Do construction (residential and commercial) businesses need to notify + remediate contaminated land (state)?
A computed answer from the Rules Mate applicability engine, with the exact condition, the outcome for every structure and size, and the primary source.
Short answer: Only if
Only if you own, occupy or caused contamination of land. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Construction (residential & commercial)), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
The obligation in brief
Notify + remediate contaminated land (state). Each state has a contaminated land regime — NSW Contaminated Land Management Act 1997, Vic Environment Protection Act 2017 (general environmental duty + notification), Qld Environmental Protection Act 1994. Notification of significant contamination; remediation per state-issued Cleanup Notice / Remediation Order.
Trigger: Awareness of significant contamination.
Why construction (residential & commercial) get a different answer
Rules Mate runs its applicability engine across 9 business structures and 6 size bands for each of the 35 industries it maps. For 31 of those industries the answer for "Notify + remediate contaminated land (state)" is no. Construction (residential & commercial) is one of the 4 where the answer is different: only if.
The deciding fact for construction (residential and commercial) businesses: Industry: Construction (residential & commercial); applies only if you own, occupy or caused contamination of land.
About the industry: Builders, contractors, and subcontractors covered by the Building & Construction General On-site Award and high-risk WHS.
Compare a professional services (general) business with 6–19 employees structured as a Pty Ltd company: the obligation does not apply (Requires a trigger outside this questionnaire).
Answer by business structure and size
Each cell is the engine's outcome for a business in construction (residential & commercial) with that structure and size, assuming it sells to consumers and small businesses and holds customer contact details. "Check" means the obligation turns on a fact the industry does not settle.
| Structure | No employees | 1–5 employees | 6–19 employees | 20–99 employees | 100–499 employees | 500+ employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Partnership | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Trust | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Pty Ltd company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Public company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Not-for-profit (unregistered) | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Registered charity | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Super fund | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Foreign company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
What the obligation requires
- When due
- Notification per state-specific timeframe.
- Evidence to keep
- Notification record; site investigation; remediation plan; clearance certificate.
- Maximum penalty
- Significant civil + criminal penalties; cleanup costs + interest
- Regulator
- EPA NSW, EPA Victoria, DES Qld, EPA WA, EPA SA and EPA Tas
- Jurisdiction
- Commonwealth (national)
Other obligations where construction (residential & commercial) differ from the norm
- EPBC Act — assess + approve controlled actions affecting MNES: Only if
- VIC Environment Reference Standards (air, water, noise): Only if
- Asbestos management — workplace + dwelling rules (state): Yes
- Building work — comply with National Construction Code (NCC): Yes
- Comply with NSW Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020: Only if
- Comply with the respirable crystalline silica workplace exposure limit (0.05 mg/m³): Yes
- All 31 answers for construction (residential & commercial)
Other industries with a non-default answer
Questions
- Do construction (residential and commercial) businesses need to notify + remediate contaminated land (state)?
- Only if you own, occupy or caused contamination of land. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Construction (residential & commercial)), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
- Is the answer the same for every industry?
- No. For 31 of the 35 industries Rules Mate maps, the answer is no. Construction (residential & commercial) is one of 4 industries with a different answer.
Related
Sources
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.