For over 20 years, the State Environmental Planning Policy No 55 – Managing Land Contamination Planning Guidelines – SEPP 55–Remediation of Land has guided planning and development decisions regarding the management of contaminated land in NSW.
This state environmental planning policy (SEPP) is now in Chapter 4 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Resilience and Hazards) 2021.
Ministerial Direction 4.4 – Remediation of Contaminated Land under Section 9.1 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 includes requirements for considering contamination when rezoning land.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority also has powers under the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997 to deal with contamination that is serious enough to justify regulation under this legislation.
