Residents want answers on ‘contaminated’ Powerhouse dog park

Neighbours near one of Brisbane’s most popular dog parks say they want it closed while soil testing and health impacts of the “contaminated” site are investigated, amid fears over what visitors, their dogs and residents are being exposed to.

RESIDENTS living near one of Brisbane’s most popular dog off leash parks are calling for the immediate closure of the park while soil testing and health impacts of the “contaminated” site are investigated fully and the results made public.

Residents near the Powerhouse Park dog off leash area, which underwent a major upgrade in October-November 2019, say they only discovered in September 2019 the site contained “contaminated soil” and now hold grave concerns about the impacts of the dust they have been exposed to from the park for many years due to what they allege was “poor maintenance practices”.

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But Council rejected the claims saying surface soil testing before the recent works came back clear and the park “was safer than ever before”.

Powerhouse dog park in January 2020, after reopening in December 2019 following major works. Photo Andrea Macleod.

A spokesman for the residents, who did not wish to be named, said community had written to Brisbane City Council to ask for health assessments and soil tests to be done over the past five years but Council had refused their requests.

The spokesperson said they were shocked last year to discover the site contained contaminated soil.

They say recent works raised further serious concerns about the safety of the site which had been regularly reduced to a “dust-bowl” due to overuse and drought conditions.

The spokesperson said residents were not satisfied that any recent soil tests that may have been carried out by Council on the site would have “been adequate given the timeline of the works”.

The spokesperson said they were now aware Council minutes (March 2019) showed Council had been unable to do extensive repairs on the site because of the contaminated land which restricted digging below 100mm.

The spokesperson said it would not take a dog long to dig below 100mm and called on Council to release to the public the nature of the contaminated soil that residents, and in particular dog park users, had been exposed to and the results of any testing of the site over the years.

“We believe that dog owners and park users will be totally unaware of the contaminated soil in the park,” the spokesperson said.

“At no stage have Council made people aware of the problem. It is not known if the cap has been breached at some earlier stage due to wear and tear or dogs digging.”

“I am sure people would be upset not knowing about the contamination.”

The spokesperson said due to the “important public health implications of the situation the park needs to be immediately closed and the contaminated soil removed”.

“The Powerhouse Park needs to be fully assessed and remediated to a “clean safe” state as quickly as possible to ensure community safety,” the spokesperson said.

The Powerhouse dog park in August 2019. AAP Image/Richard Gosling

The dog park was closed in September/October 2019 and reopened on December 14, 2019 after undergoing upgrade works following concerns about the condition of the park from high use.

A Council spokesman said Council completed surface soil tests before the works started, which came back clear.

“As part of the upgrades some soil was removed by council officers or contractors wearing PPE and transferred to suitable land fill,” he said.

“Any disturbed land was capped, filled and then had new turf laid, making the park safer than ever before.”

He said the area had undergone the “upgrade to ensure it caters to the needs of residents and their furry friends now and into the future”.

Powerhouse dog park following the 2019 upgrade. Photo. Andrea Macleod.

The spokesman said the area was “one of Brisbane’s most popular dog parks, with the off-leash area being built and in use before residential complexes were built nearby”.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment and Science confirmed the Powerhouse dog park was listed on the Environmental Management Register (EMR).

But residents say they are disappointed and angry Council did not tell them about the site’s contaminated status years ago.

“Residents in New Farm have long been very concerned about the Powerhouse dog park. Not only its condition and upkeep, but also excessive noise and dust impacts on people’s health and wellbeing,” the spokeperson said.

“If it is happening here it must be happening across Brisbane.”

“Residents in New Farm have written and emailed Council, our local Councillor and Council executive consistently since about 2015 about these including to the Department of Health in November 2014 requesting soil testing to ensure that the residents were not being exposed to any unnecessary health risks. To date we have received no response.”

The spokesperson said residents now believe Council employees “must have been aware for some time that the dog park sits on contaminated soil”.

“We need to know why the Council CEO in February 2017 refused to undertake any public health investigation when he stated, ‘At this stage Council would not be undertaking any public health investigations and will manage the dog park with a balance of returfing, watering and new mulch to reduce dust,” the spokesperson said.

Josef Senisin and Maz Smaily supported a petition in 2018 for Council to look into the condition of the Powerhouse Dog Park. Photo. Andrea Macleod .

Two petitions have called for an assessment of the Powerhouse Park including one with more than 400 signatures asking for Council to move the park to another location.

Labor candidate for Central Ward Judi Jabour and Labor candidate for Lord Mayor Pat Condren both called on the LNP Council to release details of the reports to residents.

