Free fill can become an expensive property problem.

Check the proposal before accepting the offer

The NSW EPA advises landowners to ask council whether filling is permitted before accepting material. It warns that unsuitable fill can contain contaminants and that owners or occupiers may be ordered to remove it and pay for disposal. [1]

A free delivery can sound attractive when you are trying to improve a block on a tight budget. Treat the material as part of a defined project: what area needs filling, to what level, and for what purpose? Those questions help you explain the proposal before discussing quantities or truck movements.

Know what is being delivered

EPA guidance recommends obtaining the supplier’s details, evidence of the fill’s source and quality, and testing results where quality is in doubt. Retain emails, quotes and invoices. It also recommends supervising loads, recording delivery details and stopping acceptance where material contains rubbish or shows suspicious characteristics. [1]

Visual checks are useful, but an unfamiliar colour or an absence of obvious rubbish is not a substitute for appropriate technical information. If the documents do not clearly relate to the proposed load, resolve that gap before arranging delivery.

Give the civil team a clear brief

Our suggested project brief brings the design and delivery questions together. Discuss these points with your planner, environmental adviser and civil contractor as relevant to the site:

• The intended finished levels and the area of proposed filling.
• The approval position and any conditions affecting the works.
• The material specification and how deliveries will be checked.
• Site access, drainage and the sequence of works.
• The records and completion information you need to retain.

Planning and practical capability in one conversation

FIDES can discuss earthworks and site delivery alongside the planning and environmental questions. Whether you need a standalone civil scope or help organising a wider property project, bring the site details and your proposed outcome to the first conversation.