Removal of PFAS soil at Charmhaven school site

Excavation and removal of PFAS-affected soils is one more step in laying the groundwork for the construction of St Philip’s Christian College Charmhaven campus and Narnia Early Learning Centre.

The proposal for the new K-12 school in Arizona Rd was on public exhibition in September 2023 and is currently being assessed by the NSW Government.

Now, the NSW Rural Fire Service has lodged a development application with Central Coast Council for remediation work to remove PFAS-impacted shallow soils on land owned by St Philip’s Christian Education Foundation which adjoins the Fire Control Centre in Arizona Rd.

The RFS Control Centre (FCC) contains a firefighting training area where PFAS contamination was found in the south-western part of the site and there is evidence of its migration to a small pocket of the adjoining school site.

The DA outlines the environmental effects and remediation plans for the PFAS contamination including removal of ground cover and 87 trees and excavation of up to one metre of contaminated soil over an area of about 2,100sqm.

There are tree protection measures for 48 mature trees to be retained.

Part of the FCC site will be used for access using established fire trails around the area, and to stockpile excavated soil for removal off-site to a suitably licensed facility.

Work at the contaminated site is located more than 100m from the unnamed tributary of Wallarah Creek and the Environment Protection Authority has recommended that it be assessed following remediation works to monitor the potential migration of PFAS and to verify whether there has been any improvement due to the work.

Reinstatement of excavated areas will be through regrading or backfilling with suitable validated materials.

The DA says that the remediation process is essential for restoring health to the surrounding ecosystem, improving biodiversity in the area and removing the risk of human exposure to ensure that the future establishment of the school is built in a space that promotes both safety and ecological wellbeing.

The school proposal is being considered by the NSW Government as a State Significant Development Application (SSD-14082938) because of its capital investment value of about $425M.

Full details can be viewed at the State Government’s planning portal – https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/st-philips-christian-college-charmhaven

More information about the PFAS remediation can be found on Central Coast Council’s website – DA/946/2025.