Mulch & Green Waste
Declaration of Use.
ProofSafe streamlines the DEECA Declaration of Use process for Committees of Management — digitising the form, capturing signatures, and storing records securely for the required retention period.
What is a Declaration of Use?
A Declaration of Use (DoU) is a legal instrument under the Environment Protection Act 2017 and Environment Protection Regulations 2021 that authorises the safe use, storage, and recovery of materials from low-risk wastes — including mulch and green waste.
A DoU is required whenever mulch or green waste crosses the boundary of the Crown land estate — whether a Committee of Management (CoM) is receiving material from a third-party supplier, or exporting material to a third-party receiver.
- Legal requirement under EPA Regulations 2021, regulation 64(4)
- Applies to all third-party mulch and green waste transactions
- Both supplier and receiver must sign at the time of transaction
- Records must be retained for 5 years (DEECA recommendation)
- EPA penalties apply for non-compliance
When does a CoM need a DoU?
The Third Party DoU form applies in two scenarios.
Importing mulch
A CoM receives mulch or green waste generated off the Crown land estate from a third-party generator or supplier. The supplier completes Parts A–F; the CoM completes Part G.
Exporting mulch
A CoM generates mulch or green waste and exports it off the Crown land estate to a third-party receiver. The CoM acts as generator and completes Parts A–F.
Beneficial reuse only
The DoU applies where material is to be used, processed for use, or stored for application to land for beneficial purposes — weed suppression, soil moisture, erosion control, landscaping, or amenity.
Capture and manage DoU forms digitally
ProofSafe provides a digital version of the DEECA DoU form — structured across all seven parts — so field staff and CoM representatives can complete and sign on a mobile device at the time of each transaction.
Completed forms are instantly stored in the portal, timestamped, and available for the full retention period. No more paper forms misplaced in the back of a ute.
- All seven parts (A–G) captured digitally
- Electronic signatures for supplier and receiver
- GPS location recorded at time of transaction
- Photos of load attached to the record
- Automatic retention tracking against the 5-year requirement
- Exportable PDF matching the official DEECA format
The form — what gets captured
The DoU form is structured across seven parts, covering the full lifecycle of a mulch transaction.
Part A — Generator details
Company name, ABN, contact person, address, telephone and email of the mulch or green waste producer/supplier.
Part B — Receiver details
CoM name, ABN, contact person, position, reserve/site name and location within the reserve where material will go.
Part C — Waste details
Waste type (Waste Code K300), detailed description of the material, where it was generated, and the intended use — erosion control, weed control, soil moisture, landscaping, amenity, soft fall, or other.
Part D — Consignment details
Volume and frequency of delivery — single delivery or multiple deliveries over up to 12 months. Estimated volumes (m³) and delivery dates for each load.
Parts E & F — Risk checklist
Potential risks to human health and the environment (stockpile collapse, spontaneous combustion, fungal spores, weed contamination, Phytophthora cinnamomi, waterway proximity) and the corresponding mitigation controls the receiver must implement.
Part G — Declaration & signatures
Both the supplier/generator and the CoM receiver sign to confirm their respective declarations. The DoU is not valid until both parties have signed at the time of the transaction.
Generate the official report
Once a DoU transaction is recorded in ProofSafe, a formatted PDF report matching the DEECA DoU template is available immediately — ready to share with both the supplier and receiver as required.
Reports include all captured data, signatures, GPS coordinates, photos, and a transaction timestamp. Both parties receive a copy, and ProofSafe retains the record automatically.
- PDF output matching the official DEECA DoU format
- Signatures embedded in the document
- Attached load photos and GPS location
- Shareable by email directly from the portal
- Archived for the full 5-year retention period
Key definitions
Terms used in the DEECA Declaration of Use form.
Beneficial reuse
The use of uncontaminated organic materials (mulch, green waste and compost) on land for useful purposes such as weed suppression, maintaining soil moisture, soil erosion protection, soil enhancement, landscaping or amenity purposes.
Mulch or green waste
Includes chipper mulch from shrubs, trees and other vegetation; woody shrub and tree residues (branches, logs, bark, roots); and grass and lawn clippings or residues.
Third party
A person other than a DEECA employee or CoM member or employee that generates, supplies or receives mulch or green waste.
Transaction
The act of transferring control of mulch or green waste from the waste generator/supplier to the waste receiver.
Transporter
Person who transports mulch/green waste from the generator/supplier to the receiver. Responsible for ensuring material is transported securely and safely in accordance with the risk mitigation measures in the DoU.
Application to land
Application to soil of mulch or green waste for a beneficial purpose such as weed suppression, maintaining soil moisture, soil erosion protection, soil enhancement, landscaping or amenity purposes.
Compliance and record keeping
Under the EPA Regulations, both the generator and receiver must retain a copy of the completed and signed DoU form for a minimum of 2 years from the date on which it was made.
DEECA recommends retaining records for 5 years in the event contamination is identified more than 2 years following distribution. EPA penalties apply for non-compliance.
This form is not to be used for waste that is a reportable priority waste, or where the activity requires an EPA permission.
- Minimum 2-year retention required by EPA
- 5-year retention recommended by DEECA
- Not applicable to reportable priority wastes
- Not applicable where an EPA permission is required
- Both supplier and receiver must hold a signed copy