Detailed Site Investigation (DSI) for contaminated land
If a preliminary assessment, property transaction, development process or authority requirement has identified a contamination concern, a Detailed Site Investigation can investigate the nature and extent of that issue. Start with the requirement and evidence you already have.
You don’t need to know which specialist to call.
Tell us what happened: buying or selling a property, a development application, an EMR/CLR issue, a council or regulator request, suspected contamination, an existing report — or simply that you’re not sure.
Start with the requirement. LandNexa provides information, enquiry triage and specialist discovery — not environmental, legal, planning or regulatory advice.
Been told you need a Detailed Site Investigation?
Upload the requirement, previous PSI, council correspondence or other document you received. Start with the evidence you already have rather than trying to determine the scope yourself.
PDF, Word, JPG, PNG, TXT or RTF accepted. LandNexa provides information, enquiry triage and specialist discovery—not environmental, engineering, legal, planning or regulatory advice.
What triggered the need?
Property purchase or sale, development, subdivision, planning conditions, register information, suspected contamination, remediation or another project requirement.
Clarify the required outcome
The right investigation or report depends on the site history, available evidence, proposed land use and the decision that needs to be made.
Find the right specialist
LandNexa helps structure the enquiry so relevant contaminated-land professionals can understand the property, trigger and likely scope.
What is a Detailed Site Investigation?
A Detailed Site Investigation (DSI) is a more detailed contaminated-land assessment used where potential contamination needs further investigation. Depending on the site and the question being answered, the work can include targeted soil, groundwater, soil-vapour or other sampling, laboratory analysis, assessment of contaminant distribution and evaluation of potential risks to people and the environment.
The exact scope is site-specific. A DSI is not automatically required for every property with a contamination history or EMR listing.
When might a DSI be needed?
A DSI may follow a Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI) where the initial work identifies potential contamination sources, pathways or receptors that need further assessment. It can also arise during property due diligence, development or subdivision, remediation planning, an authority process, or where the nature and extent of contamination is not yet sufficiently understood.
In Queensland, where a statutory contaminated-land site investigation is required, a suitably qualified person (SQP) is required to conduct the site investigation. If a contaminated land investigation document is submitted to the department, auditor certification requirements can also apply.
What to send a DSI specialist
If you already have a PSI, historical report, sampling data, EMR/CLR search, planning condition, regulator or council correspondence, site plans or a previous contamination assessment, include it in the brief. The specialist also needs to understand the property, its history, the proposed use or development and the decision the investigation needs to support.
This helps avoid commissioning disconnected work and gives the consultant a clearer basis for scoping the investigation and quote.
Related contaminated-land pathways
These services often connect, but they are not interchangeable. Start with the page that best matches the requirement you have been given.
Environmental Site Assessment
Understand the purpose, likely information required and how to prepare a clearer specialist enquiry.
RELATED GUIDEPreliminary Site Investigation
Understand the purpose, likely information required and how to prepare a clearer specialist enquiry.
RELATED GUIDESoil & Groundwater Testing
Understand how sampling and testing can fit within a contaminated-land investigation.
Turn the requirement into a clearer enquiry
Tell LandNexa the property location, what triggered the issue, what reports or register information you already have and the outcome you need. We can use that information to structure the enquiry for an appropriate specialist.