Our regional contaminated land program is continuing to develop resources to assist Councils in meeting their regulatory responsibilities for managing contaminated land, and to facilitate a more consistent approach by Councils to doing so across the region . New guidance materials about to be released include:
Preliminary Site Investigations (PSI)
This resource will assist Council staff when reviewing contaminated land technical reports, specifically Preliminary Site Investigations (PSI). It will focus on three key questions:
- When is a PSI required?
- How do I know if a PSI is adequate?
- What happens after the PSI stage?
The technical guidance material is being created with the intention of helping council staff to answer these questions in alignment with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and State Environmental Planning Policy 55. It will include information on what needs to be included in a PSI, how to assess a PSI, and the roles and responsibilities of councils.
UPSS Case Study
The development of UPSS case study materials will assist Councils throughout the region to understand their responsibilities under the Underground Petroleum Storage System (UPSS) Regulation. This regulatory responsibility transferred from the NSW EPA to Councils in September 2019, meaning that Councils are now responsible for all underground systems that store petrol which are located in their LGA.
New materials being developed by the Hunter JO will assist Council staff understand these responsibilities, and highlight how potential disasters from fuel leaks can be avoided. The materials will include case studies from other areas that demonstrate where this has occurred and the lessons learned from managing these issues.
If you’d like to know more about the Contaminated Land Program check out our website, or visit our programs page HERE or contact Peter Brennan, Regional Program Manager Contaminated Land at peterb@hunterjo.com.au or on 0427 754 703