Contaminated Land
Contaminated land is a significant issue for highly urbanised environments, such as the City of Sydney LGA, since it can pose immediate and long term threat to the health of humans, animals, plants and waterways. Where soil contaminants leach into groundwater and waterways, they can endure for many decades.
Contamination can stem from a number of causes including past land uses, accidental chemical spillage, inappropriate waste disposal, plant operation leakages and the use of pesticides and herbicides.
Lead is a contaminant of particular concern within the city environment, as its sources include runoff from roads, lead paint and contaminated fill. Lead does not break down and persists in soil if not removed.
Due to previous and existing land uses, certain sites within the City of Sydney may be contaminated, posing a risk to human health or the environment. Many foreshore areas used contaminated industrial fills such as coke and ash from power stations, industrial or domestic waste. Other areas may be contaminated due to previous industrial activity.
Managing Contaminated Land
The City shares responsibility for contaminated land management with the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC ) and the Department of Planning.
Sites that pose a 'significant risk of harm' to human health and the environment as defined by the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997 are regulated by the DECC .
Other potentially contaminated sites within the City of Sydney are dealt with by Council through planning and development controls specified under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. The Act precludes Council from granting development consent for potentially contaminated sites, until Council is satisfied the site is suitable in its present state or is able to be made suitable for the proposed use. The remediation of contaminated land is facilitated and regulated through State Environmental Planning Policy 55 – Remediation of Land (SEPP55) and Council's Contaminated Land Development Control Plan (DCP) 2004.
The City's Contaminated Land DCP applies to all land where the City of Sydney or Central Sydney Planning Committee are the consent authority.
The DCP establishes a procedural framework for the integration of contaminated land management into the City’s planning and development process. It ensures that with each application, consideration is given to previous land uses which may have caused contamination and could cause potential risk to health or the environment.
Under the DCP, the City of Sydney conducts an initial evaluation as part of the development assessment process to determine whether contamination is an issue and whether sufficient information is available for Council to carry out its planning functions.
Where further information is required, the applicant is responsible for engaging a suitably qualified environmental consultant to undertake the appropriate investigations, which usually consist of four stages: preliminary investigation; detailed investigation; remedial action plan; and validation and monitoring.
All investigations are carried out in accordance with requirements of DECC guidelines and the process and outcomes may be reviewed by an independent site auditor who is accredited by DECC, if the City believes that the information provided by the applicant is incorrect or incomplete.
The outcome of this review is a Site Audit Statement which specifies the land use suitable for the site. The City of Sydney maintains a register of all premises where a Site Audit Statement has been issued.
Last Updated: Wednesday 7 May, 2008
