WITH the current redevelopment of Alberton Oval underway, Port Adelaide Football Club provides an update on the construction progress.

After a short break over the Christmas and New Year period, works have recommenced on the Alberton Oval redevelopment. When finished, the redevelopment will provide high-performance facilities for the Club’s men’s and women’s teams, be a vibrant place of connection for the community, and help meet junior community sport needs in the western suburbs.

As previously communicated in December 2022, during land clearance works at the Oval some building waste and rubble was found under the spectator mounds around the eastern boundary of the playing oval.

When this was tested, the composition of the soil was found to be consistent with construction materials used 60 years ago, with some heavy metals (such as lead), other chemical substances (such as hydrocarbons) and several pieces of bonded asbestos being present.

The soil was safely contained in stockpiles and monitored over the Christmas/New Year period, and our independent Environmental Consultant has now created a strategy to deal with the materials in the mounds. This will involve moving soil from within the mounds to the area under the foundations of the future indoor training facility on the eastern side of the oval.

Placing the soil under a concrete slab at the new building will create a permanent barrier between site users and the materials and ensure that people are not at risk from exposure to them.

The movement of the materials will be managed in accordance with health and safety protocols to ensure no risk to neighbouring properties, Alberton Oval users or the contractors. There will be excess soil removed from the site, but all soils being transported are clean and pose no risk.

Works for moving materials from the mounds will commence on 23 January and it is anticipated they will be complete in February 2023.  

The building contractor is liaising with the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and City of Charles Sturt and coordinating the transport route for trucks coming to and from the site over this period. There will be extra traffic in the local area during this time but residents’ access to properties will be maintained.

The delay to determine the best management of the material in the spectator mounds is likely to extend the construction timeline by 8 - 10 weeks.

Anyone with any queries or concerns, please contact the Club via ceo@pafc.com.au for further information.