Media Release | 19 October 2023
The NSW Government has passed important legislation to improve the management of contaminated land across the state. Contaminated sites in NSW are currently managed in a piecemeal way that only increases management costs and delays remediation – this legislation will change that.
Amendments to the Waste Recycling and Processing Corporation (Authorised Transaction) Act 2010 No 8 will enable the Waste Assets Management Corporation (WAMC) to act as a specialised central agency that manages the remediation of legacy contaminated sites in NSW.
WAMC's in-house expertise in managing legacy land was identified as an opportunity to consolidate NSW Government-owned contaminated sites within one agency. The contaminated land management and remediation expertise offered by WAMC will reduce reliance on external consultants, delivering cost savings, reduced project delays and improved remediation and rehabilitation outcomes.
The change will enable government agencies to choose whether to transfer contaminated land to WAMC or to coordinate with WAMC as a service provider to undertake safe and appropriate remediation and rehabilitation management programs.
WAMC is an agency of Property and Development NSW and was established in 2010 to provide specialised rehabilitation and management of the Government's legacy landfills.
Examples of WAMC's work include the safe transformation of former waste landfills at Barden Ridge to create green open community space for sporting facilities and a golf course, and the creation of the world class Bare Creek mountain bike park at Belrose.
Planned future opportunities on WAMC-owned legacy sites include a 50-megawatt solar farm planned for a closed Castlereagh landfill, and a large-scale battery installation to support the NSW electricity grid, planned for a closed landfill in the northern beaches.
For more information, visit www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-property/our-business/environmental-service-group/waste-assets-management-corporation.
Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:
"Our Government's priority is to protect the health and wellbeing of our communities, which means cleaning up legacy contaminated sites, and where possible, restoring them for other beneficial uses."
"This change will allow WAMC to act as a central specialist authority that oversees the rehabilitation of contaminated land for the government.
"There are places across NSW that were once important industrial centres but have left behind serious pollution that can lock up land and create adverse health, environmental and social impacts if not properly addressed.
"Currently, we manage contaminated sites in a piece-meal way which can lead to increased holding and remediation costs and delays in addressing contamination. With this change, WAMC will extend its expertise in remediating contaminated sites to help clean up land for future community, commercial or environmental use."