Wollongong City Council is moving forward on a plan to remediate Helensburgh Mountain Bike Park by removing and safely disposing of imported soil from the site.
It's the next step in an ongoing process that considered how best to manage the site after it was closed to the public in May after Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) was identified in the soil imported to the site and used to construct the park's dirt tracks.
Since the identification of ACM material and the decision to close the track, Council has worked with representatives of the Helensburgh Off Road Cycle Club (or HORCC) on the best steps to manage the site moving forward. Council has undertaken weekly site inspections, developed a Scope of Work to remediate the site and worked through a notification process with the EPA. The affected area is far more significant than initially thought, with testing identifying material across the site.
"I want to make it very clear Council is not responsible for the procurement or placement of this material. However, it needs to be sorted out and there is no quick fix for issues like this. It's important we work through this in a thorough and methodical way to ensure the safety of the public and to build a complete understanding of the size and scale of the issue,'' Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.
"This is a park that is enjoyed by residents in the Helensburgh community and surrounding areas, and we needed to establish whether the asbestos fragments that had turned up were at one part of the site or more widespread, and exactly where we would need to remediate and how best to go about it.
"In addition to the construction and demolition waste including asbestos being located within the red clay used to build the tracks, to date more than 70 asbestos fragments have been found on the surface at various parts of the site. These have continued to be found during regular site inspections. This has added to the challenge of developing the Scope of Work to remediate the site as each new find means we need to, again, review risk levels."
Non-friable asbestos, when left undisturbed in the ground is relatively low health risk. However, in a space where it's being exposed and ridden over on push bikes the risk of disturbing the asbestos fragments increases significantly. This is why Council kept the large site fenced off while investigations were underway.
The final Scope of Work will see all the mountain bike tracks constructed after 2017 from imported red clay material removed from the site. This approach will not only provide the safest option for riders at the site in the future, but also meets the expectations and requirements of the EPA.
"This will be an expensive exercise as it's a large site with a significant number of trails and a large volume of affected material,'' Wollongong City Council General Manager Greg Doyle said.
"We will need to work through a tender process to have this work completed by a licenced provider who has the experience to manage an extensive clean-up of this nature, as all the soil to be removed will be classified as hazardous waste and will be disposed of accordingly. This means the park will remain closed over summer to manage public safety.
"I know this closure will be disappointing to some riders in the community who love to ride these dirt tracks. It's not a decision we make lightly, and it's one that is informed by the number of asbestos fragments that continue to be found at this site.''
Once the soil is removed a clearance certificate from an independent asbestos assessor will be required before the site can be re-opened to the public.
"Council is supportive of seeing a range of bike riding opportunities across our city and we know this space has a special spot in the hearts of locals who enjoy riding around the tracks,'' Cr Bradbery said.
"It will, ultimately, be up to HORCC what they decide to do in terms of the park's future as they manage this site on Council's land but I'm sure a part of their considerations will be how it might complement the National Park and Wildlife Service's plans for new and enhanced mountain biking trails in the nearby Royal National Park and the escarpment.
"It's important to Council we continue see bike riding in all its diversity in suburbs across our city and passionate groups like HORCC can facilitate that.''
