Influences of government regulation on environmental outcomes of on-site construction operations: developing the conceptual framework

It is widely acknowledged that particular on-site practices commonly encountered in the construction industry result in environmental degradation. In response governments have developed regulatory policy to control construction processes in an attempt to ameliorate detrimental impacts. However government commitment to ecologically sustainable development (ESD) has produced a complex legislative system that may be unable to fulfil objectives associated with environmental protection. In particular it is not well understood whether current regulatory policy exerts sufficient control over onsite construction practice, particularly whether information flows are effective to ensure that environmental controls stipulated within the consent documentation are implemented during the construction site phase. Ultimately there is a lack of research linking on-site environmental construction practices and environmental management to the effectiveness of regulatory policy, enforcement and information flow. This paper is based on a review of literature on regulatory framework for ESD and presents the regulatory context for development of a theoretical framework within which examination of the on-site construction domain can be gauged against existing regulatory controls across Australia. In particular it allows the development of knowledge about external non-contractual influences on project information flows and their environmental consequences.