Janet Dore General Manager
Newcastle City Council
PO Box 489
NEWCASTLE 2300

Dear Janet,

Attention Rachael Hazzard

Proposal BHP Steelworks Demolition Gas Holders DA 00/2310

Parks and Playgrounds Movement has resolved to lodge an objection to the proposal to demolish the two Gas Holders within the BHP closure area.

The proposal is designated development and requires an Environmental Impact Statement.

Demolition already approved by Council should have been the subject of an EIS. This can now be best done by a supplementary EIS to the Remediation and MPT EIS determined by the Minister.

The two gas holders are the largest landmark structures on the site and are identifiable from a wide area within the city from the west of Hexham Wetlands to the Charlestown hill and they constitute an important city land mark. The structures are of a strong geometric form and eminently suitable for cleaning and reuse as a building envelope.

They are essentially large cylinder like containers fitted with a moving platform that gave pressure to the coal gas (smaller holder) and to the Blast Furnace Gas (larger holder) when they were in use.

The reuse of the gas holders is a crucial element in the proposed BHP Theme Park (copy enclosed). The proposal is being investigated concurrently with the remediation proposal for the BHP closure area and the development of the Multi Purpose Terminal EIS.

It is not proposed that they be used as gas holders in the future but left empty until reused..

It would be remiss of Council to approve demolition of the two gas holders until a heritage impact statement has been prepared or their possible reused fully considered within a future development.

The Steelworks is listed as a heritage item within the Regional Environment Plan which includes the Gas Holders.

If the structures are contaminated then the demolition must be deemed Designated Development and Council be obliged to require the proponent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in support of the Development Application.

My recent presentation to Council regarding a previous DA was that the demolition of the steelworks was a large scale activity and that the impact of contaminants that will be mobilised by the demolition must be properly assessed and dealt with by an EIS. The EIS should document the location of hazardous materials that may be mobilised and make a statement of the measures required and methods to be used in disposing of the contaminated material.

The Movement is prepared to mediate with the BHP.