ARTICLE · 08 MAY 2009

Contaminated Land Reform: Here Comes The EPA, Owners And Occupiers Beware!

Gadens Lawyers

Explore more from Gadens Lawyers

Recent amendments to the Contaminated Land Management Amendment Act 2008 are set to commence on 1 June 2009, dramatically broadening the powers of the EPA and bringing sweeping changes to the responsibilities and potential liability of owners and occupiers.

AustraliaEnvironment

Recent amendments to the Contaminated Land Management Amendment Act 2008 are set to commence on 1 June 2009, dramatically broadening the powers of the EPA and bringing sweeping changes to the responsibilities and potential liability of owners and occupiers. In order to manage potential liability, owners, occupiers, vendors and purchasers will need to seriously consider implementing changes to the approach they take to land transfers, occupation, use and management of land.

What changes will be introduced?

The key changes are:

a new power to impose preliminary investigation orders on a broad class of persons, including innocent owners and occupiers, where a site is merely suspected of being contaminated with a declared substance

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

Related Articles

Australia Begins Public Consultation On Draft Evaluation Statement On The Use And Introduction Of PFAS

AustraliaEnvironment

Bergeson & Campbell

Scope 3 In Scope: High Court Of Australia’s First Climate Decision Confirms Greenhouse Gas Considerations Include Scope 3 Emissions And Clarifies The Scope Of The Assessment Of Likely Impacts

AustraliaEnvironment

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

Keeping Up With ESG In Australia – October 2026

AustraliaEnvironment

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

UN Special Rapporteur On The Human Right To A Clean, Healthy, And Sustainable Environment Intervenes In Proceedings In An Australian First

AustraliaEnvironment

EPBC Act Reforms: Consultation On Proposed Regulations To Support Final Tranche Of Reforms

AustraliaEnvironment

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

Comparative Guide

Environment

Comparative Guide

Environmental, Social and Governance

See more popular content from

Environment

EPBC Act Reforms: Consultation On Proposed Regulations To Support Final Tranche Of Reforms

Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has released consultation papers outlining the regulatory framework for the final phase of environmental protection reforms under the EPBC Act. With submissions closing on 13 October 2026 and implementation scheduled for 1 December 2026, these reforms will fundamentally reshape how projects are assessed and approved, introducing streamlined pathways...

AustraliaEnvironment

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

New South Wales: Data Centre Guidelines Published

New South Wales has introduced comprehensive Data Centre Guidelines to manage the rapid growth of data centre investment while addressing resource, environmental and community impacts. The framework establishes six core principles with 17 performance measures covering energy efficiency, water usage, consumer cost protection, renewable energy commitments and community benefits.

AustraliaEnvironment

EU Commission Publishes The Risk Classification Under The EUDR

On May 22, 2025, the EU Commission adopted an implementing regulation to the EU's Deforestation Regulation ("EUDR") in which it identified the risk classification of countries...

GlobalEnvironment

Keeping Up With ESG In Australia – October 2026

Our monthly ESG bulletin provides a targeted snapshot of key developments we see as reflecting the “must know” trends in the Australian market and, where relevant, the international market.

AustraliaEnvironment

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

A New Climate For Financial Reporting: Mandatory Sustainability Disclosure Obligations

Australia's mandatory climate-related disclosure regime requires certain companies to prepare sustainability reports alongside financial reports starting from 2025.

AustraliaEnvironment

Coleman Greig Lawyers

Amendments To Facilitate Project Delivery In Queensland

The State Development and Public Works Organisation (Critical Minerals) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 (the Bill) has passed the Queensland Parliament.

AustraliaEnvironment

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

Corrs High Vis: Episode 62 - Power, Planning & Data Centres - Inside NSW’s New Guidelines (Podcast)

The NSW Government has released a comprehensive data centre policy framework establishing new guidelines for electricity network connections, planning approvals, and environmental standards. These reforms require data centres to contribute to network infrastructure costs, procure renewable energy, and demonstrate demand flexibility while offering streamlined approval pathways for compliant projects.

AustraliaEnvironment

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

Noise restrictions in NSW

Noise restrictions are regulations or laws that limit the amount of noise in a specific area or at a specific time.

AustraliaEnvironment

Episode 51: ASIC Observations And Lessons For Future Climate Reporting (Podcast)

As the first wave of disclosures has wrapped up, attention has turned to the next climate reporting cycles - particularly for June and September year-end companies. The question now is: what lessons can organisations take forward?

AustraliaEnvironment

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

Amendments To Australia's Environment Protection And Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 And Their Impacts On Climate Change

Australia's Environment Protection Reform Act 2025 introduces mandatory greenhouse gas emissions disclosure requirements for projects requiring federal environmental approval, while establishing the National Environmental Protection Agency as the new federal environmental regulator. Despite extensive debate, the reforms stopped short of implementing a "climate trigger" that would have made significant emissions a standalone matter of national environmental significance.

AustraliaEnvironment