Contaminated West Gate Tunnel soil could be dumped in western suburbs
Contaminated soil that halted works on the West Gate Tunnel could be dumped in Melbourne’s western suburbs, as the government scrambles to lock in an appropriate landfill site. This is where.
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Two suburbs in Melbourne’s west have been identified as potential options to take contaminated soil that is holding up work on the West Gate Tunnel project.
The soil, containing industrial chemical PFAS, has prevented tunnelling from starting on the project for six months and this week prompted the construction companies involved to try and rip up their contract.
Premier Daniel Andrews said on Thursday that the government had made “significant progress” to try and find a landfill site where the soil could be dumped.
The Herald Sun understands two of those options are in Ravenhall and Maddingley, near Bacchus Marsh.
“We have a number of possible sites. There has been a lot of work done to have these potentially ready,” Mr Andrews said.
“The advice provided to me is we are not that far away from being able to deal with these soil issues.”
It is understood planning approvals for the chosen landfill site could be fast-tracked because the project is of state significance.
A government spokeswoman said on Friday that they had been working “in good faith” with toll road giant Transurban — which is responsible for the $6.7 billion project — for months to resolve the PFAS issue “even though it’s their responsibility under the contract”.
“Work to secure a long-term site, that meets all requirements, is well progressed,” the spokeswoman said.
Commercial negotiations are believed to be underway with potential landfill sites.
It is understood there is also more work to do on a management strategy for the removal and transportation of the affected soil.
An existing landfill site in Ravenhall, which has been the subject of hundreds of odour pollution complaints from nearby residents, was approved for expansion last year.
It is unclear if that is the same site being considered for spoil from the tunnelling works.
The project was thrown into chaos this week when the government was blindsided by construction giants John Holland and CPB Contractors trying to walk away from building the second western river crossing.
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While work on parts of the project is continuing, the legal move — amid a bitter dispute over who should pay for cost overruns linked to the contaminated soil — has put the 2022 construction deadline in doubt.
Mr Andrews responded to the “tactics” by threatening to revisit the generous toll revenue deal handed to Transurban in exchange for the company funding $4 billion of the project’s costs.