Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288:reg:1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 1
Character Range: 3141560–3143086

1         Introduction
The assessment of contaminated sites is a specialised professional area involving a number of disciplines. Practitioners must have a range of competencies and be able to recognise the need for supporting professional advice beyond their own expertise when assessing contamination and its effects on land use and the environment.

The extent to which these competencies are required varies with the level and nature of work being carried out by the professional. For example, the professional may be operating as an accredited auditor, a third-party reviewer, a specialist professional certifying work under statute or an environmental consultant involved in carrying out contaminated site assessments. The complexity of contamination issues will vary on individual sites from a single known contaminant with limited site distribution to sites with multiple contaminants of unknown vertical and lateral spread, off-site impacts and obvious human health and environmental risks.

Professional assessments of site contamination deal with health and environmental issues of concern to landowners, occupiers, regulators, local government, planning authorities and the public. These assessments are required by regulatory and planning authorities for the management of contaminated land and in development approval processes.

This Schedule should assist the development of arrangements to provide consistency in the recognition of competent professionals for contaminated site assessment across Australia.