Excavated Natural Material

Excavated Natural Material is classified in accordance with the NSW EPA Excavated Natural Material Order 2014 and can be applied to land in accordance with the NSW EPA Excavated Natural Material Exemption 2014. Resource recovery orders and exemptions minimise the quantity of material entering landfills and encourage the reuse of material. Natural material that does not comply with the requirements of VENM may be suitable for classification as ENM. ENM must be chemically and physically analysed in accordance with the requirements of the Order, and is defined as: “naturally occurring rock and soil (including but not limited to materials such as sandstone, shale, clay and soil) that has:

(a) Been excavated from the ground, and

(b) Contains at least 98% (by weight) natural material, and

(c) Does not meet the definition of Virgin Excavated Natural Material in the Act.

Excavated Natural Material does not include material located in a hotspot; that has been processed; or that contains asbestos, Acid Sulfate Soils (ASS), Potential Acid Sulfate Soils (PASS) or sulfidic ores.” ENM can be applied to land as engineering fill or used in earthworks.