Stay up to date
The latest updates on contaminated land management in NSW.
You can stay up to date with the latest contaminated land management news and events, including:
- changes to policy and regulatory requirements
- updates to guidelines and legislation
- opportunities to have your say on public exhibitions.
Contaminated Land Management Update No. 39 – July 2026
Call for new applications for accreditation as a Site Auditor
The NSW EPA will be accepting applications from appropriately qualified and experienced people wishing to apply for accreditation in NSW under the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997.
This accreditation round is the inaugural National Harmonised Auditor Accreditation Process (NHAAP) and will commence on 1 September 2026 and take about 8 to 12 months to complete. Interested applicants looking to become accredited in NSW should apply using the application forms on our Contaminated land site auditor accreditation process webpage.
Accredited Site Auditors conduct independent reviews of the investigation and remediation of contaminated land in NSW.
Applicants are required to have extensive experience and a high level of expertise in:
- assessment of contaminant exposure pathways
- contaminated site assessment and remediation, including management
- evaluation and interpretation of chemical and analytical data
- soil sampling design and methodology
- soil gas sampling design and methodology
- groundwater sampling design and methodology
- identification of potential human health and environmental risks
- quality control/quality assurance procedures
- risk communication.
Applicants applying for accreditation in NSW are also expected to be able to demonstrate a good understanding of NSW and national guidelines, policies and legislation relating to contaminated land and meet the selection criteria which is set out in the application forms.
Applications will close on Thursday 15 October 2026.
A national information session will be hosted by the Australasian Land & Groundwater Association (ALGA) and held online at 1:30pm (AEST) (1pm ACDT) on Monday 17 August 2026. For information on how to attend, refer to the South Australia EPA website.
An information session for NSW will be held online at 2:30pm (AEST) on Wednesday 26 August 2026. Please email your name and contact details to [email protected] if you wish to register to attend.
Further information about the NSW EPA site auditor scheme and the NHAAP, and a link to the application forms can be found on our Contaminated land site auditor accreditation process webpage.
Asbestos Plan of Action
The NSW Government has released the Asbestos Plan of Action which responds to the recommendations from the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer to manage asbestos in recovered materials.
The Plan reflects a comprehensive consideration of the independent review and of feedback received through consultation with stakeholders.
The NSW Government is taking a through-chain risk-based approach to asbestos by introducing a 0.001% threshold for asbestos in recovered materials, while bringing in better asbestos management, training and oversight for the construction and demolition, and waste and recycling industries.
Another key action outlined in the Plan is a trial household asbestos collection service set to commence in 2027.
Further engagement and consultation with stakeholders will be undertaken to inform the design and implementation of most of the actions set out in the Plan.
More information is on our NSW Asbestos Plan of Action webpage.
NSW EPA position statement on the PFAS National Environmental Management Plan (NEMP) – what has changed in PFAS NEMP 3.1
The PFAS NEMP is periodically updated to reflect new scientific evidence and guidance. The EPA implements updates in a staged, risk-based way.
Key changes in the PFAS NEMP 3.1 include:
- updated guideline values from the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG), released by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in June 2025
- updated ecological guideline values for PFOS in freshwater, from the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (ANZG), released in March 2026
- interim application of the ecological guideline values for PFOS in freshwater to marine waters
- biota screening thresholds for PFOS in water.
Further information, including reporting obligations for PFAS under the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997, and the EPA’s position on PFOS biota screening thresholds in water can be found on our NSW EPA position statement on the PFAS NEMP webpage.
Updates within the last 2 years
EPA cost recovery and site auditor fees to change
The EPA sets site auditor accreditation and application fees each year under the Contaminated Land Management Regulation 2022. These fees are adjusted annually on 1 September, based on changes in the Public Sector Wage Price Index.
On 1 September 2025, the fees increased to the rates listed below:
| Cost recovery fees rates | Application fee for accreditation as a site auditor | Fee for accreditation as a site auditor (for a period one year or less) |
|---|---|---|
| $113 per hour | $1337 | $9337 |
You can find more details on the EPA’s cost recovery fees, and additional information about accreditation fees.
Review of Underground Petroleum Storage Systems (UPSS) Regulation
In 2024, the EPA began a statutory review and remake of the Protection of the Environment Operations (Underground Petroleum Storage Systems) Regulation 2019 (UPSS Regulation). The UPSS Regulation specifies requirements for designing, installing, maintaining and monitoring underground petroleum storage systems in NSW. The purpose of the UPSS Regulation is to reduce the risk of harmful environmental leaks that can lead to land and groundwater contamination.
The review will ensure the UPSS Regulation reflects technological changes and industry best practice, and continues to provide fit for purpose requirements to prevent leaks.
The EPA has surveyed local councils, consulted with other government agencies and engaged with key industry bodies to identify issues and inform potential changes to the UPSS Regulation.
Public consultation on proposed changes to the UPSS Regulation is scheduled for early 2026.
