Former Goulburn Gasworks Remediation Project

The former Goulburn Gasworks site is located on Blackshaw Road, Goulburn.

The Goulburn Gas and Coke Company (GGCC) originally operated the site as a gasworks between 1879 and the 1970s. In 1979, the Australian Gas Light Company (AGL) acquired GGCC, which subsequently merged into Jemena in 1994. The site is currently owned by Jemena Gas Networks (NSW) Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Jemena Limited.

The historical gasworks related operations and waste disposal activities between 1879 and 1970s have contaminated the soil and groundwater at the site. Waste coal tars and associated gasworks residues in soils and groundwater have been identified on site as well as extending off-site in groundwater to the east of the site along part of the foreshore of Mulwaree River.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has declared the site as being significantly contaminated under Section 11 of the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997. Jemena are currently managing the contamination through the implementation of a Voluntary Management Proposal (VMP). The VMP is an agreement between Jemena and the EPA which requires the site be remediated in accordance with the Remediation Action Plan.

The Remediation Action Plan (RAP) outlines the remediation objectives and the remediation strategy. The RAP will govern the remediation works for the site. Broadly the works comprise:

• excavation of buried former gasworks infrastructure where required in order to remediate contamination;
• ex-situ or in-situ treatment/stabilisation of contaminated soil;
• excavation and removal of contaminated soil for treatment from the foreshore of Mulwaree River (along a portion of Council owned land); and,
• construction of a low permeability barrier to reduce groundwater flow through residual contamination towards the Mulwaree River.

Information from the RAP formed the basis of the Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) which was included in the Development Application (DA) to the Goulburn Mulwaree Council. The SEE is based on the information regarding remediation of the site and provides an assessment of the proposed remediation in accordance with Section 79C of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 which includes compliance with the relevant Planning Policies.

A specialist remediation contractor, Enviropacific Services has been contracted by Jemena to carry out the remediation activities.

Work commenced in late 2018 (November).  The remediation process is expected to take approximately 12 months, weather and site conditions pending.

If you would like further information regarding the project progress please visit our website on www.jemena.com.au or call 1800 571 972 or email on goulburn@jemena.com.au.