Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288:reg:3
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3
Character Range: 3143576–3146635

3         Use of these guidelines
This Schedule is primarily intended for use by regulatory authorities within the scope of their environmental and planning legislation. Its application in individual states and territories will assist in establishing a consistent minimum level of knowledge, experience and technical competencies for environmental professionals carrying out contaminated site assessment within Australia, and the mutual recognition of these professionals.

Individual states and territories may have specific legislative requirements relating to the appointment or acceptance of:
    * auditors appointed or accredited for the independent third-party auditing of site contamination
    * third-party reviewers accepted to conduct independent third-party reviews for the certification of assessment and remediation
    * specialised professionals who are required under statute to demonstrate relevant qualifications and experience when presenting contamination assessment reports to regulatory authorities and to certify assessment work under statutory declarations.
To be recognised in these roles individuals must be professionals with significant technical expertise and experience in the assessment of site contamination. The application of a high level of technical competency assessment is to be applied to the appointment of accredited auditors and to third-party reviewers and the acceptance of professionals who are certifying assessments of contaminated sites.

While regulatory authorities in individual states and territories may require specific knowledge and understanding of legislation and guidelines relevant to their jurisdiction, it is intended the broad assessment process and minimum criteria described in this Schedule be used to establish the professional competencies required and to then determine the technical skills, experience and proficiency of these individuals.

Relevant aspects of this Schedule provide advice on appropriate qualifications, experience and competencies of environmental consultants involved in the assessment and/or remediation of contaminated sites. These considerations may also be applied to assess the abilities of environmental professionals and their companies not otherwise subject to specific legislative requirements for appointment or accreditation, in order to assess their capability to carry out specific assessments of site contamination.

To improve the quality of site contamination assessment work and encourage professional specialisation in this area, regulatory authorities may use this Schedule as the basis of advice for stakeholders, including professional associations, on the competence of practitioners.

This Schedule may also assist members of the community in decision-making regarding the employment of environmental professionals for contaminated site assessment work, by informing them of the broad range of competencies, knowledge and experience that should be held by environmental professionals in designing and carrying out contaminated site assessments.