Contaminated Sites

Contaminated property is a challenging risk management and commercial issue for business and government. Freehills’ team of contaminated site lawyers has a strong understanding of the legal statutes applying in all Australian states, and we are well positioned to help our clients address the range of issues that may arise.

Our expertise includes:

• the sale and acquisition of contaminated properties  
• development of contaminated properties 
• the management of contaminated properties 
• remediation of contaminated properties
• investigations, audits and prosecutions by environmental agencies
  

We advise clients in respect of all aspects associated with contaminated properties, examples of our recent experience include:

• Contaminated land litigation, Melbourne –Representing an alleged polluter in major pollution and contaminated land litigation in the Victorian Supreme Court, which is one of the first cases of its type in Australia.
• Scrap metal site, Queensland – Adviser to Carter Holt Harvey in relation to the remediation of a former scrap metal site, including negotiating remediation and site management plans with the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Remediation works dispute, Queensland – Adviser to Mirvac in relation to a contractual dispute with its contractor over the extent of remediation required for its Newstead development site (former gasworks).
• Cogeneration Plant, Queensland – Adviser to client charged with causing environmental harm under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld).
• Stadium Australia, Sydney – Adviser to Stadium Australia Management Limited in relation to environmental matters concerning the establishment of the Sydney Olympic stadium, including soil contamination issues.
• Victoria Harbour and Edgewater residential estates, Melbourne – Adviser to Lend Lease on soil and groundwater contamination issues associated with its development of the Victoria Harbour precinct in the Melbourne Docklands area and its Edgewater residential estate at Maribyrnong.

The acquisition, disposal, remediation and development of contaminated property is a challenging risk management and commercial issue for business and government.

Experience in this industry has given our team a strong understanding of the contaminated land management statutes applying in all Australian states. We have participated in the formulation of several of these statutes and over many years have advised clients on risk allocation, development and remediation of contaminated properties.