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General
Barangaroo South and Lend Lease
Headland Park
Remediation
Asbestos Management
GENERAL
What parts of the foreshore at Barangaroo will be open to the public?
Barangaroo has been locked away from the public for more than 100years.
Returning the waterfront to the people of Sydney has always been our goal.
Not only will there be a new six hectare park at the northern end, a foreshore promenade, up to thirty metres wide, will run the length of the site.
As outlined in the 2010 planning approval, buildings at Barangaroo South will gradually step up from water rising from low rise retail and residential to the commercial towers which are 60 metres from the foreshore.
Already hundreds of people are enjoying Barangaroo’s foreshore walk. Join us to enjoy a new perspective on Sydney harbour.
What is Barangaroo?
Barangaroo is a vacant 22 hectare former container wharf on the western harbour foreshore of the Sydney CBD.
Over the next decade it is being transformed into a thriving public, residential and commercial precinct with a waterfront promenade running the length of the site. Incorporating a major new Headland Park, it is one of the most ambitious and significant waterfront redevelopments anywhere in the world.
Over time, 23,000 people will live and work in the precinct, with 33,000 people expected to visit Barangaroo each day
It is divided into three areas:
- Barangaroo South will be a major new business, tourism, residential and retail precinct opening onto a public waterfront promenade. Lend Lease was awarded the right to develop Barangaroo South in December 2009, following a public bid process. The first building is targeted for completion in 2015.
- Barangaroo Central will be a cultural and civic focal point for recreation, relaxation, events, festivals, entertainment and leisure activities. It is currently home to a temporary cruise passenger terminal which will relocate to White Bay in 2012.
- Headland Park will be a grand harbour park for Sydney. Inspired by the 1836 shoreline and designed to complement the neighbouring headlands of Sydney harbour. Approximately six hectares in size, it is scheduled to open in 2015.
Why is it being developed?
Barangaroo is an opportunity to reinvigorate Sydney's position as a financial services hub in the Asia Pacific by generating jobs, boosting the economy and creating a new place to live, work and visit.
The $6 billion transformation of Barangaroo will reaffirm Sydney's standing as a global city and attract new investment to NSW and Australia.
Who owns Barangaroo?
The 22 hectare site is owned by the NSW Government and managed by the Barangaroo Delivery Authority to ensure it is delivered in a coordinated and financially responsible manner as provided for in the Barangaroo Delivery Authority Act 2009.
When will Barangaroo be finished?
The project will be progressively delivered over the next ten to fifteen years, with the Headland Park and first commercial office tower scheduled to open in 2015.
HEADLAND PARK
What is the Headland Park?
The six hectare Headland Park is located at the northern end of Barangaroo, immediately adjacent to Walsh Bay and Millers Point. It will be a naturalistic harbour headland in the spirit of places including Mrs Macquarie's Chair, Balls Head, Ballast Point and Goat Island.
The new park will include picnic areas, bush walks and tidal pools, as well as a new cultural centre built within the headland. For the first time in more than a century, members of the public will be able to touch the water in this part of the harbour
It is scheduled to open in 2015.
Who has designed the Headland Park?
Headland Park has been designed by a local and overseas expert team headed by internationally renowned landscape architect Peter Walker.
The final design for the park also reflects the significant community consultation which has been undertaken, in particular the on-site Headland Park Open Day attended by more than 250 people, the Barangaroo Community forum at the Sydney Opera House as well as the Barangaroo online forum.
Why a naturalistic headland?
After 1836 the original headland and foreshore at Barangaroo's northern most point was cut away to make space for wharves and stevedoring activities. This industrialisation, of what was then known as East Darling Harbour, continued well into the 1960's delivering the long, wide concrete stands that make up the site today.
Rather than trying to replicate the original landforms, they have been used as the inspiration for the park's shape and design.
The headland has specifically been designed to allow people to get close to the harbour.
What are the features of the Headland Park?
The park will have:
- a naturalistic shape rising up to link Clyne Reserve and Munn Reserve to the harbour
- a foreshore promenade wrapping around the park for pedestrians and cyclists;
- a northern cove with jetty and viewing platform;
- a new cultural centre created inside the headland
- a 300 space car park underneath the headland;
- landscaped areas including picnic areas, bush walks, stairs, pathways, tidal pools, lighting and lookouts;
How is the park being paid for?
The Headland Park will be delivered at no cost to taxpayers, funded from payments from the development of the commercial precinct - Barangaroo South.
When will the Headland Park be completed?
It is expected to be completed in 2015.
BARANGAROO SOUTH AND PROJECT DELIVERY AGREEMENT
Who is developing Barangaroo South?
The 22 hectare site is owned by the NSW Government and managed by the Barangaroo Delivery Authority to ensure it is delivered in a coordinated and financially responsible manner as provided for in the Barangaroo Delivery Authority Act 2009.
After a robust and detailed international bid process, Lend Lease were granted the development rights for the commercial, retail and residential part of the site known as Barangaroo South.
