Construction management plan

In Australia, a CMP is usually triggered by a condition on the development approval. A council or consent authority may require a CMP to be submitted and approved before work starts, especially for larger projects, inner-city sites, sites next to busy roads, or jobs with significant demolition or excavation.

The name and the rules vary. Some councils call it a construction management plan, some a construction environmental management plan, and some ask for a separate construction traffic management plan. Requirements differ between councils and states, so read the conditions of consent carefully and check the council's own CMP guidelines or template if it has one.

Even when it isn't a consent condition, many principals require a CMP under the contract, and head contractors often prepare one as part of their project management plan.

Once approved, the CMP is binding through the consent condition. A breach, such as working outside approved hours or using an unapproved truck route, can lead to complaints, council compliance action or fines, depending on the state and the council.

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Content depends on the council and the site, but a CMP typically covers:

• Project details. Site address, description of works, staging and key dates.

• Working hours. Approved hours for work, deliveries and noisy activities.

• Site layout. Hoardings, site sheds, crane locations, material storage and access points.

• Traffic and deliveries. Truck routes, loading zones, traffic controllers and any road or footpath occupation permits.

• Noise, vibration and dust. How they will be monitored and controlled.

• Environmental controls. Sediment and erosion control, stormwater, waste and contamination.

• Neighbour protection. Dilapidation surveys, protection of adjoining property and how complaints are handled.

• Contacts. The site manager and a 24-hour contact for the public and council.

A CMP is mainly about how the work affects people and places outside the site: neighbours, roads, footpaths and the environment. A WHS management plan is about keeping workers and others safe on site.

Under the model WHS Regulations, the principal contractor for a construction project valued at $250,000 or more must prepare a WHS management plan. Victoria has similar requirements under its own regulations. The two plans overlap, especially on traffic and public safety, so keep them consistent.

• Leaving it too late. Council approval of a CMP can take weeks. Late submission can delay the start.

• Using a generic template. Councils reject CMPs that don't deal with the actual site, its access and its neighbours.

• Writing it and filing it. The CMP is a set of commitments. Site teams need to know the approved hours, routes and controls.

• Not updating it. When staging, cranes or traffic arrangements change, check whether the CMP needs to be updated and resubmitted.

• Forgetting the subcontractors. Delivery drivers and trades need to know the approved routes, hours and loading zones too.