Newcastle Gasworks (Clyde Street) Remediation

Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission on this significant
development for the local community.

While many people will welcome the action to remediate the site after
many years of inactivity on such a large and central location, many
locals are disappointed to find out that the site will be remediated
to a level which will allow only light industrial development. I
believe that this is a regretful decision, and an enormous missed
opportunity.

While I understand that remediating the land to a level which would
allow for housing or commercial development would significantly
increase the cost of the remediation project, the location of former
gasworks is very significant in terms of future growth in the
Newcastle Local Government Area. I believe that the extra costs
involved in remediating the site to a level which could allow housing
or commercial development would assist the NSW Government adequately
plan for future growth in the Hamilton North/Broadmeadow area.

Recent data suggests that Hamilton North/Broadmeadow is set to be the
third largest growth area across the entire Newcastle LGA, with more
than 4,000 additional residents forecast to call the area home over
the next 20 years alone.

The former gasworks site is ideally placed for higher density housing
development. It is centrally located, close to public transport
options and great local amenities, schools, shops and entertainment.
It is a 10 minute drive to the beaches of Newcastle and a stones throw
from Broadmeadow trainstation, and the proposed Broadmeadow Sports and
Entertainment precinct.

The NSW Government's own planning documents indicate that Hamilton
North/Broadmeadow is a place set for significant growth within the
Newcastle LGA, so it is of concern that such a large area of land
within this growth corridor will only be remediated to allow for light
industrial. This is a significant opportunity for the government to
free up land to assist the area to grow.

It is also my belief that Hamilton North is no longer an appropriate
area for industrial development. If not now, Hamilton North will
shortly be considered an inner city suburb pf Newcastle. Our inner
city suburbs should be the places where the government is encouraging
an increase in housing stock and housing density, to encourage
Newcastle to grow into a city.

The government should ensure that the former gasworks at Hamilton
North is remediated to a level that would allow for housing or
commercial decelopment. Jemena should be compelled to undertake
remediation to this level, to ensure that the Hamilton
North/Broadmeadow area has adequate space to meet the housing
requirements for an area which is growing rapidly, and which will
continue to grow over the coming decades.

Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission on this significant
development for the local community.

While many people will welcome the action to remediate the site after
many years of inactivity on such a large and central location, many
locals are disappointed to find out that the site will be remediated
to a level which will allow only light industrial development. I
believe that this is a regretful decision, and an enormous missed
opportunity.

While I understand that remediating the land to a level which would
allow for housing or commercial development would significantly
increase the cost of the remediation project, the location of former
gasworks is very significant in terms of future growth in the
Newcastle Local Government Area. I believe that the extra costs
involved in remediating the site to a level which could allow housing
or commercial development would assist the NSW Government adequately
plan for future growth in the Hamilton North/Broadmeadow area.

Recent data suggests that Hamilton North/Broadmeadow is set to be the
third largest growth area across the entire Newcastle LGA, with more
than 4,000 additional residents forecast to call the area home over
the next 20 years alone.

The former gasworks site is ideally placed for higher density housing
development. It is centrally located, close to public transport
options and great local amenities, schools, shops and entertainment.
It is a 10 minute drive to the beaches of Newcastle and a stones throw
from Broadmeadow trainstation, and the proposed Broadmeadow Sports and
Entertainment precinct.

The NSW Government's own planning documents indicate that Hamilton
North/Broadmeadow is a place set for significant growth within the
Newcastle LGA, so it is of concern that such a large area of land
within this growth corridor will only be remediated to allow for light
industrial. This is a significant opportunity for the government to
free up land to assist the area to grow.

It is also my belief that Hamilton North is no longer an appropriate
area for industrial development. If not now, Hamilton North will
shortly be considered an inner city suburb pf Newcastle. Our inner
city suburbs should be the places where the government is encouraging
an increase in housing stock and housing density, to encourage
Newcastle to grow into a city.

The government should ensure that the former gasworks at Hamilton
North is remediated to a level that would allow for housing or
commercial decelopment. Jemena should be compelled to undertake
remediation to this level, to ensure that the Hamilton
North/Broadmeadow area has adequate space to meet the housing
requirements for an area which is growing rapidly, and which will
continue to grow over the coming decades.

I _________ the owner of number __________ support the proposal. The
reason for supporting this is to get rid of the contaminated soil
which will benefit the community healthwise. I think its a great idea
to be cleaning up the site.

Correct Planning and Consultation for Mayfield Group (CPCFM) wishes to
formally object to the remediation of the ex gasworks site at Hamilton
North by Jemena.
Representatives of our organisation have attended the two community
sessions held by Jemena and we have examined the information provided.

Our core reasons for objecting to the proposal are based on the
following:

1. The site is a valuable parcel of land that is heavily contaminated
and needs to be remediating in order for it to have an ongoing useful
life.

2. The parcel of land has a series of valuable uses however at this
time there has been no identified use for the site once remediated.
CPCFM believes that the final use for the site should be identified
prior to any remediation or associated activities occurring. To simply
clean up the site and cap it with a soft cap is not an appropriate
strategy. Future development of the site may well mean that the
integrity of the remediated surface could be damaged and or
penetrated. The establishment of footings for buildings, drainage
works other cabling, roadworks and fencing will be required for future
use. To rely on the development application process to maintain and
integrity of the cap seems to be a very risky process. CPCFM request
that, if this process is considered acceptable, a condition of consent
must clearly specify the requirements of any development application
to maintain the integrity of the cap.

3. The future owner of the site has not been identified. It would seem
that Jemena is unlikely to retain ownership of this land. It is the
current requirement of the Management Order issued by the EPA in 2015
that the remediation of the site is required to be completed by
Jemena. It would seem far more prudent to CPCFM that Jemena is allowed
to dispose of the site prior to the remediating been complete OR
required to specify the end use. CPCFM considers that a condition of
the sale would obviously include the requirement that the purchaser
remediates the site in line with the proposed future use. The sale of
the site would allow a future owner to establish a cap that matches
the future use of this site.

4. CPCFM is concerned about the truck movements to and from the site
during the proposed remediation process. CPCFM assumes that all
outbound trucks removing material from the site will take that
material to a licensed landfill appropriate to the product being
removed.
CPCFM also assumes that any inbound material is certified a clean
product that is fit for purpose.

5. CPCFM is concerned that the truck numbers should indicate truck
movements. That is both inbound and outward journeys for each trip are
counted. In many cases this will double the number of trucks loaded in
the document. We are also concerned that the routes to be taken by the
trucks are not identified in the document. We also note that the
destination and departure points are not identified. This is not
realistic and certainly does not identify the impact on the community.


John L Hayes Dated 24 08 18.
Convenor
Correct Planning and Consultation for Mayfield Group (CPCFM )**
email: [email protected] Phn. 4967 3013 Mob 0400 171 602
117 INGALL ST, MAYFIELD EAST NSW 2304
** CPCFM was established in 2010, and has about 500 members and
supporters

Response from Publci Health

Please find attached letter