A Practising Member must have appropriate tertiary qualification (or equivalent) and minimum two years experience as a consultant ecologist and majority of current work must be as a consultant ecologist. A practising member has voting rights and must sign the Code of Business Practice, Professional Conduct and Ethics. Applicants must provide a CV with two referees who are professional ecologists with experience in Australia (preferably NSW). Applications must be supported by signatures of two Practising Members of the Ecological Consultants Association of NSW or two recent examples of work (if signatures are not possible). Practising Members business address is within 200km of Sydney CBD.

Practising Ecological Consultants with a business address outside a 200km radius of Sydney – Requirements and rights are those of a Practising Member (see above).

An associate member must have appropriate tertiary qualification (or equivalent) and currently working as a consultant ecologist with the majority of current work as a consultant ecologist, but has less than two years experience. An associate member has no voting rights, but must sign the Code of Ethics. Applicants must provide a CV with two referees who are professional ecologists with experience in Australia (preferably NSW). Applications must be supported by signatures of two Practising Members of the Ecological Consultants Association of NSW or two recent examples of work (if signatures are not possible).

This category is suitable for ecologists and professionals in related disciplines, who are not currently working as a consultant. A non-practising member has no voting rights; is not required to sign the code of ethics; and does not need to provide signatures of referees, however does need to provide a current CV.

This category is suitable for students enrolled in relevant disciplines in tertiary institutions, who wish to keep abreast of affairs of the ecological consultancy industry. A student member must not be currently working as a consultant full-time. A student member has no voting rights; is not required to sign the code of ethics; and does not need to provide signatures of referees, however does need to provide a current CV.

This category is suitable for service providers to the ecological / environmental industry who may wish to keep abreast of affairs of the ecological consultancy industry. A subscriber must not be working as an ecologist. A subscriber has no voting rights; is not required to sign the code of ethics; and does not need to provide signatures of referees, however does need to provide a current CV. A subscriber does not receive member discounts at conferences and workshops.