Lake Macquarie City Council Standard Remedial Action Plan

Ramboll supported Lake Macquarie City Council (LMCC) to develop a Standard Remedial Action Plan (RAP) that could be a template for communities impacted by contamination issues for which the polluter no longer exists and cannot be engaged to rectify the situation. The Standard RAP, implemented by LMCC, helps impacted local residents who submit a development application. This streamlines the approach for the assessment of residential soil contamination and reduces the cost of the development assessment process.

The legacy of heavy industry close to residential areas in Australia has meant that some communities have inherited contamination issues once the industry has ceased. In the city of Lake Macquarie in Australia, the local community has been left with lead contamination issues due to aerial deposition of lead oxide and use of lead-impacted black slag from the former Pasminco Cockle Creek Smelter (PCCS), which operated between 1897 and 2003. Upon closure, PCCS went into receivership and an administrator was appointed to manage the site, including remediation of both on-site and off-site impacts.

Development of a Standard RAP was recommended by the New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Lead Expert Working Group, which prepared the 2016 Lead Expert Working Group Report on Managing Residual Lead Contamination in North Lake Macquarie, following two years of community consultation in relation to lead issues associated with PCCS.

Ramboll supported LMCC to develop the Standard RAP to the satisfaction of the EPA. It has proven to be a sustainable option for impacted residents, who are able to more easily navigate a contamination issue for which they are not responsible.

Residents would not be expected to be aware of contaminated land issues or the requirements of EPA guidelines and therefore the Standard RAP needed to be easy to use.

The objective was clearly stated as “to remove or manage human health risk from lead contamination such that the site is suitable for residential land use and to ensure that development work does not result in an unacceptable exposure to lead”.

The Standard RAP therefore describes the nature and extent of contamination, including general assumptions made in the assessment of contamination associated with PCCS. It also includes easy to understand pictorial conceptual site models helping to clarify when the site assessment process should be followed.

Three remediation options were provided, including:

1. excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil
2. capping of contaminated soil and implementation of a Long-Term Environmental Management Plan, and
3. a combination of off-site disposal and on-site management.

A flow chart was developed to communicate to residents each option and its outcome. A template Long-Term Environmental Management Plan was also provided as an Appendix.

A remedial action work plan was included, which outlined the remedial methodology for each option, a work health and safety plan, a construction environmental management plan, a contingency plan and an emergency response plan.

To assist residents in understanding how to implement the Standard RAP, a glossary of terms was included along with sections on defining the site, regulatory approvals and licensing, and remediation roles and responsibilities.

Since its completion in early 2020 and review in 2023, the Standard RAP has been used by 62 residents in the LMCC area to remediate their residential properties. The Standard RAP has reduced the cost of reporting for residents, expedited the development application process and gives residents confidence in managing contamination issues on their properties. Residents have benefited from the options provided in the Standard RAP, which allows them to tailor the remediation works to their individual circumstances.

The Standard RAP has been successful in lessening the burden of legacy lead contamination from PCCS on the local community and has allowed Council to have a consistent approach to the issue.

The development of a Standard RAP to address legacy industrial contamination is a sustainable approach for local communities in Australia where contamination issues are well understood.