Audits – Statutory and Voluntary

Welarm provide both statutory and voluntary audits of contaminated sites as may be necessary to address client’s requirements for an audit.

Accredited Contaminated Sites Auditor

Contaminated Sites (CS) Auditors are recognised by the Department of Environment Regulation (DER) as highly experienced contaminated sites consultants. Appointed by the DER under the Contaminated Sites Act (2003), CS Auditors are engaged to independently review environmental investigations, assessments, monitoring and remediation works carried out by other professional consultants.

With over 30 years experience in the contaminated sites consulting industry, Warren Dodge is a CS Auditor accredited in Western Australia and is based in Perth.

The DER advise that audits are undertaken by Auditors to determine one or more of the following pertaining to a contaminated site:

• the nature and extent of any contamination of the site;
• the nature and extent of the investigation or remediation of the site;
• whether any restrictions on the use of the site are required;
• the suitability of the land for a specific use, or a specific range of uses;
• whether any further investigation of the site is required, recommended or necessary;
• whether any further remediation of the site is required, recommended or necessary so that the site is suitable for all uses, or for a specific use, or a specific range of uses; and/or
• the suitability or appropriateness of a management plan.

Formal engagements of Auditors culminate in their preparation of a Mandatory Auditor’s Report (MAR) for submission to the DER. The most common statutory requirement that triggers the need for a MAR is to satisfy a Western Australian Planning Condition (WAPC condition). An Auditor may also be required to prepare a MAR for sites in other instances including: when contamination has moved away from the property on which it originated and is affecting other properties (i.e. the site is a “source site”); when a regulatory notice is issued under the Act; when a Certificate of Contamination Audit has been requested; and when the DER requires technical assistance that can be provided by an appointed Auditor.

Supported by an experienced team of environmental professionals, Warren Dodge prides himself on being a CS Auditor who is pragmatic and readily available to provide advice to the respective client and assessment consultant throughout the audit process whilst always working towards achieving project objectives.

Environmental Due Diligence / Pre-Purchase, and Voluntary Audits

A CS Auditor can also be engaged to prepare non-statutory Voluntary Audit Reports (VAR) for clients in instances where robust and defensible determination of a site’s contamination status is required, which may be used for internal due diligence and / or pre purchase / lease assessments prior to transfer. Importantly, the scope of a VAR may be determined in consultation with a client to address their immediate requirements.

In addition to our accredited CS Auditor, Welarm’s senior staff have managed pre-purchase environmental due diligence and baseline environmental assessments for a variety of national and international clients.