After many months of uncertainty, the decision has finally been made to tear down the historic Empire Bay boatshed and replace it with a replica.
The news follows a huge community campaign over several years to save the heritage listed marina, with an Empire Bay Heritage Boat Shed Association formed in November to ramp up pressure on the State Government.
With the marine structures to be removed due to significant contamination, Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal, Adam Crouch, said while he acknowledged diverse community sentiment toward the former marina the safety of the community was paramount.
“I know there are many in the community that want to see the Empire Bay site preserved, but today the engineers advised why this just wasn’t possible,” Crouch said on November 30.
“It is crucial that the site is maintained as usable public open space, and work has already started on assessing the feasibility and costs of building a replica structure on the site.
“Given the site adjoins an established residential area without legal vehicle access, parking or sewerage, a lot of work needs to be done.”
Crouch said he was committed to working with the community, including the Empire Bay Heritage Boat Shed Association, to explore how the site can be reactivated for community use.
“I’d like to see if we can rebuild something which acknowledges the local boating history and creates an asset that is accessible to the entire community,” he said.
Empire Bay Heritage Boatshed Association spokesperson Errol Baker said while he was disappointed that the original structure will be demolished, the replica building was good news for Empire Bay.
“Our engineer and the government’s engineers had some good discussions, but in the end the government is driven by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPAD),” he said.
“However, the replica will have elements of the original structure throughout, after consultation with a heritage expert.
“This will provide our community with the confidence that the true heritage of the historic boat shed is honoured in the new building.”
Baker said he had been assured funding would be available for the project.
“We would like to see the replica building become a maritime museum,” he said.
“We must honour the families who once lived here and the area’s rich boating history – we have to save something.”
Baker said he had already been offered many artefacts to go in the museum.
Crouch said Crown Lands is currently addressing planning requirements for the removal of the boatshed and remediation work.
A Remedial Action Plan will also be prepared to clean up the site as a matter of priority and address NSW EPA regulatory requirements, he said.
Crown Lands, which owns the site, said the decision for removal of the marina structures and a full and safe remediation of contamination on the site had been made for several reasons.
Executive Director of Land and Asset Management Greg Sullivan said a detailed site investigation had found elevated concentrations of contaminants on site including anti-fouling agents (tributyltin), heavy metals (lead, zinc and copper) and hydrocarbons (fuel and oil), from the marina’s former operations.
SafeWork NSW had also issued a notice that the underground fuel tanks and associated equipment including all fuel lines and vents must be removed.
“Building condition and structural engineer’s reports found the boatshed has major structural defects, is structurally unsound and unsafe, and is likely to collapse during the work that is required to properly remediate the site,” Sullivan said.
“The jetties are also dilapidated and unsafe.”
Once the boatshed, underground fuel tanks, jetties, slipway, and a concrete hardstand area are removed, further contamination testing will be undertaken to determine full remediation requirements.
Further information will be made available on the Crown Lands website at crownland.nsw.gov.au/whats-happening/notifications/empire-bay-marina.
Terry Collins