Goat Island (Me-Mel), located in Port Jackson, is part of the Sydney Harbour National Park and managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

As part of the restoration of the historic Water Police Precinct, HBS Group, a specialist in heritage building restoration was engaged to refurbish three key structures within the precinct. A major component of this work involved the safe removal of lead-based paint from internal and external surfaces.

RARE Environmental, a specialist hazardous materials remediation contractor, was engaged to undertake the lead paint removal using the heritage-sensitive Peel Away system. This method was selected to effectively eliminate the lead hazard while preserving the original building fabric in line with heritage conservation requirements.

• Prepared and submitted all project documentation, including regulatory notifications.
• Procured all required Peel Away product and neutralisation agents in advance, eliminating supply delays.
• Established exclusion zones and implemented strict hazardous material controls, including lead-specific work areas and personnel decontamination stations.
• Applied Peel Away product to all designated areas in accordance with manufacturer specifications and site-specific heritage guidelines.
• Staged works using dual crews to maintain momentum during Peel Away dwell times, ensuring efficient project delivery.
• Safely removed the Peel Away product and neutralised all treated surfaces, making them ready for follow-on painting works.
• Strictly managed the completion of lead works to each building through the implementation of individual Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs).
• Contained all lead-contaminated waste within Hazibags and managed waste in accordance with EPA requirements.
• Transported and disposed of all waste under EPA waste tracking protocols to an appropriately licensed waste facility.