How to Prepare an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan (ESCP)

How to Prepare an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan (ESCP): A Practical Guide for Mining and Construction Sites

Every mining operation, construction project and development site in Australia that disturbs the ground surface has a legal obligation to prevent soil and sediment from leaving the site and entering waterways. The primary tool for meeting this obligation is the Erosion and Sediment Control Plan (ESCP) — a site-specific document that identifies the erosion and sediment risks, specifies the controls that will manage them, and provides the implementation and monitoring schedule that demonstrates compliance.

The IECA Australasia Best Practice Erosion and Sediment Control (BPESC) document — updated in 2025 — provides the 24-step procedure for ESCP preparation, 108 technical notes for control selection, and detailed checklists for plan assessment. It is the standard referenced by councils, state departments and industry across Australia. Brisbane City Council, Sunshine Coast Council and dozens of other consent authorities require ESCPs prepared in accordance with IECA BPESC. Queensland’s MRTS52 specification requires ESCPs for all transport infrastructure earthworks. NSW’s 2024 Guidelines for Erosion and Sediment Control on Building Sites updated the practical guidance for building-scale projects.

Yet assessments of Australian construction and mining sites consistently find widespread failure to implement effective erosion and sediment controls. The gap between the ESCP on paper and the controls on the ground is where the sediment escapes, the complaint arrives and the enforcement action begins.

This guide explains what an ESCP is, when you need one, what goes in it, the treatment train approach that structures it, the common failures that undermine it, and how to build a plan that actually works — not just on paper, but on the ground during the storm that tests it.

What Is an ESCP and When Do You Need One?

An Erosion and Sediment Control Plan is a site-specific document — including plans, drawings and supporting text — that identifies all erosion and sediment risks on the project, specifies the temporary and permanent controls that will be implemented to manage those risks, defines the staging and timing of control installation relative to earthworks, and establishes the monitoring, maintenance and reporting schedule.

You need an ESCP whenever you disturb the ground surface. This includes mining operations (clearing, stripping, stockpiling, waste dumping, haul road construction, rehabilitation), construction projects (site clearing, excavation, bulk earthworks, building construction, landscaping), infrastructure projects (road construction, pipeline installation, rail corridors, utility installation), and development sites (residential subdivisions, commercial developments, industrial sites).

The level of detail and certification required depends on the project’s risk classification:

ESCP certification tiers (indicative — varies by jurisdiction)

The Treatment Train: The Framework That Structures Every ESCP

The IECA BPESC specifies a treatment train approach with three levels of control. The ESCP must address all three levels, with the greatest investment directed at Level 1:

Level 1 — Erosion Control (prevent soil from eroding). This is the most effective and most important level. If the soil does not erode, there is no sediment to capture. Erosion control measures include polymer surface binding (GRT: Enviro-Binder), mulching, erosion blankets, hydroseeding, revegetation, slope length and gradient management, and minimising the area and duration of soil exposure. Enviro-Binder provides near-zero sediment under independently tested storm intensities up to 50-year events — the highest level of erosion control performance available without permanent hard surfacing.

Level 2 — Drainage Control (manage water to reduce erosive energy). Diversion banks, contour drains, temporary channels, energy dissipaters and check dams intercept, redirect and slow overland flow before it can accelerate and erode exposed surfaces. Good drainage control reduces the volume and velocity of water reaching unprotected areas.

Level 3 — Sediment Control (capture sediment before it leaves the site). Sediment fences, sediment basins, sediment traps and filter systems capture sediment that has already been eroded. These are the last line of defence — essential but inherently less effective than preventing the erosion in the first place. GRT: CC + Liquid-Floc + Floc Blocs accelerate sediment basin clarification, enabling compliant discharge and restoring basin capacity before the next event. Floc Blocs provide passive treatment in drainage structures without pumps or operators.

The critical insight: Level 3 should not be the primary defence. A site that relies on sediment fences and basins as its main controls is a site that has already failed at Level 1 and Level 2. The ESCP must demonstrate that Level 1 and Level 2 controls are adequate to manage the erosion risk, with Level 3 controls providing the backstop for residual sediment that escapes the first two levels.

The IECA 24-Step ESCP Procedure: A Plain-English Summary

The IECA BPESC 2025 sets out 24 steps for preparing an ESCP. While the full procedure should be followed for medium and high-risk projects, the steps can be grouped into five practical phases:

Phase A: Understand the site (Steps 1–7). Gather the site information: topography, soil types (particularly dispersive and reactive soils), existing drainage patterns, rainfall and erosivity data, receiving waterway sensitivity, existing vegetation and any constraints (heritage, ecological, infrastructure). Assess the erosion hazard using the methods described in BPESC Appendix F. Identify the areas of greatest risk — steep slopes, dispersive soils, proximity to waterways — and the downstream receptors that the controls must protect.

