Due to the site’s historical use as a quarry and a municipal landfill, the site is subject to Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Action Notices (EAN) and requires land rehabilitation. The proposed Rehabilitation Plan is being reviewed by the EPA.

The Rehabilitation Plan will form the roadmap to mitigate contamination at the site and guide Council’s understanding of the site’s opportunities and constraints.

It is anticipated the actions to rehabilitate the site will span several years. Pending EPA-endorsed rehabilitation actions, there may be scope to commence some preliminary works at the site. The visioning and ideas generated through this community consultation will assist in drafting the masterplan and implementation of an action plan where possible.

The scope for this renewal project is significantly limited due to the site contamination. This is largely in relation to the condition of the current landfill cap, ongoing compliance monitoring (leachate, stormwater, gas etc.), and additional future management considerations to address the landfill cap as part of the rehabilitation plan.

Delivering the Rehabilitation Plan actions, when endorsed by the EPA, will ensure the site is safe for future community use.

The site is bound by two Environmental Action Notices (EAN) which have several associated requirements. We are working through these notices collaboratively with the EPA to manage the soil contamination.

The Environment Action Notices require any ongoing risks from the site continue to be monitored, prevented, and managed by Council over several years.

The notices were issued because extensive investigations undertaken by Council identified the presence of elevated levels of contaminants (landfill, gas and groundwater leachate). These contaminants are very common in former landfills; however, present significant development constraints, including what can or can’t be built or planted at the site.

The site’s Rehabilitation Plan was developed with support from an environmental consultancy firm that specialises in contaminated land.

The Plan established the level of rehabilitation and remediation required before we can implement a masterplan and open the use for community use. It also provides an understanding of built form and landscaping opportunities and constraints at the site.