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The Border Watch : October 30th 2013
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NEWS TIPS newsroom@tbw.com.au NEWS 3 SALVAGED MATERIAL: Iron track has been ripped up by contractor Heenan Earthmoving at the site. PILED HIGH: Hundreds of rail sleepers have been ripped up along the rail corridor. MOUNDS OF DIRT: Remediation works bury and conceal all contaminated material on the rail land site. Earthmovers step up rail land work Disused tracks cleared as fi rst stage of $8m development takes shape MORELLO M S sa SANDRA sandra@tbw.com.au THE vacant rail corridor that cuts through the heart of Mount Gambier has been a hive of activity as remediation and demolition works move into full swing. While demolition of the rail tracks and sleepers has been underway for two weeks, remediation contractor Gambier Earth Movers has now moved on to the expansive site. The earthmoving company has begun to dig up contaminated soil, which will be buried and sealed along the corridor. Mounds of soil and broken rail sleepers can now be seen piled high across the site, along with ripped up iron tracks. Around seven kilometres of rail track will be eventually ripped up and salvaged from the project. Closed to commercial trains for more than 20 years, the dilapidated corridor - which was once a bustling commercial rail hub - is poised to be landscaped into an inner-city green belt with a public safety or the groundwater resource. “It would be diffi cult to take the contaminated material off the site,” the council veteran said, explaining the problem soil appeared to be only half a metre deep and had not leaked into the groundwater. MAJOR PROJECT: Gambier Earth Movers engineering manager Adam Maywald says thousands of cubic metres of soil have been dug up along the rail corridor. Picture: SANDRA MORELLO boulevard of trees, a fl owing bike lane and an artifi cial lake. Stage one of the long-awaited project will see around $2.3m poured into the site. Timelines for future stages of the $8m ambitious blueprint have yet to be announced by Mount Gambier City Council. Council operational services director Daryl Sexton said works were well underway. “It is certainly a hive of activity - it is all go,” Mr Sexton said yesterday. He said the remediation works were a signifi cant task given all the contaminated material would be dug up and later concealed on the site. Mr Sexton said the contaminated material, which would be sealed under the proposed bike path, posed no threat to He said the main contaminates at the site included hydrocarbon, caused by fuel spillage, and arsenic from years of weed control. “They are the main things we are chasing,” Mr Sexton said. Despite the windy conditions in the city, he said there had been no major dust problems at the site because of wet weather. But he warned if the area started to dry out, dust could become an issue. However, Mr Sexton said the dust levels were being monitored at the site. He also dismissed concerns about contaminants from the soil spreading by air. “Those things in the soil don’t get airborne,” Mr Sexton said. Meanwhile, he said the site was now restricted as heavy machinery continued to work on the development. “We don’t want people in there,” Mr Sexton said. Hurry in and see why the i30 Active is one of Australia’s Best Small Cars! • Alloys • Reverse Sensors • Cruise Control • Fog Lamps • Bluetooth • 5 Star Safety Rating • 5 Year Unlimited Kilometre Warranty • 7 Years Roadside Assist Ends October 31st * picture for illustrative purposes only SCAN OUR QR CODE USING YOUR SMART PHONE OR TABLET FOR MORE INFORMATION! Corner Percy & Crouch Street, Mount Gambier – Sales Hotline (08) 8721 3400, Paul Clark 0407 972 194, Jamie Spadotto 0405 976 546 LVD 2545 The Border Watch, Wednesday, October 30, 2013 - 3 Drive your way 624952
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