Batlow Cannery Site Business Case

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Consultation has concluded

Background

Consultation with the community identified the improvement of the derelict former Mountain Maid Cannery site as a priority project for Batlow. The 2.5 hectare industrial site operated as the Mountain Maid Cannery up until the early 2000’s. Since its closure, the property has sat idle with a number of large industrial buildings falling into a poor state of repair.

Council received $500,000 from the NSW Government's Major Projects Infrastructure Fund to purchase the Cannery site (purchased in late 2018) and undertake targeted demolition works and clean up.

The original business case project

Additional funding of $200,000 was allocated from the second round of the NSW Government's Stronger Communities Fund to develop a business case to identify and evaluate a range of improvement opportunities for the former site.

Current status

Demolition works got underway in December 2019, however on Saturday 4 January 2020 the site was impacted by the black summer bushfires.

Additional clean-up activities were required following the fires and a new scope of works was negotiated. Mitigation works were completed by Council in February 2020 with a significant impact on Council’s budget.

Due to the high public safety risk posed by the friable asbestos present at the Cannery site as a result of the black summer bushfires, mitigation site works had a significant impact on Council’s budget and much of the original funding allocated for the business case was used in the mitigation works.

Next Phase

An Environmental assessment and Geotech assessment will undertaken. Community consultation will be undertaken following these results as part of the scoping to develop a business masterplan as a future project, to investigate long term use opportunities for the site.




Background

Consultation with the community identified the improvement of the derelict former Mountain Maid Cannery site as a priority project for Batlow. The 2.5 hectare industrial site operated as the Mountain Maid Cannery up until the early 2000’s. Since its closure, the property has sat idle with a number of large industrial buildings falling into a poor state of repair.

Council received $500,000 from the NSW Government's Major Projects Infrastructure Fund to purchase the Cannery site (purchased in late 2018) and undertake targeted demolition works and clean up.

The original business case project

Additional funding of $200,000 was allocated from the second round of the NSW Government's Stronger Communities Fund to develop a business case to identify and evaluate a range of improvement opportunities for the former site.

Current status

Demolition works got underway in December 2019, however on Saturday 4 January 2020 the site was impacted by the black summer bushfires.

Additional clean-up activities were required following the fires and a new scope of works was negotiated. Mitigation works were completed by Council in February 2020 with a significant impact on Council’s budget.

Due to the high public safety risk posed by the friable asbestos present at the Cannery site as a result of the black summer bushfires, mitigation site works had a significant impact on Council’s budget and much of the original funding allocated for the business case was used in the mitigation works.

Next Phase

An Environmental assessment and Geotech assessment will undertaken. Community consultation will be undertaken following these results as part of the scoping to develop a business masterplan as a future project, to investigate long term use opportunities for the site.