Phase B: Plan the staging (Steps 8–12). Divide the project into stages that minimise the area of exposed soil at any time. For each stage, define when clearing will occur, when earthworks will be completed, when drainage will be installed, when erosion controls will be applied and when revegetation or permanent surfacing will begin. The principle is to limit exposure: clear only what is needed for the current stage, protect it immediately, and complete that stage before clearing the next.

Phase C: Design the controls (Steps 13–18). For each stage and each area of disturbance, select and design the specific drainage, erosion and sediment controls from the IECA technical notes (108 available). Design sediment basins in accordance with BPESC Appendix B, using the appropriate design storm (typically 80th or 85th percentile 5-day rainfall for Type A basins; design storm event for Type B basins). Specify the erosion control products, application rates and coverage areas. Specify the sediment basin dewatering procedure and discharge quality criteria.

Phase D: Draw the plan (Steps 19–21). Prepare the ESCP drawings showing existing contours, proposed contours, drainage paths, control locations, staging boundaries, monitoring points and legend. The plan must be readable by the site crew who will implement it — not just the engineer who designed it. Use clear annotations, standard symbols (per IECA conventions) and a scale that allows individual controls to be located on the ground.

Phase E: Implement, monitor, maintain, update (Steps 22–24). This is where most ESCPs fail. The plan is prepared, approved and filed. The controls are partially installed. The monitoring is not conducted at the required frequency. Damaged controls are not reinstated. The ESCP is not updated when the site conditions change. The plan on paper does not match the controls on the ground — and the next storm sends sediment off-site.

Six Common ESCP Failures on Australian Sites

1. Controls installed too late. The most common failure. Earthworks commence before the ESCP controls are in place. Sediment basins are constructed after the catchment is already stripped. Erosion controls are applied after the first rain has already eroded the surface. The ESCP specifies ‘install controls before earthworks commence’ — but the commercial pressure to start earthworks overrides the ESCP schedule.
2. Sediment fences misused. Sediment fences are designed to filter sheet flow across gentle slopes. They are not designed to impound water, to capture concentrated flow, or to function across drainage paths. Yet on thousands of Australian sites, sediment fences are the only ESC control, installed across drainage lines where concentrated flow overwhelms them within minutes.
3. Erosion control not applied to slopes. The ESCP specifies erosion control on exposed batters but the controls are not applied — because the site crew does not have the product, the equipment or the instructions to apply it. GRT: Enviro-Binder is applied by water truck spray cannon from the road at the base or crest of the slope — no workers on the slope face, no specialist equipment. This removes the practical barrier that prevents slope treatment on many sites.
4. Sediment basins not maintained. Basins fill with sediment and are not cleaned out. They overflow during the next event, discharging sediment-laden water. The dewatering procedure specified in the ESCP is not followed. The basin was designed to be dewatered between events — but nobody dewatered it.
5. ESCP not updated when site changes. The ESCP was prepared for Stage 1 but the site is now in Stage 3. New disturbance areas have been opened. Drainage patterns have changed. Controls designed for the original layout are no longer in the right locations. The ESCP must be a living document that is updated as the site evolves — not a static document prepared at the start and never revised.
6. No inspection records. The ESCP specifies weekly inspections and post-storm inspections. But there are no records. When the regulator or auditor asks to see the inspection documentation, there is nothing to produce. Inspection records are not just compliance evidence — they are the mechanism that identifies damaged controls before the next storm arrives.

Integrating GRT Products into the ESCP

GRT products mapped to ESCP treatment train levels

Practical ESCP Checklist: Before, During and After Earthworks

Before earthworks commence:

• ESCP prepared, certified (if required) and approved by the consent authority or EA administrator
• All controls specified in the ESCP procured and available on site
• Sediment basins constructed and operational
• Drainage diversions installed to protect undisturbed areas
• Erosion control products (Enviro-Binder, Soil-Loc) on site and ready for immediate application
• Floc Blocs installed in drainage structures
• SMART Dosing Units installed and operational
• Inspection schedule documented; responsible persons identified

During earthworks:

