In recent years, construction contractors have discovered the importance of having a Construction Environmental Management Plan in order to begin work. The main reason why this has taken place is because society on a global level has become more conscious about the impact of human activities on the natural environment. As a result, governments in most countries have reacted through enacting environmental legislation that obliges contractors and/or companies to detail and assess the impact of a project on the surrounding environment before the green light to go ahead.
Environmental Law in Australia
In Australia, the primary environmental legislation at a federal level is called the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This legislation means that a Construction Environmental Management Plan (or otherwise known by the acronym CEMP) must be prepared before commencing any type of construction work.
In addition, the legislation specifies the penalties that you can incur if you are found to not be in compliance with the law. The softest penalty is a financial one, which can vary in size depending on each case. The harshest penalty by far is being prosecuted for environmental negligence. Nobody ever wants to face that prospect.
What to Include In an Environmental Plan
Before I go into what should be included in an environmental plan for a construction worksite, it’s important that I point out that the following is simply a guideline to base your own environmental plan on. It is not a definitive list and I would highly recommend that you visit your respective state government website to get more information. This is because legislation can vary slightly from state to state. » Read more: How to Make a Construction Environmental Management Plan
