CODE OF ETHICS

Environment Institute of Australian and New Zealand

Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand Council 1989, Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, ratified on 10 October 1989.

Under the Rules of Association of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand, membership is contingent upon the member conforming with the letter and spirit of the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, which from time to time is adopted by the Council of the Institute and ratified by members of the Institute in a General Meeting.

Until revoked or amended in accordance with the Rules of Association this Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is that governing the professional activities of members of the Institute:

• The member shall carry out his or her professional activities, as far as possible, in accordance with emerging principles of sustainable development and the highest standards of environmental protection.
• The member shall at all times place the integrity of the natural environment and the health, safety and welfare of the human community above any commitment to sectional or private interests.
• The member shall be personally accountable for the validity of all data collected, analyses performed, or plans developed by the member, and for the scrutiny of all data collected, analyses performed or plans developed under the member's direction.
• The member shall actively discourage misrepresentation or misuse of work the member has performed or that which was performed under the member's direction.
• The member shall conduct professional activities, as far appropriate, in an interdisciplinary manner and recognise the need to collaborate with suitably qualified persons in subject areas where the member is less experienced.
• The member shall ensure the incorporation of environmental protection considerations from the earliest stages of project design or policy development.
• The member shall not conduct professional activities in a manner involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, misrepresentation or bias.
• The member shall not advertise or present the member's services in a manner that may bring discredit to the profession.

Australian Association of Agricultural Consultants

Australian Rural Group Limited, 2001, The AAAC Register of accredited agricultural, environmental and natural resource management consultants, Australian Rural Group Limited, NSW. For the proper conduct of members of the Australian Association of Agricultural Consultants, whether in Australia or oversees.

 
Standards of Practice

1. Members should maintain the highest standards of honesty and integrity towards all those with whom they come in contact. All work undertaken by members should be of high quality and be fitting of the public's expectations of a professionally trained and experienced agriculturist.
2. Members shall not refer to their academic qualifications, or status in the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology or Australian Association of Agricultural Consultants, unless such reference shall be specific and accurate.
3. Whilst recognising that direction from other persons is necessary in some situations, members shall not permit any such directions to compromise their professional judgement.
4. Members must take all necessary precautions to safeguard the interests of employers or clients in so far that such actions do not breach this code or the wider community laws.
5. Members shall respond to professional correspondence and enquiries expeditiously and accurately to the best of their ability and knowledge.
6. A member shall not accept any instructions where that member has either directly or indirectly an interest, unless this interest is clearly indicated to the instructing party prior to acceptance of the instruction.
7. A member shall not receive, directly or indirectly, any royalty, gratuity or commission in respect to any aspect of work unless the fact is fully disclosed in writing to the employer or client.
8. A member shall inform his / her employer or client if circumstances arise in which the member's judgement or advice may be called into question by reason of business connection, personal relationship, interest or affiliation.
9. A member shall not offer any financial inducements to receive instructions. Members are permitted to market their services provided they do not use any unfair, improper or questionable method of securing professional work or advancement and that the content or nature of any material used to market their services is not false, misleading, deceptive or in my way reflects adversely on the profession.
10. Members who submit substantially similar work to more than one publisher shall disclose that fact to the publishers at the time of submission.
11. Members who use animals for teaching, scientific, research or production purposes will treat the animals with respect and consider their welfare as an essential factor in planning experimentation and must be familiar with and adhere to, the ‘Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes’, and relevant state legislation.
12. It is the member's responsibility to be aware of all statutory obligations and to ensure that that member's actions do not breach any welfare or environmental, biological or chemical use, genetic, or other relevant regulations.
    

 
Responsibility to the Community

13. Members shall regard the health, welfare and safety of the community and the environment as their prime responsibility and will not knowingly contribute to actions which will threaten human health. Members shall be aware of the occupational health, safety and welfare, legal and moral requirements and ensure that they contribute to maintaining a safe working environment.
14. Results of research, or factual information, should not be presented to the public in a way showing bias or unfair interpretation.
15. Members shall provide equal opportunity in all circumstances and show no preference on the basis of gender, colour, race, nationality or religion and be aware of statutory legislation relating to equal opportunity and to adhere to such legislation, regulations and principals.

 
Relationships with Colleagues

16. A member shall not unfairly, falsely, or maliciously, undertake any actions which may injure the professional career, reputation, prospects or business of another member.
17. A member must not engage in any activities which may adversely reflect on the professionalism and reputation of the institute.
18. A member in the employment of another member shall exercise the same diligence as if the practice was that member's own and carry out duties and behave in such manner so that that member shall not discredit the employer.
19. Members shall acknowledge the source of any information published by them, and where this information is or already in the public domain, they should obtain permission to publish such information.

 
Responsibility to Clients

20. A member shall not disclose, or use for personal advantage, information obtained from a client, employer or colleague which that member knows or ought to know is confidential to such person except with such person's permission or unless the member believes that the information relates to illegal activities. Where members believe the latter is the true, they may use their discretion in bringing the information to the attention of the relevant authority. At all time members should use the utmost tact in disclosing information, technical or otherwise.
21. A member shall not refuse to accept a client without sound reason.
22. A member shall not accept a client unless that member can give such client adequate service in the matter upon which such client requires service nor shall that member offer to render a client service which that member knows or ought to know that member, cannot render to such client.
23. A member shall not attempt to render services to a client which require knowledge not possessed or which cannot reasonably be acquired by that member so that that member shall be unable to adequately perform those services. Should such a situation arise in the course of rendering such services, that member shall inform such client, and if required by such client, shall seek advice or assistance which will enable satisfactory completion of the task.
24. A member shall not allocate to a person with a lesser level of competence than that member knows or ought to know requires the level of competence possessed by that member.
25. A member shall be responsible for any services to or on behalf of clients by assistants who are employed by that member.
26. Members must not accept instructions if their employment is contingent upon reporting a pre–determined or specified outcome.
27. A member shall not recommend to a client any business, process, substance, material or matter in which that member has a personal or financial interest, without first informing that client of such interest.
28. Members will identify to clients the sections of reports which have been substantially used in reports for other clients.

 
Research

29. A member shall issue or publish only such reports or statements as are an accurate record of soundly based experimentation and observation and of logical deduction therefrom.
30. Members publishing or presenting research should acknowledge all those who made a substantial contribution to the work, and any significant facilitators where appropriate.
31. Members who provide education or training services will ensure that the information they provide is up‑to date and relevant.

 
Environmental and Resource Management

32. Members should continue self education to improve personal standards of expertise and competence and to maintain a high quality of service to others.
33. Members shall use their best endeavours to promote and develop the principles of sustainability as defined below.
    Sustainable agriculture is the use of farming Practices and systems which maintain or enhance:
    Economic viability of agricultural production;
    The natural resource base; and,
    Other ecosystems which are influenced by agricultural activities
    The principles of sustainable agriculture are that:
    Farm productivity is sustained or enhanced over the long term,
    Adverse impacts on the natural resource base of agriculture and associated ecosystems are ameliorated, minimised or avoided.
    Residues resulting from the use of chemicals in agriculture are minimised.
    The net social benefit derived from agriculture is maximised.
    Farm system are sufficiently flexible to manage risks associated with the vagaries of climate and markets.
34. Members should support environmental impact studies related to agriculture where appropriate and assist in scientific interpretation as required.