• Apply erosion control to each exposed surface within 24 hours of clearing
• Inspect controls weekly and after every rainfall event >10 mm
• Repair or reinstate damaged controls immediately
• Dewater sediment basins between events using CC + Liquid-Floc
• Update the ESCP when staging changes, new areas are opened or drainage patterns change
• Document every inspection, maintenance event and product application

After earthworks complete:

• Maintain temporary controls until permanent erosion protection is established
• Revegetate all exposed surfaces — Enviro-Binder supports seed germination during establishment
• Remove temporary controls (sediment fences, temporary drainage) only after vegetation has established
• Clean out and decommission sediment basins
• Compile the compliance file: ESCP, inspection records, SMART Dosing telemetry, monitoring data, photos
• Obtain final clearance from the consent authority or EA administrator

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a CPESC to prepare my ESCP?

For low-risk sites (small area, flat, no sensitive receivers), a suitably qualified person can prepare the ESCP. For medium and high-risk sites — including mining operations with EA conditions, large construction projects, sites near waterways, steep slopes or in GBR catchments — a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) or Registered Professional Engineer Queensland (RPEQ) is recommended or required. Check your development consent conditions or EA for specific certification requirements.

How often should the ESCP be updated?

The ESCP should be updated whenever the site conditions change materially: new disturbance areas opened, drainage patterns altered, staging sequence changed, or controls found to be inadequate during inspections. As a minimum, the ESCP should be reviewed at the start of each new construction stage and before each wet season. For mining operations, the annual DMP review (RS20) should include a review of the ESCP.

What is the IECA BPESC 2025?

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) Australasia’s Best Practice Erosion and Sediment Control document (2025 edition) is the national technical standard for ESC in Australia. It provides the 24-step ESCP procedure, 108 technical notes for control design, checklists for plan assessment and site inspection, and model codes of practice. It is referenced by councils, state departments and industry across Australia and can be downloaded free from the IECA Australasia website.

What happens if my ESCP is not implemented?

Failure to implement the ESCP constitutes a breach of the development consent or environmental authority conditions. Consequences include on-the-spot fines ($2,503–$30,000+ depending on jurisdiction), stop-work orders, remediation orders, regulatory prosecution (up to $10 million for serious offences in NSW), and reputational damage from published enforcement actions. The ESCP is not optional documentation — it is a legally binding component of the project’s approval.

The ESCP That Works Is the One That’s Implemented, Not Just Filed

Preparing an ESCP is not the difficult part. The 24-step procedure, the technical notes and the checklists are all published in the IECA BPESC 2025, available free. What separates a compliant site from a non-compliant site is not the quality of the document — it is whether the controls specified in the document are actually installed, maintained and effective on the ground during the storm that tests them.

The engineering controls that make ESCP implementation practical are available: GRT: Enviro-Binder for Level 1 erosion control with near-zero sediment at 50-year storm intensity. GRT: Floc Blocs for passive Level 2 drainage treatment. GRT: CC + Liquid-Floc for Level 3 sediment basin clarification. GRT7000 for permanent road and surface stabilisation. And SMART Dosing Units for the auditable documentation that proves the controls were applied.

For site managers, environmental officers and ESC practitioners responsible for keeping sediment on site and out of waterways, the ESCP is the plan. The products are the controls. The inspections are the evidence. And the storm is the test. Be ready for it.

Sources and References

IECA Australasia: Best Practice Erosion and Sediment Control (BPESC) 2025 — Books 1–3, 24-step procedure, 108 technical notes, checklists, free download

Topo Environmental: Release of IECA BPESC 2025 Update — updated rainfall terminology, user feedback amendments, BOM/ARR consistency

Environmental Training / Whitehead Associates: IECA BPESC QLD Training Workshops 2025 — 4-day programme, ESCP preparation and review, sediment basin design

NT Government: ESCP Procedures Fact Sheet — Type 1/2/3 ESCP tiers, CPESC requirements, implementation steps

NSW Planning Portal: Guidelines for Erosion and Sediment Control on Building Sites (2024) — updated checklists, straw bale removal, CPESC thresholds

Applied ES: How to Prepare an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan (November 2025) — step-by-step ESCP guide

Catchments and Creeks: Erosion and Sediment Control Field Guides — pictorial field guides for site implementation

GRT: GRT: Enviro-Binder — Landloch testing, near-zero sediment at 2/10/50-year storms

GRT: Sediment Control Solutions — CC, Liquid-Floc, Floc Blocs

GRT: GRT7000

GRT: SMART Dosing Units

GRT: Dust Suppression Solutions — Soil-Loc

GRT: Soil Erosion Control for Construction Sites