Uncertainty remains over contamination testing at Sydney’s Moore Park Golf Course, with the NSW Government yet to release results from soil investigations conducted at the site earlier this year.
According to a report in the The Daily Telegraph, testing was carried out roughly two months ago at the course, which historically housed a rubbish tip and an incinerator. The site is also believed to have been used for the disposal of infected materials during the era of the bubonic plague.
NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully confirmed the government has not yet received the findings.
“We’re yet to receive the results of the testing,” Scully told The Saturday Telegraph, as reported by The Daily Telegraph.
The delay comes amid ongoing debate over the future of the 18-hole Moore Park layout. The NSW Government has proposed transforming a significant portion of the course into a new 20-hectare public park.
Speculation has also emerged when the course could be reduced to nine holes with some speculating that it could be as close as this July.
The soil testing results have not been released publicly, nor has the government published feedback from community consultation on the proposal. The plans were placed on public exhibition between October 28 and November 24 last year.
Scully said the final design of the proposed Moore Park South parkland would take into account both the soil testing and community responses.
“Site testing and feedback from the community will help to inform the final plan for the new park in Moore Park South,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“Our plans and designs for the park have already considered potential land contamination.”
However, some local residents remain concerned.
The Raleigh Park Community Association, representing more than 1,000 residents whose apartments overlook the southern end of the course, has written to the NSW Government and Greater Sydney Parklands, which manages the site, seeking greater transparency.
In correspondence cited by The Daily Telegraph, the association warned the site’s history as a former landfill could significantly increase remediation costs.
“The site’s history as a former dump including asbestos and other hazardous materials means remediation costs are likely to be far higher than currently estimated,” the letter states.
The group also raised the possibility that Aboriginal artefacts could be uncovered during works, potentially adding further cost and complexity.
“We are requesting that the government and Greater Sydney Parklands release all relevant reports and commit to full transparency with the public,” the association wrote.
A business case for the Moore Park redevelopment, prepared by independent consultants in February last year, estimated the project could cost about $245 million. The NSW Government has indicated it expects the park project to cost approximately $50 million.
Another stakeholder, speaking anonymously to The Daily Telegraph, questioned why the project appeared to be moving forward before the contamination results were known.
“When they first flagged cutting up the golf course the feedback was incredibly negative… from local MPs to councils, residents and golfers,” the source said.
“Now, without even knowing what the contamination testing will show, they are just proceeding. They don’t even know what this will cost because they don’t have the testing results.”
Scully defended the broader proposal, saying the project is designed to deliver additional public green space in a rapidly growing part of Sydney.
“With the population within five kilometres of the new parkland projected to rise to almost 790,000 by 2041, it will make it one of the most densely populated parts of Australia,” he said.
“Delivering Moore Park South ensures that increased density is matched with more public open space.”
FULL CATALOGUE OF AUSTRALIAN GOLF DIGEST‘S COVERAGE OF MOORE PARK HERE
