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Environmental audit of land being redeveloped as an affordable housing project

Environmental audit of land being redeveloped as an affordable housing project

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CLIENT

Development Victoria

SECTOR

Land Development

SOLUTIONS

Contaminated land, remediation and auditing

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Melissa Porter

Senior Principal

Overview

One of Senversa's auditors, Tony Hill, completed an environmental audit for 539–543 Sydney Road and 14A Ross Street, Coburg, to assess contamination risks associated with the site's historical industrial use and support its redevelopment as a mixed-use affordable housing project.

Investigations examined soil, groundwater, and soil vapour conditions, focusing on contamination linked to former Commonwealth Dye Association operations and associated infrastructure.

Challenge

The primary environmental challenge was the presence of chlorinated hydrocarbons, particularly trichloroethene (TCE), in soil, rock and groundwater. Contamination had migrated into groundwater and extended slightly beyond the site boundary. Additional concerns included isolated soil contamination, nitrate impacts, potential vapour intrusion risks, and the need to assess whether further groundwater remediation was practical and effective.

Outcome

Targeted remediation was undertaken, including removal of contaminated soils, former chemical storage areas, and associated infrastructure. Validation testing confirmed that residual soils are suitable for the proposed residential development. While some groundwater contamination remains, Tony determined that clean-up had been achieved to the extent practicable (CUTEP) and issued a Statement of Environmental Audit with conditions governing future site use and groundwater management.

The audit concluded that the site can be safely redeveloped for its intended high-density residential use, provided specified conditions were followed. Residual groundwater contamination poses low risk to current and proposed land uses, and unacceptable vapour intrusion risks were not expected for the approved development design. Long-term management measures, including restrictions on groundwater use and recommendation of a Groundwater Quality Restricted Use Zone (GQRUZ), were established to protect future users and surrounding properties.