Speak with the team - Contaminated Lands Register

About the Contaminated Lands Register

Under NSW State guidelines Councils are strongly recommended to have a policy to provide clear guidance about dealing with land that may be impacted by contamination.

Council has developed a Contaminated Land Register to identify parcels of land with potentially contaminating land uses, currently active (such as service stations) or historically undertaken (like engine workshops, vehicle wreckers or intensive poultry farms).

The Register is a list of property details (address, lot and DP) and information pertaining to the potentially contaminating land use activities that are known to have occurred on that land. The Contaminated Land Register integrates into Council’s mapping database so that it becomes part of Council’s normal property and development assessment process.

Similar to other issues like heritage, flooding, bushfire or biodiversity, identifying and provide guidance around potentially contaminated land provides more certainty for landholders and those wishing to buy or develop the land.

In the past, the use of hazardous substances was less regulated than today, and in some cases, contamination persists in the environment for many years after the land use has ceased.

About the process

Council has been undertaking a process of examining historic records, including council files, trade directories, and aerial photographs to identify historic land use activities on parcels of land. This process is referred to as an Initial Review (here).

Additional information, such as environmental site investigation reports and details included in historic development applications also assist in identifying relevant land uses.

The Managing Land Contamination, Planning guidelines SEPP 55 – Remediation of Land (1998) (here) provides a list of potentially contaminating activities, which Council has used as a baseline for determining such activities.

Council is taking the following steps to manage land use issues:

• Council has developed a Contaminated Land Policy (here), which provides information on the strategies adopted by Council to address contamination
• A Contaminated Land Register has been developed based on current and historic data regarding land use across the LGA
• Council officers are required to consider contamination when assessing development and planning proposals for land rezoning. These development applications are evaluated against the national contaminated land standard
• Section 10.7(5) Planning Certificates, which detail the land status of a property in relation to contamination can be requested from Council, for a fee.

What should you do if you have been notified by Council that your property may be potentially contaminated?

Council staff encourage you to get in contact with us so we can organise a time to speak to you about your particular property and your unique questions and concerns.

You can book a meeting or call with Council staff or ask a question below:

• Request a call or meeting
• Ask a question

If your property has been listed on the Contaminated Lands Register you will be notified by Council via an addressed letter. Understandably this notification may raise many questions for you.

Please find some additional guidance with Frequently Asked Questions and supporting links via Council's Contaminated Lands Register webpage.