In any part of the world you go to, it’s almost impossible not to come across a group of people constructing a building or demolishing one. Real estate is one of the backbones of many economies across the globe including New South Wales. Before embarking on demolition or construction of any kind in New South Wales, there are some things you need to know. One of these things focuses mainly on construction and demolition waste.
Here we will highlight everything you need to know about construction and demolition waste in NSW.
What is construction and demolition waste?
The first thing we need to do is explain what exactly construction and demolition waste is. This type of waste is the unwanted materials that remain after one has built or brought down a building, aka the process of demolition.
- Concrete – After construction, there is concrete that is left unused, and some may have fallen off during the building process. Concrete is also a waste you get after you have brought down a building.
- Bricks – For a building to move from a conceptual stage to actualisation, you need to put up the structure using bricks. Therefore, when you demolish any building, you will be left with a lot of blocks that will no longer be of use (waste).
- Excavated materials – construction requires the use of excavated materials such as soil and rock. There is no definite way to measure the exact amount of soil and rock you will need to build a structure. For this reason, you may find soil and rocks are left unused after completion. In most cases, the soil ends up contaminated, and contractors have no choice but to get rid of it.
Lawful disposal of waste
In New South Wales, waste management is under the Environment Protection Authority (EPA). The authority has strict guidelines and rules when it comes to construction and demolition waste disposal. First and foremost, the EPA proposes that contractors, procurement officers and project managers should be open with each on the means of waste disposal. In essence, the project manager and procurement officers should always be aware of how the contractors manage and get rid of the waste.
Lawful disposal of construction and demolition waste in New South Wales is stipulated in the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997. Section 143 of the act states that construction and demolition waste should be transported to the areas that can lawfully accept it. The owner and the transporter are the people responsible for trash disposal. As part of being held responsible, the environment enforcers might ask both the carrier and owner to clean up the area and pay for the waste to be taken to the right place.
When it comes to unlawful disposal of waste, the owner can protect themselves from paying fines and penalties if they can prove that:
- They took precautions to prevent the commission of the offense.
- They only deposited the waste at the wrong place due to unavoidable circumstances.
How to ensure you do not pay fines and penalties
In New South Wales, there are a few things you can do as a site owner to ensure that you do not end up on the wrong side of the waste disposal law and they are;
- Know the types of construction and demolition waste your workers will generate during excavation, construction and demolition.
- Develop a waste management plan that follows all the rules and regulations set but the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority.
- Ensure that there is a supervisor on the site at all times to ensure that waste management plans are followed.
- You should provide training to all personnel working on the site on matters relating to the waste management plan.
There are numerous examples of construction and demolition waste. Concrete is definitely on this list, as all buildings are constructed using concrete. In any construction/demolition site you will not miss wastes like unused bricks and excavated materials like spoiled soil. In New South Wales there are stringent rules on the disposal of such waste.
The transporter and owner of waste should always ensure that garbage is disposed of in areas that can lawfully accept it. In cases where this does not happen, the authorities impose hefty fines and penalties on both parties.
Trusting reputable waste removal companies like Paul’s Rubbish Removal to handle such jobs can greatly help you. Reach out to us via email or phone call on 0407 125 125 if you need any of our services.
