The Empire Bay Marina is located on a Crown reserve, and Crown waterway (Brisbane Water), at 16B Sorrento Road, Empire Bay NSW. Historically it operated as a commercial marina from 1949 to 2020. In late 2020, Crown Lands revoked the Empire Bay Marina operator’s licence due to significant and ongoing breaches of the licence conditions, resulting in the need to rehabilitate and remediate the site, suitable for it’s future use.

Structural and building condition assessments identified major structural defects, deeming the boatshed structurally unsound and unsafe.

A Detailed Site Investigation identified contamination issues from sources such as fuels, oils, asbestos, lead based paint and antifouling agents. The underground fuel tanks had not been decommissioned appropriately and as a result NSW EPA declared the site significantly contaminated.

Catalyst was engaged to manage the Development Application seeking consent to demolish the boatshed to eliminate safety risk and facilitate the decommissioning and removal of the underground storage tanks in accordance with the SafeWork Improvement Notice.

During the DA preparation, Central Coast Council issued a Demolition Order, requiring Crown Lands to demolish the shed and jetties, above the high mean water mark, within 60 days.

Catalyst had to react to engage a suitably qualified heritage consultant to procure a Statement of Heritage Impact, a Heritage Archival Record, a Heritage Interpretation Plan, and record of Oral History. Simultaneously, Catalyst was tasked with procuring a Hazardous Substances Management Plan, a Demolition Contractor together with preparing documentation such a Demolition Report, Demolition Plans and Access and Egress Plans.

During the Demolition Works, Catalyst acted as the Superintendent for Crown Lands. Demolition was completed in October 2023.

Following Demolition, Catalyst worked with Crown Lands to procure a suitably qualified Environmental Consultant to complete a Supplementary Contamination Investigation, which required two rounds of sediment assessments for delineation purposes. Concurrently, Catalyst managed the preparation of a separate DA for the removal of the underground fuel tanks and associated infrastructure. A remediation contractor was procured and upon receipt of the DA, the tanks were removed (April – May 2024).

To inform the requirements to remediate and rehabilitate, the next steps entail the procurement of a Human Health and Ecology Risk Assessment, Remediation Options Analysis, Remediation Action Plan, Development Approval, Remediation Contractor Tender, Remediation and Validation.

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