Property Information
How is contaminated land managed by City of Newcastle?
City of Newcastle's Contaminated Land Policy (2024) details our policy regarding the management of contaminated land issues.If you intend to develop land that is contaminated, or if the landuse history indicated the land may be contaminated, City of Newcastle may require you to investigate, remediate and/ or validate contaminated soil or groundwater as part of your development proposal to ensure the land is suitable for the proposed landuse.
How is contamination information obtained about a property?
Contaminated land information can be obtained from a number of sources including:
1. Planning certificate
If City of Newcastle is required to list contamination information on a planning certificate it will be located at:
Section 10.7(2)
- Under Item 7 – Land Contamination
- Under Item 10 – Contaminated Land Management Act, 1997
Section 10.7(5)
- Under the sub-heading ‘Other Matters’ which is the last item listed on the certificate.
2. The NSW EPA
The NSW Environment Protection Authority can also provide advice regarding engaging a contaminated land consultant in NSW.
You can obtain a section 10.7(2) and or a section 10.7(5) planning certificate for the property from us. These certificates will list any reports or other documentation required to be disclosed on the certificate by City of Newcastle pertaining to contamination.
Note: Different information is required to be listed on the section 10.7(2) and section 10.7(5) certificate see the current Contaminated Land Policy for further information. Purchase of a section 10.7(5) certificate will also include the 10.7(2) certificate for the property.
3. An environmental consultant
If you have concerns regarding contaminated land at your property you can contact an environmental consultant to provide you with advice regarding contamination.
Provision of contaminated land documents
Reports and other documents listed under the contaminated land section of your certificate may be viewed at our City Administration Centre at 12 Stewart Avenue, Newcastle West.
If you need to view Site Audit Statements and Management Plans please complete our Contaminated Land Request Information form.
For all other documentation please complete a formal GIPA request
If you have concerns regarding contaminated land at your property you can contact:
- An environmental consultant
- NSW EPA - The EPA has a register of significantly contaminated sites and a range of other important information on it's website to guide you in understanding the assessment, management and regulation of contaminated sites in NSW.
Information regarding the general filling of Carrington
The following statement may be applied to the s10.7 (5) certificate for some properties within the suburb of Carrington:
"Land history information indicates that the land may be within an area at Carrington which was once low lying and which may have been filled. Limited investigation indicates that filling material within this area may contain ballast and industrial slag, and that this material may contain heavy metals such as lead.
Council does not hold information as to whether or not such material occurs on the land. Prospective purchasers are advised to make their own enquiries in this respect.
In the event that such material is found to occur on the land, this fact should be taken into account in the use or development of the land. Soil sampling and remediation may be required prior to any further development of the land.
For further information, contact the Council's Environmental Services Unit, phone 02 4974 2000."
If you find this statement on your certificate, we recommend that you take time to read document below:
