Erica Walther to lead Extent Heritage’s Sea Country Unit

Extent Heritage is excited to announce that Erica Walther is joining the team as the Manager of our Sea Country unit and Associate Director.

Working across Extent Heritage’s national operations, Erica will lead a team focusing on the new and emerging field of Sea Country heritage.

“Traditional Owners have been calling for acknowledgement of Sea Country for a long time, so this is a huge opportunity,” says Erica. “Being at the forefront of that legislative change, and working closely with Traditional Owners is a great privilege.”

“I’m excited to help Extent lead the way in Sea Country, offshore wind, and the effects of climate change,” she says.

Erica has over fifteen years of consulting experience, with a particular focus on Aboriginal cultural heritage management. She’s worked on offshore projects, including wind farms, for some years, and also has extensive experience in Traditional Owner engagement and expert legislative advice.

This is something of a homecoming for Erica—her first job out of university was with Extent Heritage’s now Executive Director Jim Wheeler, at AHMS. Fifteen years later, AHMS has become Extent Heritage, and Jim is one of the chief drivers of Extent’s growth into coastal and offshore work.

“It was just me and Jim at the start,” says Erica, “so I’ve known him my entire career.”

Extent Heritage CEO Ian Travers, the other main instigator of Extent’s leadership in the field, says “Erica is known and sought out in the industry for her ability to take on new and challenging areas of work. We’re thrilled that she’s joining us, our clients, and the Traditional Owners of the Sea Country on which we work to help us set the highest standards for its management.”