Soil & Water

Based in Yass, Soil and Water is an environmental consulting firm specialising in on-site wastewater design, soil erosion control, and land capability assessments. Serving the NSW Southern Tablelands, Southern Highlands, South Coast, and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) regions, the firm provides council-compliant reports and environmental advice. The consultancy delivers integrated solutions for individual landholders, small businesses, surveyors, architects, plumbers, planners, developers, and regulatory government agencies requiring approved documentation for domestic, commercial, and construction projects.

The consultancy is led by Director and Principal Consultant John Franklin, who holds a Master of Applied Science and a Bachelor of Science, and maintains professional membership with the Environment Institute Australia New Zealand. The consulting team possesses over 30 years of natural resource management experience gained across the ACT, the Upper Murrumbidgee region in New South Wales, and the tropical farming regions of North Queensland, spanning senior management and consulting roles in both the government and private sectors. Notably, John Franklin developed the NSW Farm Dams Policy in 1999 for the Department of Land and Water Conservation and provided strategic support and direction to the wider New South Wales water reform process.

On-Site Wastewater Management and OSSM Reports

Involves providing expert technical reports and advice for local council approval of On-Site Wastewater Management Systems (OSSM). When individuals build a new home on a property that cannot connect to the centralised mains sewer system, local councils legally require an approved report to install and operate an independent treatment setup. Soil and Water conduct the necessary site investigations to compile these documents, which are variously known as OSSM Reports, Effluent Disposal Reports, or Effluent Design Reports, ensuring they clearly identify compliant systems based on expected household usage and specific land limitations.

The types of on-site sewage management systems evaluated and recommended by the consultancy include traditional septic tanks, Aerated Wastewater Treatment Systems (AWTS), composting toilets, biological systems, and domestic greywater treatment devices. These setups treat all household wastewater from toilets, showers, kitchens, and laundries before directing the treated effluent into a dedicated land application area. Soil and Water designs the necessary disposal mechanisms for these systems, including absorption trenches, evapotranspiration beds, surface irrigation, and subsurface irrigation lines tailored precisely to the block.

Correct system selection and positioning depend entirely on the physical characteristics of the land, requiring detailed analysis of the property slope, natural water flow lines, local soil types, and underlying geological features. Because inappropriate or poorly functioning treatment systems can cause severe negative implications for the health of residents and the surrounding natural environment, local councils execute routine inspection programs to ensure compliance. In New South Wales, local government authorities are legally required to maintain a formal register of all granted OSSM approvals, documenting the property address, exact system specifications, and any specific consent conditions, while the ongoing maintenance and servicing contracts remain the responsibility of the householder

For landholders extending an existing house that already operates an un-sewered waste setup, councils usually require an evaluation to confirm the system can handle the increased volume. Soil and Water prepares System Assessment Reports for submission to local government bodies, conducting straightforward reviews of the existing infrastructure, the site conditions, and the projected new wastewater loading. If the pre-existing setup is found to be inadequate for a larger dwelling, the firm provides the technical reports and upgrade designs required to install a larger capacity system.

Commercial Wastewater Designs for Southern Tablelands Businesses

The firm's commercial on-site wastewater design portfolio features complex projects for a diverse range of regional operations and public facilities. These include targeted system designs and infrastructure upgrades for local wineries and cellar doors, heavy vehicle wash-down facilities, local government waste transfer and refuse stations, recreation grounds, commercial hospitality venues, equine veterinary facilities, service centres, and rural fire brigade and more.

Land Capability Assessments for Subdivisions and Infrastructure

As part of formal subdivision applications, Soil and Water conducts detailed Land Capability Assessments to determine the suitability and specific constraints of a development site. The scope of these assessments includes evaluating the land for on-site effluent disposal capacity, road construction feasibility, servicing infrastructure routing, and the placement of future building envelopes for dwelling construction. The final reports are structured for direct submission to local councils and include mapping layers that identify site constraints and regulatory buffer zones. 

The Land Capability Reports deliver management recommendations for environmentally sensitive or physically constrained sections of a subdivision site. These guidelines focus on safeguarding effluent disposal areas, managing steep slopes, protecting riparian zones, treating poorly drained waterlogged soils, and preserving pockets of native vegetation.

Erosion and Sediment Control Plans for Construction Sites

With over 25 years of experience in the field, Soil and Water designs comprehensive Erosion and Sediment Control Plans, which are also known as Soil and Water Management Plans. outline how developers will manage erosion and sediment on construction sites and subdivisions.  These plans may be required by Councils at the Development Application stage.

Rural landowners also utilise these erosion control plans to carry out targeted remediation and soil conservation works on areas of severe land degradation. Soil and Water compiles the specialised expert reports required to gain necessary approvals from local and state agencies before landowners can initiate rehabilitation works or any controlled activities near natural watercourses.

Soil and Water has an established record of delivering sediment and erosion control plans for significant public infrastructure and civil assets across regional New South Wales and the ACT. In the Murrumbidgee River Corridor, the consultancy designed sediment and erosion control plans covering multiple distinct sites at Naas, Gudgenby, and Jeggaline. For the Monaro Highway Upgrade project in the ACT, the team performed compliance auditing of active sediment and erosion control plans, identifying non-conformances and delivering detailed remedial action recommendations.

Bushfire Erosion Impact Assessments and Catchment Remediation

Soil and Water also specialise in assessing severe soil erosion impacts resulting from bushfires across both the ACT and New South Wales, providing expert witness reports to support formal legal proceedings. The firm's post-fire project history includes compiling a detailed sediment and erosion impact report and monitoring program for the Beecroft Weapons Range and conducting compliance audits and remediation option reviews for active erosion sites within the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Environmental Case Studies and Restricted Land Upgrades

Additional commercial project case studies demonstrate the firm's capacity to resolve environmental challenges on constrained sites. The firm designed an on-site wastewater management system to service the redevelopment of the Bega Country Club, accommodating expanded bistro operations and hospitality infrastructure. For Camp Cottermouth in the ACT, the firm executed the total redesign of on-site wastewater services for expanded camping, accommodation, and conference facilities, working collaboratively with ICON Water to ensure infrastructure compatibility.

Further commercial designs include configuring high-capacity wastewater systems for rural wedding venues and function centres to safely process fluctuating event-driven hydraulic loads. In the regional township of Binalong, the firm designed a wastewater system upgrade for the Binalong Hotel, successfully resolving the high patronage demands of a country pub situated on a highly constrained village lot. Additionally, the firm formulated comprehensive erosion and sediment remediation plans, audits, and inspection frameworks for the Royalla Solar Farm, and successfully upgraded historical, failing wastewater infrastructure for lakeside tourist resorts built on highly restricted land.

Packaged Bushfire Attack Level Assessments in NSW

For properties mapped by local governments as bushfire prone land, Soil and Water assists clients by completing the required Self-Assessment Guidelines to determine the specific Bushfire Attack Level. Proposed dwellings and sub-divisions in these zones must meet the statutory criteria of Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006 (NSW), which mandates particular construction styles, materials, and sighting of a building in order to maximise protection from bush fires. To maintain operational alignment, the firm provides these Bushfire Attack Level reports exclusively as a packaged service alongside at least one other primary service.