RARE Environmental Pty Ltd was engaged by NSW Government to remediate the vacant site at 14-18 Unwin Street, Earlwood.

The site was impacted by historic illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste, including bonded and friable asbestos-containing materials, across steep ground above Wolli Creek. Adjoining residences and the creek required strict asbestos and environmental and engineering controls to ensure encapsulation and protection.

RARE contained the contaminated material beneath an engineered capping system, stabilised the landform and prepared the site for transfer to National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and future use as open space. The works were completed in accordance with the Remediation Action Plan (RAP) and under the oversight of the environmental consultant and NSW EPA-accredited Site Auditor.

The project demonstrates RARE’s ability to deliver Class A asbestos remediation and complex civil works on a constrained, steep site involving multiple State agencies.

• Established the site compound, asbestos controls, decontamination facilities and environmental controls
• Cleared vegetation and established staged working platforms under Class A asbestos conditions
• Removed oversized demolition waste and disposed of asbestos-contaminated material at licensed facilities
• Produced a detailed design model for the client, incorporating Geotechnical and Environmental advice to satisfy conditions of RAP and undefined design areas
• Regraded contaminated material to a stable 1:3 batter under friable asbestos controls
• Installed and surveyed the geotextile marker layer
• Imported and placed a 600mm VENM cap, 450mm revegetation layer and 100mm planting layer
• Installed rock armouring, drainage infrastructure, jute mesh and coconut fibre erosion controls
• Completed material tracking, geotechnical testing, as-built survey and close-out for Site Auditor sign-off