An introduction from Professor Ravi Naidu.

Australia has long been at the forefront of actively pursuing protection of the environment. The National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure (ASC NEPM) has for decades provided a comprehensive and rigorous process for assessing contamination in order to determine whether a site can be regarded as contaminated.

A nationally consistent approach to remediation of contaminated sites has been a priority for Australian environmental regulatory bodies and the industry sector that clean up sites across multiple jurisdictions.

The NRF was developed to complement the ASC NEPM, and together they provide comprehensive guidance for the assessment of site contamination and for the remediation and management of sites that are deemed to be contaminated. In November 2019, it was endorsed as best practice by all jurisdictions through the Heads of EPA (HEPA) forum.

The National Remediation Framework (NRF) is wholeheartedly supported in Australia and has also attracted strong international interest.

Remediation projects can often be quite dissimilar, each with their own specific issues. The NRF is unique in its valuable guidance for planning and implementing a wide range of remediation approaches through all stages of the process, regardless of the particular characteristics of any individual site.

The NRF will be of great benefit to practitioners involved in cleaning up and managing contaminated sites, as well as to regulators. Importantly, it has the support of all stakeholders, having been developed in cooperation with contaminated site practitioners, owners of contaminated sites and regulators.

Into the future, it is intended that the NRF will be updated regularly to ensure both technical and regulatory currency.

Professor Ravi Naidu,
Managing Director and CEO, CRC CARE