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Whilst redeveloping a brownfield area can come with significant opportunities for urban renewal, it also carries hidden environmental risks. It is important to identify and address those risks early in the process, before they cause unexpected delays and costs to the project timeline.
Conducting a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is an effective way to flag potential contamination issues early on in development. At West Soil & Water, our team have been conducting these assessments for nearly 15 years, helping Western Australian businesses remain compliant, on time and within budget.
If you would like to speak with a consultant about contaminated land management or Phase 1 ESAs, please contact West Soil & Water at sam@westsoilandwater.com.au or call 0424 021 264.
A Phase 1 ESA is a preliminary investigation designed to identify potential environmental liabilities associated with a property. It involves:
Historical Research: Reviewing historical records, aerial photographs and land use documents to identify past activities that may have led to contamination.
Site Inspection: Conducting a visual examination of the property to detect signs of environmental concerns, such as storage tanks or discoloured soil.
Interviews: Engaging with current and past property owners, occupants and local authorities to gather information about the site’s history.
Phase 1 ESAs are non-intrusive assessments and do not involve sampling and assessing. Instead, they determine whether further investigations, such as Phase 2 ESAs, are necessary.
Brownfield areas often have complex histories involving industrial use, waste disposal or chemical storage, increasing the likelihood of contamination. Phase 1 ESAs are early steps in brownfield remediation, helping developers identify contaminants, ensure their compliance and facilitate financing.
For most brownfield areas in Western Australia, a Phase 1 ESA typically takes 1 to 3 weeks to complete. The exact timeframe depends on multiple factors:
Site Complexity: Larger or historically complex sites may require more extensive document review and on-site investigation.
Access to Records: Delays can occur if historical data, planning documents or ownership records are difficult to obtain.
Stakeholder Availability: Interviews with former site managers, owners or council officers can impact timing, particularly if follow-up clarification is needed.
Engaging a qualified environmental consultant, such as West Soil & Water, should be one of the first steps taken in the planning process. This allows you to anticipate and schedule around the ESA without delaying your project timeline. Because a Phase 1 ESA is often a precondition for financing, land acquisition and regulatory clearance, even the smallest holdup can cause significant long term problems.
If your site has any potential contaminant risks, a Phase 1 ESA will identify them before they prove costly. While an assessment won’t identify an issue conclusively, it will flag:
Historical Industrial or Commercial Use: Past use as a fuel depot, abattoir or chemical storage site can indicate possible contamination.
Underground Storage Tanks (USTs): Known or suspected presence of old tanks is a common risk factor (especially if they are without documentation).
Fill of Unknown Origin: Sites that have been levelled or raised with untested fill material may contain asbestos, heavy metals or hydrocarbons.
Proximity to Known Contaminated Sites: Neighbouring sites on the DWER Contaminated Sites Database can pose cross-boundary contamination risks, particularly via groundwater.
Visible Indicators: Stained soil, distressed vegetation, unusual odours or uncovered waste materials may suggest past misuse or undocumented dumping.
Whilst they don’t render a site unusable, these red flags highlight the need for deeper assessment and potential remediation planning, likely in the form of a Phase 2 ESA.
Conducting a Phase 1 ESA benefits a project in multiple ways:
Cost Savings: Early detection of environmental issues allows for more accurate budgeting and can prevent expensive remediation efforts later in the project.
Informed Decision-Making: Understanding the environmental condition of a site enables developers to make strategic choices about property acquisition and development plans.
Liability Protection: Identifying and addressing potential contamination issues can protect developers from future legal liabilities related to environmental hazards.
If you are considering brownfield development, conducting a Phase 1 ESA in partnership with an environmental consultant should be a first step in your planning process. It is the surest way of ensuring a smooth, safe and compliant project timeline.
Conducting a Phase 1 ESA is a necessary step in the redevelopment of brownfield sites in Western Australia. A properly conducted ESA will identify environmental risks before they can impact your compliance, budget and project timelines.
Our team has nearly 15 years of experience conducting contaminated site investigations in Western Australia, including Phase 1 and 2 ESAs. If you would like to speak with a consultant, please contact West Soil & Water at sam@westsoilandwater.com.au or call 0424 021 264.