West End Riverside Drive land remediation project
Brisbane City Council is planning for contaminated land remediation at Riverside Drive, West End, as part of the Restoration for Recreation program.
Project summary
| Address | South Brisbane Riverside Lands Park (Peace Mile), 151A Jane Street, West End |
|---|---|
| Ward | The Gabba |
| Project outcomes | Remediate contaminated land to reduce the impact on the environmental and recreational values of the Brisbane River and ensure the Council parkland is suitable for its current use. |
About the project
Council is currently in the planning phase for future remediation works in an area of South Brisbane Riverside Lands Park on Riverside Drive, West End.
This section of Riverside Drive was historically use as a coal tar processing plant up until 1984, which resulted in soil and groundwater contamination.
Council completed remediation trials and investigations along Riverside Drive in August 2017 with the intention to remediate the site in the future as part of the Restoration for Recreation program.
These trials tested different remediation techniques to determine which would be the most successful for the future stage of works, as well as investigating the extent of sediment contamination on Council land, as well as into the Brisbane River.
Contamination investigations
Due to historical industrial activity on the site, contamination is present across the adjacent private property, Council-owned parkland, Unallocated State Land adjacent to the riverbank and the Brisbane River.
Council has installed precautionary signage near the contaminated waterway to advise the community of the potential impacts associated with direct contact with the water and sediments in the waterway, particularly at low tide.
Council is committed to protecting the health of the community and would like to advise that direct contact with the contaminated water and sediments may cause skin irritation, including rashes and itching. Direct contact is unlikely to present long-term health risk, however every person's situation is different, depending on their personal history and the frequency and type of exposure.
Council has completed a human health risk assessment of the Council parkland. This assessment concluded that there is at least 0.5-2 metres of ground cover over the contamination within the soils in Council's parkland, reducing the likelihood of exposure to the contaminants for park users.
For more information about potential health impacts, phone Queensland Health on 13QGOV (13 74 68).
Project update
Development of the proposed remediation program for the affected Council-owned parkland is currently on hold, pending the completion of the upcoming investigation and risk assessment works on the adjacent unallocated State land, to be conducted by the Queensland Government, Department of Resources. At the completion of these works, Council will aim to develop the remediation program, in conjunction with the Queensland Government and private adjacent landowner on Buchanan Street,West End.
For more information about the remediation of the Unallocated State Land, including the riverbank and land between the roadway and the Brisbane River, phone Queensland Government, Department of Resources on 13QGOV (13 74 68).
More information
If you would like to find out more about the West End Riverside Drive land remediation works project, you can:
- phone Council on 07 3403 8888
- write to:
West End Riverside Drive land remediation project
c/- Manager, Natural Environment and Sustainability
City Planning and Sustainability
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1434
Brisbane Qld 4001