Barangaroo South is approximately 7.5 hectares in size.
Why is Barangaroo being developed by one developer, rather than several developers?
The Government decided to offer Barangaroo South as one package for a number of reasons. They include:
- the ability to establish world class architectural excellence and urban design outcomes;
- delivery by the private sector of adjoining public domain and utility infrastructure;
- a holistic approach to remediation requirements; and,
- sustainability outcomes through district systems
Why are the buildings large?
To maintain its regional competitiveness, the Sydney CBD needs to provide the financial sector with high-rise landmark towers with large floorplates of around 2,500sqm.
These requirements are already being provided by competitors for international financial services sector tenants in the United States, Europe and the Asia Pacific
The finance sector requires larger floorplates due to the pace of business, complexity of transactions and the large numbers of people that need to interact and work collaboratively.
Barangaroo provides this opportunity for Sydney CBD.
Ensuring Sydney remains a significant financial hub in the Asia Pacific and delivers jobs and investment for the State.
How tall are the buildings?
There are three commercial towers. The highest tower is 209 metres, while the other two towers can be up to 180 metres tall.
What is the Project Development Agreement?
The Project Development Agreement is the contract between the NSW Government represented by the Barangaroo Delivery Authority and the developer of Barangaroo South, Lend Lease Millers Point Pty Ltd.
The Agreement is the contract where Lend Lease is authorised to develop Barangaroo South. Lend Lease was appointed to undertake the development following a robust competitive bid process.
The tender process followed government procurement guidelines and involved an extensive process involving a two stage tender process including:
- a call for Expressions of Interest, which involved eight responses;
- the selection of three proponents to respond to a Request for Detailed Proposals; Two of these respondents, Lend Lease and Brookfield Multiplex were asked to provide further information and respond to further questions during the final phase.
What does the Agreement allow?
The Agreement allows Lend Lease to develop buildings on Barangaroo South with development rights and 99 year leases for individual works areas.
All land, including the public domain, within Barangaroo South will be retained in public ownership for the benefit the people of New South Wales.
How much is the Government receiving from Lend Lease?
Lend Lease is making fixed and value payments (subject to market conditions) to the Authority over the life of the Agreement.
These payments are progressively being made available as part of the annual NSW Government Budget process.
The first fixed payment was made in March 2010. The most recent payment was made in March 2013. The total payment to date have been $206.4m.
REMEDIATION AND CONTAMINATION
What is the main remediation issue?
The former Millers Point Gasworks, which operated on a two hectare portion of this site until early last century is a major source of contamination. The above ground structures associated with the gasworks were demolished between 1922 and 1925, but underground structures including tanks were left on site.
Where is the contamination?
The contamination is largely confined to the area of the former Millers Point Gasworks which includes part of Barangaroo and Hickson Road. The remediation area declared by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (EPA) is outlined in the image below.
Image of the declared remediation site area:
What is the contamination on site?
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) describes the contamination on the "remediation site" as gasworks waste which is tar created during the operation of a gasworks plant. In particular, the EPA has identified the following as the contaminants on the "remediation site": polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX); total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs); ammonia; phenol and cyanide.
Who is responsible for the contamination?
The operation of the gasworks resulted in contamination, the consequence of which is now the subject of the specific site declaration by EPA, including the statutory requirement for remediation of the "remediation site".
Ultimately, those parties whose actions resulted in contamination of the "remediation site" are responsible for the cost of remediation.
The remediation process itself will determine the final extent of responsibility held by those responsible for the contamination. The Barangaroo Delivery Authority will initiate the remediation works, and then will seek input from the responsible party or follow legal proceedings where necessary to recover remediation costs from the responsible parties.
Who is undertaking the remediation?
The Barangaroo Delivery Authority has initiated the remediation of the contamination at the Barangaroo site and on Hickson Road, through the development of a Voluntary Management Proposal approved by the EPA. The Authority has appointed Lend Lease to undertake the remediation works on its behalf.
Who owned and operated the gas works?
The Millers Point Gasworks was operated by Australian Gas & Light Company which is now Jemena Limited.
When is the remediation process likely to commence?
The Barangaroo Delivery Authority expects the remediation process to commence in 2011. All remediation works will be carried out under approved works plans which are subject to formal Department of Planning and EPA approval processes.
What is the SISCO remediation method?
Called Surfactant-Enhanced In Situ Chemical Oxidation or SISCO, this technology enables remediation of contamination where it lies, underground.
How does SISCO work?
The SISCO process involves the controlled injection and monitoring of specific chemicals into the contamination zone below ground. The reactions caused by these chemicals when they come into contact with the contamination effectively degrades potentially harmful contaminants into non-toxic by-products.
What chemicals are being used in the SISCO method?
It depends on the type of contamination being treated however chemicals used may include combinations of water, hydrogen peroxide, sodium persulfate, catalysts and food-grade surfactants.
Are these chemicals dangerous?
