Beaches Link contamination dump site in limbo

Uncertainty continues to linger over the Beaches Link project as transport officials look to find a new site to dump thousands of cubic metres of contaminated waste from major tunnelling works.

Question marks remain over where contaminated sludge dredged from construction works on the Beaches Link Tunnel will be dumped after the state government backflipped on plans to ship the waste to Newcastle.

Transport Minister David Elliott has confirmed the Port of Newcastle will no longer take the 12,000 cubic metres of material which is set to be excavated from Middle Harbour during tunnelling works on the proposed motorway linking the north shore and northern beaches.

Planning documents released in 2020 show the material was due to be barged from Middle Harbour to a temporary construction site at Newcastle, where it was to be loaded on to trucks before being transferred to a suitable landfill facility.

An overview showing where the tunnel will cross at Middle Harbour.

The 12,000 cubic metres of material is currently sitting dormant within the top layers of the seabed and contains contamination including copper, lead, mercury, silver, zinc and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances.

Most of the toxins stem from historical activity on the harbour, as well as more recent sources such as stormwater inflows.

The revelation the material was to be transported by barge to Newcastle had sparked fierce opposition with 14,906 people signing a petition against the move and a vow from Newcastle state MP Tim Crakanthorp that “Newcastle was not Sydney’s dumping ground”.

An artist impression of the entry and exit points of the Beaches Link Tunnel at Artarmon.

In response to the petition, Mr Elliott on Friday confirmed that “after further review and analysis in consideration of feedback received, Transport for NSW would not be progressing with the plans to transport any materials” to the Port of Newcastle.

The confirmation followed a budget estimates hearing in March, where Transport for NSW officials said the alternative to barging waste to Newcastle would involve transferring the materials to a staging area just west of the Spit Bridge in Mosman.

The officials said there were “a number of accredited sites across Sydney” the waste could then be taken and that the decision would be a matter for the contractor after the Beaches Link project is approved.

A Transport for NSW spokesman said “there would be no changes to any temporary construction support sites or truck routes previously presented in the Environmental Impact Statement as a result of this change.”

“Transport will continue to work with the Department of Planning and the NSW Environment Protection Authority to achieve the best possible outcomes for the environment and community,” he said.

Willoughby Environmental Protection Association president John Moratelli said the details of where the waste will be dumped should be made public before the project is approved.

An overview of the Beaches Link project (shown in orange) and the connection to the Western Harbour Tunnel (shown in blue).

The material was due to be taken to the Port of Newcastle.

“People can’t make meaningful comments on contamination management measures when they have not provided adequate details on what the contamination is, where it’s going and how it’s going to get there,” he said.

“The whole management of contamination is unsatisfactory, all that is done before the project is approved is to identify potential contaminants.

“The one thing we know is that the (12,000 cubic metres of waste) can’t be dumped at sea because it’s too toxic.”

Plans for the project show about 163,000 cubic metres of material would need to be dredged from Middle Harbour as part of Beaches Link tunnelling works.

A photo of tunnelling on WestConnex, which the Beaches Link would connect to via the Western Harbour Tunnel.

The majority has been deemed suitable for offshore sea disposal, except for 12,000 cubic metres which will be classified as general solid waste and taken to landfill.

Planning documents stated potential impacts of transferring the waste to Newcastle had included the potential “for leaks and spills of hydrocarbons” into the Hunter River which could potentially impact water quality – something Transport for NSW said would be mitigated by spill containment kits.

Plans for the Beaches Link tunnel were released in December 2020 and have yet to be determined.

The government has committed to ongoing planning for the project despite speculation it could be axed partly due to the estimated $14 billion construction bill.