The Minns Labor Government has delivered a cleaner and safer future for the Lower Hunter community with clean-up works at the former Truegain waste oil processing plant in Rutherford now complete.
The Truegain site was one of the most contaminated pieces of land in the Hunter.
The site has undergone a two-stage remediation process over the past few years, led by Property and Development NSW's Waste Assets Management Corporation (WAMC) and backed by $19 million in NSW Government funding.
Stage 1 involved the removal of more than 11,000 tonnes of industrial liquid waste, sludge, and above-ground infrastructure, including over 400 storage tanks and intermediate bulk containers, from the site. This phase was completed in late 2023.
The recently completed Stage 2 involved the removal of approximately 15,000 tonnes of contaminated soil from the 1.2-hectare site. It also included the removal of hydrocarbon impacted concrete slabs and the excavation of underground infrastructure including a 50,000-litre underground tank.
Now remediation works are complete, the site is suitable for commercial or industrial use.
The former waste oil processing plant was abandoned in 2016 when Truegain lost its trade waste permit, had its environment protection licence suspended and entered liquidation.
For more information visit the Truegain site remediation webpage.
Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:
"With the completion of remediation work, what was once a blight on the local landscape has been transformed into a space that can be used to benefit the entire Maitland community.
"Since the site became the Government's responsibility, we have made cleaning up this site our priority. We want to ensure future generations are not left with the legacy of gross environmental mismanagement.
"Property and Development NSW have done a good job of remediating this site. The agency is also remediating other sites across the Hunter, including the former Waratah Gasworks in Newcastle."
Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison said:
"The remediation of the former Truegain site is a huge relief to our community. Thanks to Property and Development NSW, one of the most polluted sites in the Lower Hunter is now cleaned up, bolstering safety and amenity for the Rutherford community.
"Everyone deserves to live in safe and clean environment, which is why the Minns Government prioritised this project."
Local resident Ramona Cocco said:
"I'd like to thank everyone involved in cleaning this site up. It was a mammoth undertaking.
"It is so nice to know that we, as a community, can finally move on and this site can be reused in a way that's beneficial to us all."
