MELBOURNE DOCKLANDS PRECINCT DEVELOPMENT & THE FORMER WEST MELBOURNE GASWORKS REMEDIATION PROJECT
Andrew Labbett – Associate Remediation Engineer
Presentation Outline
• Melbourne Docklands - proximity/size• History of the Melbourne Docklands Area• The Docklands Authority• The Former West Melbourne Gasworks Remediation Project
– What it was– What we found– What we did
• The visions being realised…
West Melbourne Gasworks – 1937
Contaminant Sources
• Wharf/ Coal Loading Area• Coal Stores• Retorts• Purifiers• Sulphate & Ammonia Plant• Gasholders• Tar Pits & Tanks• Plant Upgrades
Dereliction of The Wharfs, Railyards & Gasworks
• Ship freight became more containerised – hence bigger, open yards and deeper docks required (Appleton, Webb and Swanston Docks).
• Charles Grimes Bridge pushed larger ship docking sites westwards.• Modern day transport methods (air & truck) made large shunting
yards redundant.• Discovery & use of natural gas from Bass Strait saw gasworks
closed in 1970.• Derelict waterfront area now ripe for “reconnection” with the city.
Remediation Project Statistics
• 7.6 hectare site• 273,000 m3 material excavated (1.0 – 8.3 m below original grade) • 4100 Wooden Piles & 460 Steel Encased Concrete Piles• 1700 stockpiles• 50,000 truck movements• 35% of excavated material recycled• 69,000 m3 of intra-precinct material imported and used as fill• Over 300,000 tonnes of ‘Contaminated Soil’ to landfill• 40,000,000 litres water treated and disposed (some for dust)• 500 site inductees• $45 M plus for level site.
Summary of Whole-Precinct Development Benefits
• Ability to optimise best sites for purpose (i.e. ensure correct mix of open space, residential, commercial) based on levels of contamination.
• “Over-kill” remediation – i.e. sustainability considerations can be made.
• Odours, dust & other construction emissions have less impact. • Materials and treatment-space sharing (when appropriate).• Services sharing/ staged development.