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Environmental Audits | Certified Environmental Auditor

Geo-Logix compliance auditors for NSW, Qld, NT and ACT

Attention to detail. Practical advice.

All Australian states and territories have environmental protection legislation, regulations and guidelines in place to manage contaminated land which require environmental audits. An environmental audit provides an independent review of information related to possible or actual contamination of a site.

Geo-Logix’s environmental auditor for contaminated land, David Gregory, is well known in the industry for his expertise and strategic approach. David is an accredited environmental auditor in Queensland, NSW, ACT and the Northern Territory.

Objectives of Environmental Audits

The main objectives of an environmental audits are to:

  • Ensure the protection of public health and the environment through proper management of contaminated sites, particularly when there is a change of land use; and
  • Provide planning authorities with greater certainty through independent reviews of contaminated site assessments and remediation activities that validate the assessment report or successful remediation.

Role of Environmental Auditors

An environmental auditor is able to provide independent assessment of contaminated sites and remediation works to ensure that land is suitable for a particular use. Auditing services can be used by anyone who needs an independent and authorative review of potential or actual land contamination. The audit may involve expert technical advice or an official “sign off” of contaminated land documents.
An environmental audit that is required by law is called a “statutory” audit. These are usually required by a DA condition or directed by a regulatory authority in response to a pollution event. Voluntary (non-statutory audits) are generally used for due diligence purposes when buying or selling property.

Geo-Logix Audit Services

  • Assessments and determinations of land use suitability
  • Compliance assessments and permits
  • Independent reviews to determine the nature and extent of contamination
  • Assessments to determine the appropriateness of an investigation, remedial action plan or management plan for a particular use
  • Assistance in removing sites from contaminated land registers

Environmental Audit Process

An environmental audit is the second in two stages of work.

The first stage is the work of a contaminated site consultant who is generally engaged by the site owner or developer. The consultant designs and conducts a site assessment and any necessary remediation and validation and presents this in a formal report.

The second stage is the environmental audit which involves an independent review of all the data and reports generated by the consultant. The material outcomes of an environmental audit are a site audit report and site audit statement.

When Should an Environmental Auditor Be Engaged

Most regulators recommend that auditors be engaged at the beginning of the project so that early communication can help clarify requirements and avoid the potentially costly situation where works completed by the consultant are subsequently found to be insufficient or inappropriate. Geo-Logix’s environmental audit services aim to streamline the decision process for land contamination matters, particularly for complex projects.

David Gregory’s expertise and knowledge from conducting hundreds of site assessments and remediation projects encompasses challenging contaminant profiles for projects involving the most sensitive land uses. This proven experience is reflected in an auditing approach that balances regulatory requirements with practical and commercial considerations.

Environmental Audit Certifications and Qualifications

Geo-Logix Director, David Gregory, holds the following audit certifications and qualifications:

  • NSW Site Auditor
  • QLD Contaminated Land Auditor
  • Certified Practitioner, Site Contamination Practitioners Australia (SCPA)
  • Certified Environmental Practitioner, Environment Institute Australia and New Zealand
  • Member, ALGA (Australasian Land and Groundwater Association)
  • Member, NSW & QLD ACLCA (Australian Contaminated Land Consultants Association)
  • Registered Professional Geologist, California Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists