Barangaroo Redevelopment Site Audits, Sydney Australia

Spanning 22 hectares, Sydney's Barangaroo redevelopment stands as a testament to the city's commitment to revitalising its waterfront. Once a neglected industrial area, Barangaroo has been transformed into a vibrant cultural, residential, business, and retail hub, complete with extensive public open spaces for residents and visitors alike.

The Barangaroo site, particularly the old Millers Point Gasworks, had a complex industrial past. This history necessitated significant and intricate remediation efforts to address historical contamination and environmental concerns. The transformation of Barangaroo into the dynamic precinct it is today required a comprehensive cleanup of the site's industrial heritage.

Since 2009, Ramboll has played a crucial role as the NSW EPA Accredited Site Auditor for the former Millers Point Gasworks and Barangaroo development. Ramboll's audit reviews were conducted on behalf of multiple government and private clients, including Barangaroo Delivery Authority (now Infrastructure NSW), Lendlease, Crown Sydney Hotel Development, and Aqualand. These reviews ensured compliance with the NSW EPA Management Order, ultimately leading to the lifting of the EPA Declaration for the former Gasworks, and demonstrated site suitability allowing occupation of the site for various land uses.

The remediation planning for Barangaroo was undertaken in multiple stages. It began with an overarching Remediation Action Plan (RAP) and was followed by detailed RAPs for different land parcels and site uses. Ramboll conducted comprehensive auditor reviews, providing practical and relevant comments to support the validation of works upon completion.

Ramboll's team in Sydney, in collaboration with global experts and external consultants, reviewed human health and ecological risk assessments which considered multiple exposure scenarios. This comprehensive approach ensured the robustness of the remediation works, ultimately managing environmental and public health risks to a satisfactory level to receive the necessary approvals from NSW EPA experts, allowing the redevelopment to progress.

One of Ramboll's significant contributions was the identification of asbestos contamination in fill material used for land reclamation. Ramboll questioned early site investigation results which were obtained by borehole sampling methods. When excavation works began there was discovery of widespread asbestos contamination, requiring asbestos controls for the majority of works within the precinct. Ramboll's findings highlighted the limitations of borehole investigations for fill observation, a key learning shared widely at industry forums.

Ramboll's deep technical knowledge and collaborative approach drove a shift in validation practices for risk assessment assumptions implemented through basement construction, avoiding duplication in structural verification works. This approach has influenced industry practices and contributed to the successful redevelopment of Barangaroo.

Throughout the project duration, Ramboll demonstrated technical expertise and a thorough understanding of the regulatory framework, gaining the confidence of key stakeholders, including NSW EPA and the planning department. This ensured smooth approval processes for the proposed remediation works and validation of completed remediation.

Based on the completed remediation works, NSW EPA lifted the Declaration on the former gasworks, allowing the development and beneficial use of a previously heavily contaminated site. Barangaroo now stands as a vibrant precinct with significant contributions to public amenity.

Ramboll's most recent milestone at the site was completion of the site suitability audits for the One Sydney Harbour residential tower development by Lendlease. Completed in January 2025, these were the final audits for the Barangaroo South precinct which also included the commercial International Towers, Crown Sydney Hotel and Hickson Park. Ramboll continues to support Aqualand and Infrastructure NSW in the ongoing development of Barangaroo Central. The lessons learned from Barangaroo's transformation continue to influence Ramboll's approach to site auditing of environmental remediation and urban redevelopment projects.

The Barangaroo redevelopment project showcases the importance of thorough environmental remediation and the impact of collaborative efforts. Ramboll's contributions have been instrumental in transforming a once neglected area into a thriving part of Sydney's CBD, setting a benchmark for future urban renewal projects.