Welcome

Welcome to the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust’s community newsletter for the remediation of the former HMAS Platypus (Platypus) site.

The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust (the Harbour Trust) has been planning for the remediation of the Platypus site for several months. The overall goal of this program is to clean up the site’s industrial legacy to enable its reuse as a public waterfront amenity.

This newsletter is designed to keep you up to date with remediation activities at the site. More information about the Platypus project is also available on the Platypus Remediation Project page of the website.

Community Open Day

An open day will be held at the Platypus site (118 High St, Neutral Bay) on:

Saturday 19 June 2010

10.30am - 2.30pm

Sessions will run on the hour at 11am, 12 noon, & 1pm.

Each session will include an overview and discussion of the Site Management Plan - Stage 1 Works and a site tour.

The open day will also include the exhibition of Site Management Plan - Stage 1 Works.

Staff will be onsite to answer questions from the community.

Project Background

One of the key responsibilities of the Harbour Trust is to manage some of the former Defence lands around Sydney Harbour, with the objectives of maximising public access to the sites, cleaning up contaminated areas and preserving the heritage and environmental values of the sites.

Sites that have been successfully rehabilitated and returned back to the public domain include Headland Park at Georges Heights, North Head Sanctuary (formerly the North Head School of Artillery), Woolwich Dock and Parklands and Cockatoo Island. Platypus is one of the last of these iconic sites that requires remediation in preparation for future public enjoyment. hhh

Planning has been underway for some time and the Harbour Trust has now established a dedicated team of experienced professionals to lead the remediation project through to completion. Most of the contaminated material is below ground and is primarily a legacy of the site’s past use as a gas works facility.

Stage 1 site works

A significant amount of above ground work is required to adequately prepare the site for the underground remediation activities. There are several aspects to this work.

A photographic survey of a number of the adjacent residential properties has been completed recently to record the condition of the buildings before any works commence at Platypus.

Investigation of the seabed adjacent to the wharf, in the area known as the naval waters, has also been completed. This work has been done to gather background information prior to any site remediation work starting.

In addition to this, some repair work may need to be done to the wharf and seawall. The extent of these repairs is still being assessed.

To prepare buildings for demolition or dismantling, the hazardous materials that typically exist in the building fabric such as lead paint, asbestos and synthetic mineral fibres need to be removed or abated. This work will begin in September.

Two of the buildings on site are being demolished to make way for the remediation activity. This work includes the former three storey naval administration building and the adjacent single level store house. The Retort house (a cast iron portal frame structure which was shipped out from England in the late 1880s and erected on site) will be carefully dismantled and stored for the duration of the remediation works. It has significant heritage value and will be re-erected after these works are complete.

Stage 2 remediation works

Stage 2 is the major project works and includes the removal of the below ground contaminated material.

Draft Remedial Action Plan (RAP)

A draft RAP has been prepared for the Platypus site. It considers a broad range of remediation strategies capable of dealing with approximately 35,000 tonnes of contaminated material. The RAP will be finalised in the coming months and is subject to an independent site auditor sign off before implementation.

Expression of Interest (EOI)

The Trust issued an EOI to the remediation industry in April calling for submissions to undertake the Platypus remediation works. Respondents will provide details of their proposed remediation methodology for the site and evidence of their capability to carry out the work. The EOI closes on 9 June 2010. A shortlist of appropriate remediation options and qualified organisations will be identified. These organisations will then be invited to tender for the remediation project.

Appointment of Independent Experts

The Trust is in the process of appointing an independent remediation expert who will assist in the review and assessment of the EOI submissions. The Trust will also appoint an independent risk assessment professional to undertake a human health risk assessment of the short-listed remediation options chosen through the EOI process. This expert will also be available to consult with the community. The third independent expert is an accredited site auditor who has already been appointed. His key role is to ensure that the remediation works satisfy the standards required for the site’s future land use.

Consultation on remediation options

Once the remediation options have been short-listed, the Trust will consult the local community through a number of workshops to present and discuss the short-listed options. At these workshops the community can comment on the various options and ask questions about each of them. Through this process, and with advice from the independent remediation expert and health risk expert, the Trust will determine the preferred remediation option or options.

Exhibition of Site Management Plan Stage 1 Works
18 June - 16 July 2010

A Site Management Plan (SMP) for the Stage 1 Works has been prepared. The SMP outlines the scope of work and proposed mitigation measures to minimise potential impacts on the local community from the site works.

This document will be on exhibition between 18 June and 16 July 2010. The community has an opportunity to view the document at the Trust’s office in Mosman or at North Sydney Council Chambers, Stanton Library or the Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre. It is available to download here.

The Trust invites comment on the SMP through written submissions until 5.00pm 16 July 2010. Submissions can be sent to:

Platypus Remediation Project
Stage 1 Site Management Plan
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust
PO Box 607, Mosman 2088
or by email to:
consulttrust@harbourtrust.gov.au

Community Consultation

The aim of the Platypus community consultation is to be comprehensive, inclusive and fair. The program is designed to underpin the key milestones of the Stage 1 and Stage 2 works.

The consultation activities include:

Community Advisory Committee
The CAC is involved through regular meetings every 8 weeks. The meeting notes and presentations from these sessions are published on the website shortly after each of the meetings. This committee may become a project specific Community Reference Group prior to commencing the major remediation works.

Neighbour meetings at critical stages of the projects

Regular project updates to precinct committees including Milson, Kurraba, Anderson and Hayes.

Community Open Days

The next community open day is Saturday 19th June between 10.30 and 2.30pm. This will coincide with the exhibition of the remediation project’s Site Management Plan for Stage 1 Works. Members of the remediation project team will be available on site to provide more information on the project works.

Community workshops

Dates for these workshops are still being finalised, and are likely to be scheduled for end of July/early August, in line with the short-listing of remediation options. If you would like to register your interest in attending these workshops please indicate on the reply paid flyer and post back to the Trust’s office. The Trust will advise the dates and times of sessions as soon as they are confirmed.

Individual contact

Individual contact with the community consultation manager to discuss any specific aspects of the Platypus remediation project.

Other communication tools

A number of supporting communication tools are being or have been developed to complement / support the face-to-face consultation initiatives. These include newsletters, meeting notes, presentations, technical reports, a dedicated website and a community contact phone number.