Cleaning up Stable Swamp Creek and the Rocklea Markets, Brisbane
When Brisbane City Council realised they had reached capacity with their flood impact response efforts following the 2022 South East Queensland deluge, they called on the help of Queensland's Department of Environment and Science (DES) to clean up Stable Swamp Creek and the Rocklea Markets.
DES stepped in to lead the removal of detected waste and hazardous materials in semi-vegetated, hard-to-access areas of Rocklea.
To help coordinate their efforts, DES engaged Pipe Management Australia using a grant from the jointly funded DRFA Australian and Queensland Government Clean-up Grant Program.
DES also brought in a third-party auditor to comprehensively review contractor safety documentation and initial work efforts.
Items identified during the clean-up included chemical drums and containers, gas cylinders, stainless steel kegs, tyres, pallets and even skip bins, mainly a result of the water inundation across Rocklea industrial lots.
The operation was extensive, with the final large items of waste, a truck tyre and steel tank, retrieved by crane from the banks of Stable Swamp Creek in late January 2023.
All pieces of damaged debris collected have now been disposed of at authorised waste facilities.
A year on from the catastrophic floods and Rocklea is well on its way down the road to recovery.
