"Council is undertaking the appropriate due diligence" with regard to geotechnical tests at a Mittagong site earmarked for a new car park.
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This is the message of Wingecarribee Shire Mayor Councillor Duncan Gair.
He said that not organising the tests would be "remiss of council."
"This is done in much the same way as a prospective home buyer would undertake a building inspection, at their own expense, on a home purchase," he said.
Cr Gair added that contamination fears were "based on speculation rather than fact."
His response follows concerns voiced by Councillor Garry Turland about the possibility of a 'budget blow out' on the proposed car park project.
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These concerns were published in a story by the Southern Highland News which referenced comments made by Cr Turland at the June 24 ordinary general meeting of council.
The matter relates to a portion of land on the southern side of the Mittagong Railway Station, near a new lift.
The land is earmarked for a car park following an agreement with Sydney Trains and Transport for NSW (TfNSW).
Sydney Trains has agreed to release some car parking spaces at its Bowral car park for the purpose of a proposed upgrade and road widening of Station Street, Bowral.
However, the agreement, in turn, requires council to establish an additional car parking area for 70 spaces at the Mittagong Railway Station.
This will require the release of land to council that is currently leased by the ARTC.
Council has allocated $1 million for the construction of the car park at the Mittagong site in its draft 2020/21 budget.
A council spokesperson said that preconstruction activities, which included geotechnical testing, soil analysis and waste classification were planned to be undertaken and would form part of the final design and specification.
"The associated costs are anticipated to be about $8000," the spokesperson said.
Cr Turland said he believed the soil testing was not an expense that should be met by council.
He said he was also concerned that if council took ownership of the land and then found it was contaminated it would "blow out council's budget with remediation works."
Cr Gair refuted Cr Turland's suggestion that if the land were found to be contaminated it would "blow out council's budget with remediation works".
He said council was under no obligation to undertake any potential remediation works at the proposed site.
"Council does not own this land, nor does it intend to purchase it," he said.
"Council is negotiating with Transport for NSW to access the land for the proposed car park under a long-term lease arrangement."
Cr Gair said that the soil and geotechnical testing to be undertaken on site was "part of normal pre-construction investigation works."
"Council is undertaking the appropriate due diligence in organising these tests," he said.
Cr Gair said that the land was not council's and therefore any suggestion that council would be required to finance any potential remediation costs was incorrect.
"Council has made it clear to the land owner that it is not liable if any issue is identified," he said.
"Cr Turland's fears are based on speculation rather than fact."
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