More than three years after Blackheath tip was fenced off because of asbestos contamination, rehabilitation plans are still being prepared.
In November 2017 council initially canvassed the problem of asbestos on the old tip site on Ridgewell Road.
They commissioned a report into the issue by consultant Michael Tooma, which was tabled at an extraordinary meeting in March 2018.
Councillors then voted to accept Mr Tooma's recommendations, which included fencing the site.
Council then put out a tender for a detailed design and DA for remediation of the area. In October 2019, GHD Pty Ltd was granted the tender after putting in a $213,000 bid.
It was anticipated that GHD's work would be finished by the following April (2020).
In response to questions by Cr Kerry Brown, at last month's meeting council revealed that the work is still in process and not yet completed. Council was unable to say when it would be finished, nor what the remediation may cost. It will be costed once the designs are finished.
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Cr Brown also asked about plans for 4,000 tonnes of gravel bought in 2019 to cap the platform at Katoomba waste management facility. The material is now being stored at the tip.
The response was that council is preparing a "resourcing assessment and plan" to remediate the Katoomba platform.
Cr Brown said: "I am concerned that nearly two years after council called for a report on rehabilitating the platform at Katoomba tip and commissioned GHD to design a remediation solution for the former tip at Blackheath, we have heard nothing about either.
"Based on previous clean-ups, there will be a seven-figure bill to deal with the friable asbestos at these two sites. It would be disturbing if this is being shunted to the other side of the election and the next term of council for political reasons."