Not in this scenario and importantly the type and amount of injected chemicals will be specially selected to match the type of contamination and its location. Notwithstanding the above, stringent monitoring and controls will be in place to manage reaction and movement of chemicals and contaminants in the subsurface.
Has the SISCO method been used elsewhere?
Yes. Importantly the SISCO remediation method has been successfully applied on other former gasworks sites overseas, which is the same type of industrial activity which has contaminated the Barangaroo site. These projects were conducted in the United States at Long Island City, Hartford and New York.
What are the benefits of SISCO?
The 'in situ' technology enables contamination to be treated without the need for invasive extraction and delivers a range of important environmental and other benefits including:
- reducing the amount of excavation required;
- treating contamination where it lies underground without bringing it to the surface;
- reducing the amount of material required to be taken off site and disposed in landfill;
- limits the amount of disruption to traffic on Hickson Road
- reducing the impacts on local residents, business and other neighbours
ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT
Why is excavated material from Barangaroo South being transferred to help create the Headland Park?
Approximately 180,000 cubic metres of fill is needed to build the six hectare, 18 metre high Headland Park.
It is world recognised best practice to keep material on site, where possible, to minimise the use of our limited landfills. It is a sensible and sustainable solution to use the material that is being excavated from Barangaroo South in the park in a properly designed containment manner.
The park will be created using material from Barangaroo South and a further material from the excavation of the Northern Cove. Clean soil will be imported to cover the entire park.
Is the excavated material contaminated?
Barangaroo, along with many other industrial sites in Sydney, is reclaimed land which was filled in using excavated soil and old building materials to create the container port. Almost all old industrial sites contain contaminated material as a result of past practices. This contamination includes heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and asbestos.
Any material being used in the Headland Park from the site must meet strict environmental criteria. This criteria, as outlined in the Human Health Ecological Risk Assessment, allows for a small amount of material containing asbestos to be used within the park.
Is the excavated material from Barangaroo South safe to be used in the Headland Park?
The safety of workers, the community and the environment is paramount and all material being used for the park must comply with rigorous standards approved by the EPA.
This “site acceptance” criteria, as outlined in the Human Health Ecological Risk Assessment, has been reviewed and accepted by an Environment Protection Authority Site Auditor as suitable for the park as a land use.
The plans have the required planning and environmental approvals, and prior to the work commencing, the EPA has commissioned a public health expert, Dr Tim Driscoll to review the methodology and consult with unions, stakeholders and the community.
The approved criteria allows for up to 1% of bonded asbestos material to be in the fill being moved from Barangaroo South to the park. The use of this type of material is a well-established practice. A similar approach has been used in the creation of playing fields and parks across Sydney including:
- The award winning urban park on the former Tempe Tip site
- Sydney Park on the former brickworks/tip at St Peters
- Sydney Olympic Park
- The Ridge Sports Complex
What environmental monitoring controls are in place?
There is an extensive program of environmental monitoring in place including air and water quality on and around site. Monitoring is carried out on a 24-hour basis in accordance with the site’s Environmental Protection Licence. Monthly results of this monitoring are available in the Publications Section of our website.
Air quality monitoring is undertaken for both ambient air quality and asbestos fibres. Monitors are in place in a number of locations around the site boundary and at specific work areas.
Full time Occupational Hygienists and soil scientists will be on site to sample, monitor, review and oversee all excavation works and validation of the material to go to the Headland Park.
What mitigation measures are in place at Barangaroo South?
Mitigation measures at Barangaroo South include:
- Removal of known hotspots of contaminated material
- Screening excavated material
- Sampling of stockpiles and testing by a NATA-accredited laboratory to ensure compliance with set criteria
- Test results must be validated by Headland Park Validation Consultant to prior to transfer to the park
- All loads will be covered
What mitigation measures are in place at Headland Park?
Mitigation measures at the Headland Park include:
- Covering of all loads
- Geo fabric and sealants on stockpiles to minimise erosion (dust)
- Water sprays to suppress dust from soil stockpiles and unloading activities
- Modifying work practices in response to high wind and poor weather conditions
- Installation of storage tanks for water run-off collection and subsequent treatment
What about the safety of the public, in particular neighbours and foreshore users?
Work site specific environmental management and monitoring programs have been developed to protect the safety of site personnel, neighbours and the general public including users of the Foreshore Walk.
During the construction of the park, the material will be managed through compaction and dust suppression before being covered with a minimum of 0.5 metres of clean soil in the final stages of construction, ensuring there is no risk of material coming to the surface.
What process will be in place for managing any asbestos exposed or moved to the Headland Park end of the site?
An Asbestos Management Plan has been developed which documents the processes to manage asbestos. Suitably qualified asbestos consultants/hygienists will supervise all works at the Headland Park site and oversee the implementation of the controls, monitoring and clearances that will be required under the asbestos management plan.
How will the material be transferred?
The material will be taken by sealed truck from Barangaroo South to the northern end of the site, via Hickson Road. Trucks will exit Barangaroo South through Gate 1 and travel along Hickson Road, entering the Headland Park end at Gate 4.
