Contaminated Land Assessment for DAs, CDCs, and Land Use Changes

Historic agricultural practices, fuel storage, and industrial activity across the Mid North Coast have left many sites at risk of contamination — especially in older town centres and rural zones being rezoned or redeveloped. At Confluence Environmental, we support architects, planners, developers, and landowners with fast, council-compliant environmental assessments across the Mid North Coast.

Whether you’re preparing a Development Application (DA), applying for a Complying Development Certificate (CDC), or seeking to subdivide or rezone land, we help you identify risks, satisfy legislative requirements, and move forward with confidence.

Local Environmental Consulting for the Mid North Coast

We work with clients across:

• Port Macquarie

• Kempsey

• Coffs Harbour

• Taree

• Nambucca Heads

• Forster-Tuncurry

• Wauchope, South West Rocks, Laurieton, and surrounding towns

Our assessments are accepted by councils across the Mid North Coast and meet all requirements under the NSW Contaminated Land Management Act, SEPP (Resilience and Hazards) 2021, and NEPM (2013).

We offer:

• Stage 1 Preliminary Site Investigations (PSI)

• Stage 2 Detailed Site Investigations (DSI)

• Remediation Action Plans (RAPs)

• Validation Reports

• Due diligence and pre-purchase assessments

Preliminary Site Investigations (PSI)

A Preliminary Site Investigation (Stage 1 ESA) is the first step in identifying whether a site may be affected by contamination from previous land use.

PSIs are typically required when:

• A Planning Certificate (10.7) flags the land as potentially contaminated

• The land was previously used for farming, fuel storage, manufacturing, or dumping

• A DA or rezoning request is being submitted

Our PSI process includes:

• Desktop review of historical aerial imagery, EPA databases, and council records

• Site inspection by a qualified environmental consultant

• Review of previous contamination reports (if available)

• Summary of environmental risks and recommended next steps

Suitable for submission with DAs or planning proposals
Prepared to meet Mid North Coast Council and NSW EPA expectations

Detailed Site Investigations (DSI)

When a PSI identifies contamination potential, a Stage 2 ESA (DSI) is required to investigate and confirm the extent of contamination.

We conduct DSIs across the Mid North Coast using:

• Soil, groundwater, and vapour sampling

• Laboratory analysis at NATA-accredited facilities

• Human health and ecological risk assessment

• Development of a Conceptual Site Model (CSM)

• Comparison against NEPM and local planning thresholds

Our DSIs support decision-making for land rezoning, redevelopment, and clean-up planning.

Remediation Action Plans (RAPs)

If contamination is confirmed, we’ll prepare a tailored Remediation Action Plan that outlines the most suitable, compliant, and cost-effective approach to make your site safe for reuse.

RAPs include:

• Site remediation objectives and clean-up levels

• Contaminant removal, capping, or treatment strategies

• Contractor guidance and control measures

• Validation sampling framework

• Communication with council and certifiers

We manage projects from agricultural-to-residential conversions to brownfield site renewals and waterfront redevelopments.

Validation Reporting

After remediation works are completed, we conduct site validation to confirm the land is suitable for its proposed use.

Our validation services include:

• Collection of post-remediation soil or water samples

• Laboratory testing and regulatory comparison

• Preparation of a Validation Report for council or EPA approval

Validation is essential to close out DA conditions, issue Subdivision Certificates, or demonstrate compliance under NSW planning law.

Due Diligence Assessments

Buying or selling land on the Mid North Coast?
A due diligence ESA helps developers, investors, and solicitors avoid the risk of legacy contamination liability.

We assess potential risks from:

• Agricultural chemical use

• Fuel or machinery storage

• Illegal dumping or uncontrolled fill

• Former industrial or commercial activity

Reports can be tailored to your budget and level of risk tolerance.