By Duncan Leys, August 2025, from Bulletin 6/2025

What’s happening with Glebe’s Hill?

Eight months ago on 29 November 2024 the report by Sydney University titled ‘Glebe’s Hill: Unravelling its Biodiversity Secrets & Potential’ was presented to a good crowd of members and friends at Glebe Town Hall. The report was enthusiastically received as evidenced by the unscheduled Q&A that followed. (Glebe’s Hill is the patch of land between Jubilee Park station and Harold Park.) 

An observation from the report that resonated with me was:

There is an urgent need to create high quality greenspace in our cities. These spaces not only support nature in urban environments but contribute significantly to the wellbeing of residents exposed to them. However, the desire to create and enhance these spaces is severely limited by a shortage of suitable areas in cities that can be managed to meet these needs. The Glebe Hill project aims to enhance urban biodiversity in Sydney by proposing how a degraded site can be transformed into a valuable greenspace.

The aim is not to create an extension of the Harold Park parklands but a wild space where access by people and pets is restricted to pathways, and biodiversity can be enhanced and allowed to thrive.

The Councillors who were there on the night, were enthusiastic about the project. Quickly we learned we faced two impediments. One was the native title claim on Glebe’s Hill and the other was the extent of contamination of the site. We focused on getting an understanding of exactly what was the extent of the contamination. This will be an issue for whoever is the ultimate custodian of the site. 

A number of Councillors and City staff undertook to obtain copies of the contamination reports for us, but months passed and the reports did not appear. In frustration we applied to the City archivist for copies of any reports held by the City and within a week we received what we believe to be the most recent reports from JBS Environmental Pty Ltd, dating from June to October 2010.

JBS were commissioned to investigate the site with a view to its remediation and use as public space. They also reviewed four reports from two other consultants going back to 1999 and 2000. Contamination has been an ongoing problem.JBS drilled 15 core holes across the site, taking two samples from each hole, and found that 17 of the 30 were contaminated with either lead or petrol hydrocarbons. They rated some of the site as contamination hot spots. Ground water samples were found to contain low levels of heavy metals and other contaminants. However, there was ongoing potential for soil-borne contaminants to leach into ground water.

Our firm view is the Hill needs to be made safe and be returned to use as a passive green space for rewilding.

The JBS report presented a number of options to make the site safe for use as public space, wholly or in part. These included removing and treating the contaminated soil off site and returning it or replacing it with new soil; processing the soil on site to remove the contaminants; and capping all or part of the site. Alternatively, the Council could do nothing as an interim measure, fencing off the site and prohibiting access. 

What we do not have is Council’s response to the JBS report and so we do not know which, if any, of the various options for making the site safe the Council has decided on. It will be our next job to find this out.

The Glebe Society needs you …

As I’m sure you all know, the Glebe Society is run entirely by volunteers. If you have ever thought you’d like to be part of this yourself, there is a perfect opportunity to do this right now.  Our Management Committee is looking for volunteers to join. The following positions are filled by nominations from members:

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary
  • Ordinary members (4)

Our Management Committee meets on the second Wednesday of the month from 7–9 pm at Benledi House, 186 Glebe Point Road. The Committee is made up of the above elected positions and the Convenors of our subcommittees. All Committee members have an equal say in the decision-making process.

If you would like to nominate for any of these positions, please fill in a nomination form (enclosed or via this link) and return it to secretary@glebesociety.org.au by Friday 29 August.

Another way members may wish to contribute is by becoming a member of one of our subcommittees. Please feel free to contact either the Convenor – their details are listed on the website and at the back of this Bulletin – or me to discuss this further.