The Port Kembla Port Corporation would test any soil it took from the Barangaroo site in Sydney to make sure it was not contaminated, chairman Nicholas Whitlam said yesterday.
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NSW Ports Minister Duncan Gay also dismissed fears over the proposed deal, revealed by the Mercury this week, to use 600,000 tonnes of material from the polluted development site for land reclamation at Port Kembla.
The material is being excavated from a section of the 22ha Barangaroo site that contains contamination "hot spots" with high concentrations of metals and chemicals.
Yesterday, Mr Whitlam said the soil would be subject to a range of tests in Sydney to ensure it was safe to be loaded on a bulk carrier and shipped to Port Kembla.
"And anything that comes into the port will be tested again by us ... not that we don't trust anyone," he said. "You can rest assured nothing will come into the port for fill that is other than fully approved under every environmental control you could hope for."
Mr Gay stressed the port would not be given, or accept, contaminated fill. "Not only would Nick and the crew down here not want to take it, legally they can't take contaminated fill," he said.
The material will be used as part of the outer harbour expansion project.
Mr Gay yesterday announced next Tuesday's state budget would include $20.7 million to continue the project.
Some $3.5 million will be spent on a new access road, $3 million will go towards improving the port's rail lines and $6 million will be spent on strategic land acquisitions.
When completed, the outer harbour expansion will have reclaimed about 42ha of land and created seven new berths.
Mr Gay said the Government was committed to developing the port and getting more port freight off trucks and onto rail.
He also formally opened the port's new tug facility yesterday.
Lend Lease, the Port Kembla Port Corporation, the Barangaroo Delivery Authority and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) have all denied any environmental threat to Port Kembla should the Barangaroo proposal be approved.
Lend Lease will provide the material without charge - potentially saving it millions of dollars by not having to dispose of it at a special landfill.
In a letter to the Mercury, Barangaroo South managing director Andrew Wilson said soil that did not meet EPA criteria for reuse would be disposed of.