Changes to EPA cost recovery and site auditor fees
The EPA sets site auditor accreditation and application fees each year under the Contaminated Land Management Regulation 2022. These fees are adjusted annually on 1 September, based on changes in the Public Sector Wage Price Index. On 1 September 2024, the fees increased to the rates listed below:
| Cost recovery fees rates | Application fee for accreditation as a site auditor | Fee for accreditation as a site auditor (for a period one year or less) |
|---|---|---|
| $109 per hour | $1,292 | $9,023 |
Read more details on the EPA’s cost recovery fees and additional information about accreditation fees.
Managing asbestos-contaminated sites
Following stakeholder feedback, we have updated our website to offer general information on managing asbestos contaminated sites. The way EPA assesses contaminated land in NSW has not changed. Feedback from both industry and community on our position statement and the proposed changes suggested that more clarity is needed about what is allowed under the current regulatory framework for remediation projects. The EPA will continue to review this information as new data and information becomes available.
The updated website information is available at Managing asbestos in and on land.
Site auditors exempted from Automatic Mutual Recognition
The NSW Government has exempted contaminated land site auditor accreditation from the automatic mutual recognition (AMR) scheme for five years, until at least October 2029.
AMR is a national program that allows workers with a license or registration for certain occupations in one Australian state or territory to do the same work in another state or territory without needing to apply or pay for a new license or registration.
This exemption is meant to allow time to address differences in accreditation, as well as technical, policy and legislative requirements for contaminated land site auditors in NSW and other areas. The differences could lead to inadequate land contamination assessments and potential risks to public health and the environment. The five-year exemption provides time for states and territories to collaborate and align their accreditation processes and standards.
Find more information on the Automatic Mutual Recognition scheme (nsw.gov.au).
Contaminated land management update
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) can recover administrative costs for certain activities outlined in the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997. This amount is prescribed in the Contaminated Land Management Regulation 2022 and is adjusted each year from 2023 in line with the Public Service Wage Price Index. The new fee rates are outlined in the table below, and take effect from September 2023.
| Cost recovery fees rates | Application fee for accreditation as a site auditor | Fee for accreditation as a site auditor (for a period one year or less) |
| $104 per hour | $1234 | $8620 |
See Paying for EPA cost recovery and Contaminated land site auditor accreditation process for more information.
Sampling requirements for contaminated service station sites
The EPA has published new guidelines to help consultants, site auditors, regulators and planning authorities who undertake or review contamination assessments of service station sites.
The Contamination assessment of service station sites – Minimum sampling requirements guidelines provide guidance on the assessment process, the role of sampling within that process, and details of where samples should be collected, the minimum number to collect and why.
Consultation was undertaken to seek feedback on the draft service station guidelines in early 2023, and stakeholder feedback was incorporated into the final guidelines.
The service station guidelines are available on the EPA website at https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/contaminated-land/non-statutory-guidance-documents.
If you have any questions on the articles featured in this update, please contact [email protected] or call the Environment Line on 131 555
Review of Underground Petroleum Storage Systems (UPSS) Regulation
The EPA has begun its periodic review of the Protection of the Environment Operations (Underground Petroleum Storage Systems) Regulation 2019 (UPSS Regulation). The Regulation outlines the requirements for designing, installing, maintaining and monitoring underground petroleum storage systems in NSW. The goal of the regulation is to reduce the risk of harmful environmental leaks that can lead to land and groundwater contamination.
The aim of this review is to assess whether the regulation provides up-to-date requirements to prevent leaks and achieve effective regulatory outcomes. This will help the regulation stay aligned with industry changes.
To support the review, the EPA has surveyed local councils, consulted with other government agencies and engaged with key industry bodies to identify issues and inform potential changes to the UPSS Regulation.
The EPA plans to publicly consult on any proposed changes to the UPSS Regulation in early 2025.
Training local council officers on the UPSS Regulation
In June, the EPA held information sessions for NSW local council officers about the UPSS Regulation. The sessions aimed to strengthen the capacity of council officers responsible for managing UPSS issues in their local areas. The program was based on a similar initiative conducted by the EPA in 2019.
Training sessions were conducted in Nowra, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga and Coffs Harbour, with additional sessions held online. In total, 121 officers from 57 councils participated. The training aimed to improve local councils’ management of UPSS issues across NSW. The feedback from local councils was positive, and the EPA received excellent feedback from attendees. The online training module is available for local councils.
Request for comments - DRAFT Position statement on management of asbestos-contaminated sites
We are seeking feedback on our draft revised position statement on the management of asbestos-contaminated sites.
This position statement will replace our existing position statement on the Guidelines for the Assessment, Remediation and Management of Asbestos Contaminated Sites in Western Australia.
The existing position statement has been revised in response to comments from industry stakeholders, including contaminated land consultants and site auditors. The revised position statement better reflects industry best practice and supports the NSW Government’s commitment to moving to a circular economy.
We are seeking stakeholder feedback on the revised position statement prior to finalising it for publication.
The draft revised position statement is available on the EPA website at: Position statement — WA guidelines for asbestos contaminated sites
Please provide any comments on the attached draft document to us at [email protected]