diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
index c988be2..8a0b314 100644
--- a/environment.yml
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -9,26 +9,26 @@ dependencies:
 - python>=3.10
 - pip
 - sqlalchemy<2.0 ### cosima cookbook does not import with sqlalchemy 2
-- libnetcdf>=4.7.4=mpi_openmpi* # pinned for solver stability
+- libnetcdf=*=mpi_openmpi*
 - coecms-nci
-- cdo<2.1.1
+- cdo
 - hdf5
  #x basemap # Deprecated, see https://matplotlib.org/basemap/users/intro.html#deprecation-notice
  #x basemap-data-hires
-- cartopy>=0.19 # pinned for solver stability
+- cartopy
 - dask
 - distributed
 - ipython
 - iris
-- netcdf4<=1.6.0 ### Workaround for https://github.com/pydata/xarray/issues/7079
-- numpy>=1.21 # Mule dependency
+- netcdf4 ###<=1.6.0 ### Workaround for https://github.com/pydata/xarray/issues/7079
+- numpy
 - pandas
 - pygrib
 - pyhdf
 - pytest
 - scipy
 - seaborn
-- xarray>2023.9 ### py-cordex fixes xarray at != 2023.9.0 - set this to prevent downgrade
+- xarray
 - jupyter
 - notebook
 - metpy
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ dependencies:
 - xerces-c
 - plotly
 - zarr
-- pytables
+- pytables ##>=3.8.0 ### Required for Pandas to write HDF5 files
 - nose
 - ncdu
 - cftime
@@ -68,12 +68,12 @@ dependencies:
 - matplotlib
 #- matplotlib>=3.5.2|<=3.4.3  # pinned to solve  https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/21917
 - dreqpy
-- pint<0.20 ### Breaks older geocat
+- pint
 - pycodestyle 
 - nc-time-axis
 - jq
 - pvlib-python
-- parcels>=2.4 ### Required for cosima recipes
+- parcels ##>=2.4 ### Required for cosima recipes - leaving unpinned brings in ancient py310_0 version
 - siphon
 - scikit-learn
 - filelock
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ dependencies:
 - h5py
 - line_profiler
 - bottleneck
-- jupyterlab<4.2.0a0
+- jupyterlab
 - dask-jobqueue
 - jupyterlab_server
 - docrep
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ dependencies:
 - panel
 - xrft
 - git
-- openmpi==4.1.5 ### Pin to match latest version on Gadi
-- mpi4py==3.1.4 ### Prevent installation of Intel MPI
+- openmpi
+- mpi4py
 - palettable
 - xlrd
 - nccompress
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@ dependencies:
 - ninja
 - hvplot
 - cython
-- esmf>=8.0.1=mpi_openmpi*
-- esmpy>=8.0.1=mpi_openmpi*
+- esmf=*=mpi_openmpi*
+- esmpy
 - xesmf
 - sharppy
 - docrep
@@ -262,10 +262,10 @@ dependencies:
 - xskillscore
 - geocat-comp
 - ecgtools
-- gcc_linux-64>=12.2.0 ### Pin otherwise parcels brings in a very old version that breaks the module file
-- ipywidgets>=8
+- gcc_linux-64
+- ipywidgets
 - flox
-- erddapy>2 ### Pin to fix argopy bringing in very old version of erddapy
+- erddapy
 - tintx
 - climpred
 - odc-geo
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ dependencies:
 - shellcheck
 - pysteps
 - geocat-viz
-- icclim>=6.4.0 ### Prevent downgrade
+- icclim
 - py-cordex
 - pdbufr
 - matplotlib-scalebar
@@ -287,5 +287,6 @@ dependencies:
 - crick ### Unlisted dependency for dask-expr
 - regional-mom6
 - u8darts-all
+- xwrf
 - pip:
   - railroad-diagrams ### Unlisted dependency of pip and pyparsing
diff --git a/testconfig.yml b/testconfig.yml
index 8d341f5..dfd0e1e 100644
--- a/testconfig.yml
+++ b/testconfig.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ skip:
 - fugue_spark ### Optional backend not used by any package in analysis3
 - torch.onnx ### Prevent testing of _internal APIs
 - torch.testing ### Prevent testing of _internal APIs
+- torch.utils.benchmark ### Uses non-existent part of deprecated pkg_resources
 
 # Preload these modules before testing to avoid weird python issues
 preload: