What is the National Remediation Framework?

The purpose of the NRF is to:

• establish a nationally consistent approach to remediating and managing contaminated sites
• establish a common and consistent approach to deciding whether remediation is or is not required, and what remediation needs to achieve
• provide practical guidance for those who remediate and manage contaminated sites
• educate and inform government, industry and the community about the issues.

The objectives of the NRF are to:
• protect human health and the environment
• facilitate more effective and efficient remediation
• provide net community benefit (including consideration of the broader economic context).

The intended audience for the NRF is those responsible for, or involved with, identifying, assessing, remediating and managing site contamination, including:
• land owners/managers
• government agencies (including environment, health and planning authorities)
• site contamination practitioners
• all interested persons.

NRF philosophy and practice

The NRF comprises two principal areas:
• philosophy, including context and principles
• practice, including practical guidance.

The principles in the philosophy section are outlined in the Introduction to the NRF. They are based on those in the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment (1992), which are reflected in State and Territory environment protection legislation.

The framework comprises modules and guidelines, available as 25 documents, for the development and implementation of remediation action plans (RAPs), and for post-remediation matters. The guidelines are compatible with the agreed principles and the ASC NEPM.

The non-statutory nature of the NRF, including its modular construction, enables sections or individual guidelines to be reviewed and updated as required.

The below schematic illustrates the philosophy and practice that underpin the NRF.

For more details, download the NRF Guidelines.