Mr Condren said “why the secrecy?”

“It’s time for this LNP Council to be open and accountable to local residents who deserve answers,” Mr Condren said.

“This LNP administration has become so out of touch they have forgotten they are there to serve the people of Brisbane.”

Councillor Howard did not respond to questions from the News.

Council did not respond to numerous questions from the News. They are listed below.

Powerhouse dog park in 2018. Photo. Andrea Macleod.

QUESTIONS TO COUNCIL FROM THE NEWS

1.During the refurbishment of the New Farm Dog Park did Council remove contaminated soils from the dog park when it dug the trenches and associated holes in the site (ANSWERED)

2.Did Council disturb contaminated soil in the dog park during the installation of irrigation systems including trenches for the pipes (ANSWERED)

3.Has Council carried out a health audit/assessment of the environmental concerns relating to the New Farm dog park in the last five years? And can you provide a copy of this report. (NOT ANSWERED)

4.In 2017 Council advised dog park neighbours and Queensland Health it would not carry out any health investigations relating to noise, dust and odour yet in 2019 it told residents that their concerns about noise, dust and odour did not meet the definition of environmental nuisance. How did Council determine the concerns did not meet the definition? Is there a report regarding this and what scientific measures were used to determine the noise, dust and odour impacts on residents. (NOT ANSWERED)

5.Is the park safe and how has council determined the safety of the site and that no contaminated soil has been released or dispersed into the top soil during excavation works. (ANSWERED)

6.The (Council) minutes also state the area turns “muddy because of the inability to drain excess water due to the capping applied as part of the site remediation”. Council has continued to irrigate the site and installed an irrigation system, will the excess water drain into the river and can Council confirm the contaminated soil is contained and will not impact the river through run-off from the dog site. (NOT ANSWERED)

7.Given the nature of the complexities associated with drainage and contaminated soil constraints and the ongoing concerns from neighbouring residents, why did Council not move the off leash park to a different site. (NOT ANSWERED)

8.Cr Steve Griffiths .... cites the relative small size and/or closeness to neighbours as reasons Moorooka residents do not have an off leash dog park. The document states Dog parks generate a lot of use, noise and amenity issues. Why has Council determined these constraints do not apply to the New Farm Dog Park when size/use/noise and amenity issues have been raised with Council for at least the past five years. (NOT ANSWERED)

COMMUNITY TIMELINE OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE DOG PARK

• November 2014 community raises concerns with Department of Health about the excessive dust and health impacts and asks for the soil to be tested to make sure residents “are not exposed to any unnecessary health risks”
• December 2014 – February 2015 Council “rangers undertook investigation of the park” and community asked for a copy of the report from those investigations. Community says no report was provided.
• March 2015 community wrote to Council again with concerns about pollution “which emanates from the park”.
• April 2017 Council CEO wrote to community to say “At this stage Council would not be undertaking any public health investigations and will manage the dog park with a balance of returfing, watering and new mulch to reduce dust.”
• March 12, 2019 Council Minutes state the site is constrained due to “the condition of the land restricting the ability to dig further than 100mm …. Turf has been replaced previously but the additional watering required turns the area muddy because of the inability to drain excess water due to the capping applied as part of the site remediation.
• March 2019 Councillor Howard states that “some residents want it (the dog park) closed forever, others want it relocated closer to other homes, some even want it on the concrete footages of the Powerhouse itself, but I am pleased to let the Chamber know that none of these options are being considered by Council, not now, not ever.”
• May 2019 Council CEO wrote to community to advise Council had investigated options and in a letter said to residents said “they have identified the following constraints (at the Powerhouse dog park) which limit short and long-term options to improve the site for park users and nearby residents. Alternative surfaces such as sandpits and mulch are not suitable due to the condition of the land, restricting the ability to dig further than 100 millimetres.There have been previous user complaints about dogs eating mulch. Replacement of the turf would require closure of the area for six to eight weeks, which is generally not received well by users of the space. Some form of surface treatment is required to reduce dust and provide a safe environment for animals. Turf has been replaced previously but the additional watering required makes the area muddy because of the inability to drain excess water due to the capping applied as part of the site remediation.”
• June 2019 community receives correspondence from Queensland Health saying the “BCC environmental health team have advised us that the concerns raised about the dog park do not meet the definition of an environmental nuisance. Queensland Health does not have the authority to investigate the BCC with regard to its handling of complaints about the park.”
• July 2019 Council released draft plan for works at the Powerhouse Park.
• September-November 2019 major works undertaken at the Powerhouse Park.