The recent Australian Federal election has resulted in a change of government. While the government is settling in, our Environment, Planning and Communities partners set out their top 5 predictions for coming change on environmental matters, and where the priorities should lie. Read more

Directors and related bodies corporate that benefit from environmental offences committed by a corporation are subject to new liabilities and the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) now has stronger enforcement powers. Due to the changes, environmental compliance and risk management practices should be reviewed and updated as required to minimise risks for corporations, their directors … Read more

On 24 February 2022, the NSW Parliament passed a Bill to amend five key pieces of environmental legislation. The amendments are wide-ranging and will have significant impacts on the liability of directors and businesses for environmental offences. The amendments also strengthen the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s ability to hold offenders to account. Read more

The New South Wales Land and Environment Court has granted a development consent subject to conditions requiring PFAS-contaminated material be removed and impacted land remediated. The PFAS-contaminated material had been placed for soil improvement and was discovered during a site view for the proceedings. Read more

The NSW Government has gazetted a new regulation which will ban the use of per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from 26 September 2022. NSW follows Queensland (in 2016) and South Australia (in 2018) in seeking to address the cause of this fast growing environmental risk issue. Read more

The Cooperative Research Centre of Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, in consultation with the National Remediation Framework Steering Group, has released the National Remediation Framework. The Framework is intended for use by land owners and managers, government agencies and site contamination practitioners as a reference point for best practice methods and approaches to remediation. Read more

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Victorian Government has announced that the commencement of the State's new environment protection regime will be postponed until 1 July 2021. However, consultation continues on guidance and subordinate legislation to support its implementation. Read more

New guidance from the NSW Environment Protection Authority may assist to determine when financial assurance is likely to be required. Read more