Barangaroo remediation

Barangaroo, one of Sydney’s newest commercial, tourist, entertainment and cultural precincts, is in fact a former industrial site which required significant remediation.

Within months of the official opening of sections of Barangaroo to the public, remediation work was to commence to treat or remove about 150,000 tonnes of soil contaminated by a former gasworks which operated on the site in the 1800s.

H/Advisors APA was engaged to develop a stakeholder-led consultation and communications strategy that would meet the Government’s requirements for open communication with people who live or work near Barangaroo, whilst simultaneously protecting the public appeal of the precinct.

We drew on the site’s history – the Millers Point Gasworks used coal to create gas that supplied the first street light network outside of Europe and enabled George Street to be lit from 1841. This meant safety and security for residents but also heralded the dawn of a new industrial era. 

The approach rested on telling the story of Sydney’s waterfront heritage and the valuable contribution the site made to our development as a colony and a nation. 

A comprehensive suite of tools was rolled out over three years to build understanding of the remediation process, explain in detail the safety measures put in place, and to generate support for the precinct’s revitalisation.

The campaign’s positive media coverage reached at least 1.3 million people via more than 75 media outlets, while local neighbours were involved in deep consultation, and stakeholders as diverse as environment groups and utilities owners were provided with tailored briefings.