Wollongong City Council media release: 3 April 2024
Wollongong City Council has finished removing contaminated soil material from Helensburgh Mountain Bike Park. Fencing will continue to come down and the site is now safe and open for public access.
The majority of the site’s mountain bike tracks have been impacted by this work and Council will meet with the Helensburgh Off Road Cycle Club (HORCC) to discuss the re-establishment of tracks and ensure that contaminated soil does not re-enter the site.
The Helensburgh Mountain Bike Park initially closed mid-2023, after Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) was found in the soil imported to the site and used to construct the park’s dirt tracks. A smaller section of track constructed with contaminated soil on National Parks land was removed in May 2023 by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. However, most of the affected material had been placed on Council land and required a much larger clean-up process. This was further complicated by additional fragments of asbestos found during regular inspections throughout 2023.
In the interest of ensuring public safety, Council took the lead to develop a proactive approach to remediate the site. This was done with the support of the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
With a plan in place, clean-up began at the end of February 2024 and saw 2200 tonnes of contaminated soil material removed from the park. This material was safely disposed of at a licenced waste facility.
Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said that the next step was for Council to make sure that the club’s processes for any track re-construction are appropriate so that we can prevent further contamination.
“This has been a challenging job to oversee. Throughout this process, our number one priority has been on ensuring the safety of our staff, community, and environment,” Cr Bradbery said.
“While Council was not responsible for the procurement or placement of this material, it was necessary for the park to be cleaned-up and rehabilitated."
The clean-up work was monitored by independent hygienists and was completed in line with NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) requirements.
For more information, see our dedicated Helensburgh Mountain Bike Park webpage for a detailed FAQ.