Review of the Contaminated Sites Act 2003 - final report

Technical Report
The Contaminated Sites Act 2003 and the associated Contaminated Sites Regulations 2006, came into effect on 1 December 2006.
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Sound legislation is vital to protect public health and the environment from the effects of contamination of land.

The Contaminated Sites Act 2003 complements the Environmental Protection Act 1986 and addresses contamination and legacy issues not regulated under the Environmental Protection Act 1986.

This review was carried out in accordance with s 99 of the Contaminated Sites Act 2003 which requires the Minister to review the Act as soon as practicable after five years since commencement.

The Minister was to consider and have regard to:

  • the effectiveness of the scheme established by this Act in identifying, recording, managing and remediating contaminated sites; and
  • any other matter that appears to the Minister to be relevant to the operation and effectiveness of this Act.

This report summarises the stakeholder engagement process, outcomes and recommendations.