Contaminated Land Management Act 1997

For the purposes of this Act, a person is responsible for contamination of land (whether or not the contamination is significant contamination) if any one or more of the following is true—

the person caused the contamination of the land (whether or not any other person also caused the contamination of the land),

the contamination occurred because an act or activity of the person resulted in the conversion of a substance that did not cause contamination of the land into a substance that did cause contamination of the land,

the person is the owner or occupier of the land and the person knew or ought reasonably to have known that contamination of the land would occur and the person failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the contamination,

the person carried on activities on the land that generate or consume—

the same substances as those that caused the contamination, or

substances that may be converted, by reacting with each other or by the action of natural processes on the land, into substances that are the same as those that caused the contamination,

For the purposes of this Act, a person is also responsible for significant contamination of land if either or both of the following is true—

the significant contamination occurred because an act or activity of the person resulted in a change in some pre-existing contamination of the land so that the contamination of the land became significant contamination,

the significant contamination occurred because an act or activity of the person resulted in a change in the approved use of the land and the consequent increase in the risk of harm caused the EPA to identify the land as significantly contaminated land (even if the contamination itself did not change).

In determining whether a person is responsible for contamination of land, it is irrelevant that the contamination did not arise contemporaneously with the act, activity or omission of the person that ultimately was responsible for (or is taken to be responsible for) the contamination of the land.

An act referred to in subsection (2) (b) includes the making of an application for planning approval.

A public authority or Minister does not become a person referred to in subsection (2) (b) merely by giving an approval or consent, or concurring in the giving of consent under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

A person who is responsible for contamination continues to be responsible for that contamination under this Act whether or not the person has entered a contract or other arrangement that provides for some other person to be responsible for the contamination or for any harm caused by the contamination.