Wollongong City Council release: 20 February 2024
Work will start this month on the removal of contaminated soil material from Helensburgh Mountain Bike Park.
The park was closed in 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. Since the closure, Council has been working with the licencee Helensburgh Off Road Cycle Club to develop a plan to remediate the site. This has included Council undertaking weekly site inspections, working through a notification process with the EPA and developing a Scope of Work for the remediation of the site.
Finalising the remediation plan was complicated by the fact additional fragments continued to be found across the site during the regular inspections across 2023 increasing the complexity of the clean-up operation.
“This hasn’t been an easy site to work with as the parameters we’re working within kept changing with each new find,’’ Wollongong City Council General Manager Greg Doyle said.
“The fragments that were within the imported soil weren’t restricted to one location on the site, and each discovery of additional pieces of asbestos would necessitate we review rather than simply finalise the site’s remediation plan.
“Safety has been our number one priority throughout this process. The remediation work will be carried out by an experienced and accredited contractor and is expected to take about a month to complete, provided the contractor gets good weather.’’
Once the work has been completed the site will be reopened to the public, and bike riding will be able to resume on the remaining tracks within the site.
“I’m pleased to say we’re getting closer to removing the site fencing from this area and allowing community to be able to use this space once again,’’ Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.
“This has been a complex job and one that’s important we get right so that this land can be used in the future and offer a safe space for our community to enjoy recreational pursuits. While I want to make it very clear Council was not responsible for the procurement or placement of this material it’s important that this site is rehabilitated and Council and the Helensburgh Off Road Cycle Club have worked together to get this matter resolved. I’m grateful to the community for their patience.’’
While the work is underway, adjoining sports fields will remain open although the bike tracks and surrounds will remain off-limits to community members. The work will be monitored by independent hygienists and, in line with EPA requirements, the soil will be taken from site to licenced waste facilities for disposal.
Once the removal has been completed, Council will work with the licensee, Helensburgh Off Road Cycle Club, to support the reinstatement of safe tracks at this site.
See our dedicated Helensburgh Mountain Bike Park webpage for a details FAQ.
