Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has commissioned the second part of a groundwater study of Fishermans Bend to focus on the Employment Precinct.
The second part is needed as the Employment Precinct was added to the development area in April 2015 – after the process for commissioning a groundwater study over the Wirraway, Sandridge, Lorimer and Montague precincts had begun.
EPA Executive Director of Knowledge, Standards and Assessment, Tim Eaton said the part two study would establish groundwater quality over the entire Fishermans Bend urban renewal area.
“Now that an additional precinct has been added to the district, there’s a need to determine baseline groundwater quality in this new area so that we have a complete picture,” Mr Eaton said.
“The groundwater study will inform the work being undertaken by the Fishermans Bend Taskforce in developing the Fishermans Bend Framework and Precinct Plans," he said.
Mr Eaton said the results of the part one study finalised last year showed that like many former industrial sites, some areas of shallow groundwater were not suitable for drinking, and bore users should have their water tested by a suitably qualified environmental consultant before any use.
He said that following a competitive public tender, AECOM had been engaged to undertake the part two study.
“AECOM presented the best value-for-money tender in a competitive field, as well as having successfully completed the part one groundwater study last year.”
Mr Eaton said a desktop study of groundwater in the Employment Precinct had already commenced and that on-ground work, including the installation of groundwater bores on public land, would be underway in the coming months and be completed by the second half of this year.
A final report on the groundwater study will be released on EPA’s website.
EPA will continue to update the local community through its website and local community forums.
See EPA's Fishermans Bend groundwater studies page for further information.