Crown Lands has finished a major clean-up at North Stockton beach, which removed around 3,800 tonnes of buried waste from a former City of Newcastle landfill site.
The NSW Government commenced emergency work to protect the local coastline following the exposure of geofabric covering the former landfill site which was operational in the late 1960s to early 1970s.
Work crews descended on North Stockton beach to remove buried waste that threatened to create a pollution hazard due to coastal erosion. The excavation work followed the installation of a temporary sandbag wall in September 2021 to secure the site.
Crown Lands worked with the Soil Conservation Service, with support from Hunter Water and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
Crown Lands’ priority was to ensure the environment and sea life were protected, and that the area was safely rehabilitated for ongoing community use.
The site has been assessed as cleared, was backfilled with sand and restored to its natural state. Revegetation of the site will occur using local indigenous plant species suitable for coastal dunes in the new year.
Consultation has occurred with the City of Newcastle and the Worimi and Karuah Local Aboriginal Land Councils.
These works have now been completed and members of the public are able to return to North Stockton beach for their enjoyment.
