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Before any significant development can begin, developers must assess, report and remediate for contaminated land. Without proper planning foresight or an understanding of Western Australian regulations, these requirements can leave you victim to significant project delays.
Delays from unanticipated contamination issues often lead to increased costs and regulatory hurdles. Integrating contaminated land considerations into your project planning will help mitigate these risks and ensure timely delivery.
At West Soil & Water, we assist WA industry in creating project timelines that allow for land remediation. We have helped mining, agricultural and manufacturing businesses protect themselves from delays.
This article outlines how we go about constructing a project timeline. If you would prefer to speak directly with a member of our team, you can contact us at sam@westsoilandwater.com.au or call 0424 021 264.
Contaminated land has the potential to disrupt every stage of a project. If risks are ignored or managed reactively, the disruptions are only greater.
Contaminated land can delay a project via:
Before any works begin, contaminated land must be assessed in accordance with WA’s environmental regulations. This typically involves a Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI) and, if required, a Detailed Site Investigation (DSI).
Investigations can take weeks or months depending on site size, access constraints and laboratory availability. If your site requires a DSI, there will need to be additional sampling and testing.
Assessments and investigations must be completed before any significant remediation or design works can commence. This means that they can cause significant delays to project timelines.
If contamination is confirmed on the site, it will need to be reported to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER).
From there, the site will be assigned a classification, triggering a Remediation Action Plan (RAP) and potentially the involvement of a contaminated sites auditor.
These steps often involve constant back-and-forth with regulators, especially if groundwater impacts or sensitive land uses are involve, further extending the timeline.
Contaminated land can alter the scope of design or staging.
For example, certain areas may become temporarily inaccessible during remediation, or foundations may need to be modified to avoid disturbing high-risk areas.
Additionally, contaminated soil needs to be stored, tested and disposed of – affecting equipment access and workflows. This delay is particularly potent for urban sites in constrained spaces.
Remediation can involve excavation, soil treatment, containment measures or groundwater management. Regardless of the method, remediation will take time and must be integrated into the project timeline.
Once treatment is complete, validation sampling is required to demonstrate that remediation efforts have been effective and that site conditions are now safe. If those samples still show signs of contamination, works will once again be delayed for further treatment.
Contaminated land remediation can come with significant costs, possibly delaying your project even further.
After remediation, a site may require ongoing environmental monitoring during or after development. This could be groundwater monitoring or settlement monitoring.
If reporting cycles are quarterly or longer, they can delay occupancy approvals, subdivision clearance or close-out. You will not be able to finish the project without the final report.
Project delays from contaminated land cannot be entirely avoided. However, there are management and remediation steps you can take to minimise those delays:
Early Site Investigations: Conduct PSIs as early as possible to identify contamination risks early and construct appropriate timelines.
Engage Experts: Consult with environmental professionals, such as West Soil & Water, to guide your assessments and remediation plans.
Regulatory Compliance: Familiarise yourself with contaminated land guidelines to understand your reporting and remediation obligations.
Realistic Scheduling: Allocate sufficient time in your project timeline for potential contamination-related works.
Stakeholder Communication: Maintain open lines of communication with regulators, contractors and other stakeholders so that contamination issues can be addressed promptly.
Getting a step ahead of contaminated land is crucial for maintaining project schedules. Thorough site assessments, proper reporting and effective remediation will keep your site on track.
At WSW, we have helped businesses across WA protect themselves from contaminated land delays. In addition to project advisory, we can also assist with:
Contaminated land investigations
Advice on remediation costs
If you would like to speak with a contaminated land consultant, you can contact us at sam@westsoilandwater.com.au or call 0424 021 264.