Gasworks Rehabilitation
Former Bathurst Gasworks Site
The former Bathurst Gasworks site, on Russell Street, was operated from 1888 until 1979 in conjunction with Orange City and Lithgow Councils. The site activities changed from gas manufacture to LPG reforming in 1979. The site was leased to AGL in 1986, who continued to produce gas at the site until 1987. Since that time, the site has remained relatively unused, however is subject to a special lease with Jemena.
The operational elements of the gasworks site remain relatively intact, with structures including the retort houses, gasholders, boiler, tar wells and tar tank.
Remediation works
To date, a two-stage process has occurred after the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) identified the site as a significant risk of harm to human health and environment and a high priority for remediation in 2004.
Stage 1 resulted in Council removing the significant risk of harm by removing and treating tarry wastes from the site, including the tar well, ammonia well, purifier shed and storage tanks. Stage 1 was completed in March 2009 with a $500, 000 grant from the NSW Environmental Trust.
In Stage 2 Council assessed the two gasometers (gas holders) for impact on the soil and groundwater. Council installed ten new groundwater monitoring wells on the site to allow for easy sample collection for future monitoring.
Stage 2 was completed in December 2009 with a second grant from the NSW Environment Trust.
In June 2015 Council received a Notice of Completion of Approved Voluntary Management Proposal from the EPA. This notice approves all remediation actions taken by Council.
The land is no longer considered “significantly contaminated land” under the Contaminated land Management Act 1997 and is no longer subject to EPA regulation.
No further remediation works are required to be completed by Bathurst Regional Council at the site.
Current status
The NSW Government is now investigating the state of the gasworks site to assess whether if contamination that needs cleaning up on site, or any structural repairs that are needed.
Crown Lands, the owner of the site has engaged WSP Australia to undertake these works.
More information on these works can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions document.(PDF, 223KB)
Please note that Council cannot grant access to the Gasworks site, as it is neither the owner nor the lessee of the site.
Further information on contaminated sites
Information on relating to all current and former notices for all sites in NSW can be access through the NSW EPA website at http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/prclmapp/searchregister.aspx
A search by suburb, date, notice type or local government area can be made.