A VACANT plot of previously council-owned land in Evanston Gardens, which was recently sold to make way for a new OTR service station, has been found to be contaminated by a potentially toxic substance.
Previously confidential documents released by Gawler Council last week revealed the land, at Lot 300, Angle Vale Road, had been contaminated with per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are a man-made chemical formerly used in firefighting foams and other household and industrial items.
The land was formerly a Country Fire Service (CFS) training area between the 1960s and 1986, with firefighting foams used by the CFS the source of the contamination.
According to the Australian Department of Health website, some studies have linked the chemicals to cancer in animals, but there is no evidence presently to suggest negative health impacts on humans.
Gawler Council confirmed it first learned about PFAS contamination at the site in 2017 after it was identified in a detailed site investigation prior to the land going up for sale.
The extent of the contamination was revealed after Peregrine Corporation – the purchasers of the land – engaged independent consultants to conduct an environmental due diligence report to further assess the nature and extent of the pollution.

The subsequent report revealed PFAS contamination is “potentially” widespread throughout the site to a depth of four metres, with the quantity of PFAS-contaminated soil on the site “potentially
significant”, although the depth of the contamination meant the chance of the chemicals spreading to any aquifers was found to be “unlikely”.
Gawler mayor Karen Redman said investigations showed further contamination of the surrounding area wasn’t probable.
“The environmental reports provided do not indicate any risk of contamination movement, however any development at the site will need to consider how excavation works are undertaken given the PFAS on the site,” she said.
“Testing undertaken at Lot 300 Angle Vale Road indicates that the PFAS contaminates are within the property boundary, located centrally within the land parcel.
“The purchaser (Peregrine Corporation) has engaged an environmental consultant to assist with the management of the PFAS contamination at the site.
“Through the development of the site, there will be a requirement to manage the PFAS contaminated soils in accordance with Environment Protection Authority guidelines.”
As reported in The Bunyip in May, an agreement to sell the land to the Peregrine Corporation had been reached for $1.31 million, with a large OTR service station planned to be built at the site.
The newly-released documents revealed Peregrine Corporation had sought a $270,000 reduction in the sale price in order to cleanup the contaminated soil, but that settlement had since been agreed upon by both parties.
The final sale price of the land is unknown.
The documents also stated the contaminated soil must remain on-site in a form which does not pose any threat of further spread of the contamination, and a further testing of surrounding soil must occur.
The Bunyip contacted Peregrine Corporation for comment, but it did not respond before print deadline.