identified and preserved Aboriginal cultural heritage, uncovering artifacts and archaeological deposits that provide valuable insights into more than 10,000 years of human history.
• Mid-North Coast Pacific Highway Upgrade Ecological Monitoring – implemented Transport for New South Wales’s Ecological Monitoring Program from 2014 to 2025.  The program included extensive ecological surveys along a 38-kilometer stretch of highway to assess the success of mitigation measures protecting threatened species such as the Giant Barred Frog and Brush-tailed Phascogale.
• Atlas Natural Gas Field – implemented a strategic biodiversity offset for Senex Energy in Queensland. The project included due diligence and site assessments to identify a suitable property, as well as development and regulator negotiation for the Offset Management Plan, combining expertise in biodiversity strategy and on-ground environmental management. The offset property now conserves habitat for koalas, greater gliders, and glossy black cockatoos.

About Stantec
Stantec empowers clients, people, and communities to rise to the world’s greatest challenges at a time when the world faces more unprecedented concerns than ever before.  

We are a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. ​Our professionals deliver the expertise, technology, and innovation communities need to manage aging infrastructure, demographic and population changes, the energy transition, and more. ​

Today’s communities transcend geographic borders. At Stantec, community means everyone with an interest in the work that we do—from our project teams and industry colleagues to our clients and the people our work impacts. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure.  ​

We are designers, engineers, scientists, project managers, and strategic advisors. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.​

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