The successful remediation of past domestic, commercial and industrial waste at the Sydney Olympic Park site, including contaminated soil, was the largest project of its kind in Australia and represents a significant environmental achievement and legacy for the people of NSW.
Remediated sites at Sydney Olympic Park continue to be maintained, monitored and managed so as to protect human health and the surrounding environment.
The Sustainability Policy and Sustainability Strategy provide more detail on the Authority's approach to best practice sustainability.
Approximately 160-hectares of the site was deemed to be contaminated, including approximately 90-hectares or approximately 19% of the parklands.
Landfill included:
In addition, several areas of the parklands were found to contain naturally formed acid sulphate soils (mainly located in or adjacent to estuarine areas such as the Parramatta River and Haslams Creek). When naturally occurring sulphides (from acid sulphate soils) are disturbed and exposed to air, oxidation occurs and sulphuric acid is ultimately produced. This sulphuric acid can drain into waterways and have severe detrimental environmental effects.
Site-specific remedial action plans were developed following extensive field investigations and preparation of soil and groundwater profiles. Generally, remedial actions included the removal, consolidation and containment of approximately nine million cubic metres of waste. Where acid sulphate soils were excavated, these soils were transported, consolidated in deep pits or used as landfill mounds and covered in a manner that will not result in acids leaching into local waterways and polluting the environment.
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